... Coffee is synonymous with America – and Starbucks are THE American coffee house!
Travel to the US and they are everywhere. We have sat in Airport lounges in Detroit, Chicago O’Hare and McCarron, Las Vegas and drunk our Lattes (we used to call it ‘frothy coffee’, ... Read review
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A review by flashpointz on Starbucks Coffee May 28th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Atmosphere
Cleanliness
Family Friendly
Advantages:
great ambience, quintissentially american, great coffee
Disadvantages:
apparently their Tea is not so good
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Life these days is all about brand names. The recent plethora of Coffee houses that have sprung up all over the UK, has been led by that mega US brand STARBUCKS. Strange though that over in the US, many people hate them. In fact there is even a website dedicated to the ‘hobby’ www.ihatestarbucks.com. Amazing – they only serve coffee, they aren’t exporting nucleur weapons to third world countries. Well that’s the Yanks for you.
But one thing they do well is provide comfortable places to relax and indulge yourself in a nice cup of coffee – or try something just a little more exotic.
Myself, I’ve always been a coffee drinker. Ever since I was old enough to tell Mum – nope I don’t like Tea, please could I have coffee. You see I was a very polite child (no, really ask my Mum, ring her now on 01992 68………..). Coffee is synonymous with America – and Starbucks are THE American coffee house!
Travel to the US and they are everywhere. We have sat in Airport lounges in Detroit, Chicago O’Hare and McCarron, Las Vegas and drunk our Lattes (we used to call it ‘frothy coffee’, in the old days didn’t we? Boil up a saucepan of hot milk, take a cup, put a teaspoonful of instant coffee, sugar to taste, pour the boiling milk into a cup – and stir). Add to that a streetside Bar in San Francisco and a couple in L.A. That’s why this op is under the ‘Los Angeles’ section – I could not find one for ‘Milton Keynes’. Starbucks have become an ‘institution’ in the US and probably because of their high profile they get ‘stick’ from all quarters. But what they do – to my mind – they do well.
Just like Fast Food outlets, like BK, McD or KFC, the surroundings and what is on offer is pretty standardised. Starbucks just off Sunset Boulevard in LA, is nothing special. It is opposite a ‘Carls Jr’ diner and a ‘Boston’ fish restaurant. It is accros from an intersection from the road that 100 yards away brings you out onto Hollywood Boulevard itself. Nothing special, but a little more glam than Peterborough!
Each Starbucks that we tried in LA – the other two were at the Beverley Center and one at the Airport – were stylishly decorated and had a mixture of table and chairs to sit at or a couple of comfy sofas to lounge on. Except they were ALWAYS being used! Not exactly as shown in 'Central Perk' on TVs ‘Friends’ show at the or even another very popular TV Coffee House, ‘Café Nervosa’ Frasier’s usual haunt.
The good thing about Starbucks – anywhere – is that they make the coffee properly and you can drink it in a proper mug. None of that serving you coffee in cardboard crap. OK – I know if you’re in a hurry and an the move you can get it ‘to go’, but I’m talking ‘relaxing with a nice mug of coffee’ here.
Back to L.A (No, I’ve got to wait till we go again in October) and our ‘Starbucks experience’. As well as 'specials', you can have the usual favourites like, standard filter coffee, cappuccino, latte, mocha and for those sultry Summer afternoons (not sounding to much like a cheesy TV Ad, am I?), Iced Coffee. We decided to make a change and try a muffin with our coffee. Jill chose her fave – blueberry, I went for the chunky chocolate. Right ladies don’t get all drooly over the mention of the word chocolate..I’ve only mentioned it once………………CHOCOLATE…..sorry. I guess not surprisingly, the muffins did not live up to expectations. They were nice, but not jaw droppingly ooooohhhhh yesssss!!!, which you are led to believe all things American are. From memory they were a $1 each – compare that to one over here and they are good value in the USA.
We sat at the table and read the complimentary copy of that day’s L.A Times. “Mmmm I notice Copper’s up” I commented on browsing the Business section – no response… “and Kevin’s making a new movie”. “Yes, really, where, when – let me see!”. Well that bit of news got Jill’s interest, but lost me the newspaper. But at least I had my coffee to savour.
A couple of days later we’d got a Cab into the Beverly Center – a shopping and leisure complex on about 12 Floors. We’d got tickets to see the film ‘Galaxy Quest’ up at the Cineplex at the top of the Center, so we thought after a pre-movie browse amongst the shops, we’d have a coffee. Now this Starbucks was in the heart of Beverley Hills. I felt very underdressed. Same coffee, Same tasteful surroundings, but the people here – no, not stars, but they were of a certain …standing. Business people, Personal Shoppers taking a break, just general ‘classy’ people. There were no ‘ethnics’ on the customer side of the Coffee House, if you get my drift. No tourists either – apart from us.
Surprisingly the prices were no different to those at the Airport, nor at the one in Sunset Boulevard. Compare that to London sometime and you’ll pay more in the City than at say, Cathedral Square Peterborough.
Oh yes, don’t forget to pick up a ‘Starbucks’ coffee mug. You can buy a mug – with the instantly recognisable green logo – for around $10 – which includes the mug and endless refills while you are in that particular outlet. And a great souvenir too. I don’t know if they do the same kind of offer in UK Branches though.
Anyway I’ll close this op now, it’s getting to be more of a travelogue than anything else. But, Starbucks – just go into your local one and sit back, relax and imagine you are a star, waiting for a casting, just off Hollywood. I could say that it’s what dreams are made of, but come on – it’s ONLY a Coffee House, but a Quality one.
Advantages: Great hot chocolate if you can cope with the smell of coffee! Disadvantages: They sell coffee
...boast excellent hot chocolate but Starbucks is by far the best (I am in fact more of a coffe republic kinda girl, but hey, you can't have everything).
Starbucks do a fantastic range of sandwiches and bad (translate as good but terrible for waist line) scones (Leek and Parmasan...mmmmm) cheesy pastry twist things that quite frankly are to die for and scrummy double choc muffins and a whole other range of stuff I have yet to try. Its a little pricey ... ...open the store for 7.30am so I can get my morning hot choc fix on the way to work! Its only been a week but how did I ever manage before Starbucks rode into town??!! Oh...and I am sure the coffee is great...if you like that kind of thing! Eugh! ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good place if you just want to stop and rest whilst out shopping. Disadvantages: Too expensive for what it is.
...need somewhere to chill out, Starbucks is the place. It's inviting ambience makes up for its phenomenal prices - a tall Camomille Tea set me back £2.50!! I would like to say that it was worth it but I had tasted better. Finding somewhere to sit is also a bit of a mission, as people literally queue for standard chairs, nevermind the sofa! Still, if your just looking for somewhere to take a brief respite it's not a bad place. It has a wide range of ...
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Advantages: Nice coffee, nice place, those little jackets you can put your takeaway cup in so you don't burn your hands Disadvantages: Price
Starbucks is the most prestigious and arguably well known coffee shop in the world. It seemed to explode over here in the last few years - York now has 3 (thats as far as I know! - 2 more that is necessary) and many towns have more. And they are always full. Why?
Well, the coffee is nice. And there is lots of different sorts to choose from and everything. They do these cold coffees and weird flavoured coffees in the summer, which generally go down ... ...absolutely no way on earth Starbucks could justify their prices. In York, it costs £1.80 for a tall (small) Mocha. £1.50 for a bottle of lemonade. My friend Tom (he writes here too) reports paying £7.50 for 2 coffees and 2 slices of cake.
Then again, its all the same everywhere. Caffe Nero is expensive, but very similar to Starbucks in layout and style. I think the coffee is nicer at Nero (or Nerd - look at the signs - NERO in their font looks like ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: enjoyable coffee with good sizes and flavours Disadvantages: prices
A visit to starbucks is a very pleasurable experience however you have to have a fair bit of money in your wallet if you want more that one round of coffee or more than one cake. However i reckon you only need a regular or small size to be satisfied. They charge you extra for food and coffee if you're sitting in which to some could be viewed as good because you get takeaway cheaper but i feel it is an add on price when the interior isn't all that ... ...and happy to help you. Starbucks is different in different areas, i've found the starbucks coffee in america to be more frothy for the cappucinos and the lattes, my girlfriend being a coffee waitress has told me that its not the amount of froth on the cappucino its the coffee underneath. Starbucks coffee in britain seems up too these standards. Starbucks do they only want your hard earned bucks because they are such a big chain? ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Authentic Coffee, Clean, tidy premises, 1st class ambience and atmosphere Disadvantages: Food range is not so great value.
..., the counter at the Bar is spotless, bins are emptied, not a great deal of litter the toilet and Wash Rooms are fresh smelling and clean. Go to a fast Food Restaurant to compare Service and this puts caffe nero streets ahead of the competition.
My only slight criticism is that, some of the staff should be making the extra little effort in terms of making themselves appear to be enjoying themselves.
The Menu is snack related, some salady panini's and sandwiches. What lets some of the Retail Outlet's down, is the availability of certain styles of panini's. I have been there many times in the past twelve months and have noticed on many occasions gaps in this Product range. This maybe due to brisk trading levels in these Outlet's.
The price of the coffee for a regular is competitive to its main rivals i.e costa Coffee, starbucks, coffee...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: nice and quiet Disadvantages: meals are expensive
...me and the wife stayed at this hotel in 2007 and we loved it. hotel was in good area. coming out the hotel and then turning left and down to the bottom of the road and you where at central park.
also on that road few blocks down and you where at museum of natural history, which is a must to see.
in the area was plenty of shops and things to eat. on the corner was a citi bank and then across the road from that was starbuckscoffee and resturants.
from hotel we walked down the side of central park and not long we where at the bottom near trump hotel and the apple store.
hotel rooms where clean and very comfortable and we had great view of the city. we found food in the hotel to be expensive and not much choice and you where just better going out for breakfast - lunch or dinner and there was places nearby.
if you needed...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Competitive priced Coffee Disadvantages: Taste and Priced not as good as Caffee Nero
...Starbucks is a well known, almost global coffee brand. This chain of coffee shops are fully company owned. The price of coffee per metric tonne is approximately £883 a tonne. So for coffee shop stores there is a very high profit margin to be made.
I was travelling on my way to Crawley and as i was in London Victoria i noticed a burger type van advertising Starbucks. I thought to myself i have been to Starbucks before lets see how they fare.
Firstly i was not impressed with the service here. There were 2 staff in the van, no customers in the queue, and dispite this it took me 2 minutes to get served.
I noticed the bin they were using was full up with some plastic rubbish. Certainly not inviting for regular customers or great first impressions here.
The display of my coffee money was in a take away Starbucks plastic cup...
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I hope you’re prepared because this is not going to be pretty!
I’m normally a fairly easy going fellow, but this store has really got me riled. Are you ready because this is going to be a bit of a hatchet job!!!
So, who out there could have... more
The Starbucks Barista grinder is a relabelled Dualit grinder which is offered at a reduced cost from Starbucks outlets. A grinder is essential for those who want fresh coffee. Coffee beans will last much better than ground coffee, and so grinding before... more
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04.01.2008
