Starbucks vs Australia

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Starbucks has announced that it's closing about three quarters of it's Australian stores.

While I feel bad for it's employees I felt a bit patriotic when I read:

Quote:

The chain has been the victim of an ill-fated push in Australia, a market it only entered in 2000. Starbucks was snubbed by many Australians who have grown up on a diet of quality European-style coffee introduced in the last century to Australia by immigrants, especially from Italy.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks chief executive, said on Tuesday that no other international markets need to be addressed in the same manner as Australia. "While this decision represents business challenges unique to the Australian market, it in no way reflects the strong state of Starbucks business in countries outside of the United States."

Full Story from the Financial Times

I've had American friends in the past say 'Why would Starbucks come here? It's not hard to get a decent coffee.'

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE. OY! OY! OY!

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Starbucks sucks, both as a product and as a corporate entity.

All honor to the Oztralians for rejecting this corporate corruption. Their coffee ain't very good, anyway.

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You mean, Australia isn't going to go with every overpriced fad to come down the road? That's, well, that's just Unamerican. That's what it is.

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roger wrote:

You mean, Australia isn't going to go with every overpriced fad to come down the road? That's, well, that's just Unamerican. That's what it is.

We hope so.

That being said, I quite enjoyed the odd Starbucks coffee from time to time...but I was always annoyed with all the ridiculously embroidered choices.

We have home-grown companies using the same concept, with all the wasted plastic crap etc., though.

I like to go to a nice Italian cafe, meself.

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dlowan wrote:

We have home-grown companies using the same concept, with all the wasted plastic crap etc., though.

I like to go to a nice Italian cafe, meself.

Yeah, we have a couple of chains (Gloria Jeans and the Coffee Club spring to mind) but they both jumped on the starbucks bandwagon (the don't predate it).

I too love a owner operated cafe with a proper barista - next time you're in Cairns get a double shot from Billy at Beethovens!

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It's kinda funny, havin' travelled a spell, but here in river city they are kinda like trailers in parkin' lots, so as not to make the locals nervous...

(still expensive, however)

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Would someone please explain to me the appeal of starbucks coffee?

I have a coffee pot at home, and what comes out of that is just fine.

I figure if I'm awake enough to operate heavy machinery like my car, I don't need to be buyin' any coffee after I've had my morning cup while sitting around in my bathrobe.

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Chai wrote:

Would someone please explain to me the appeal of starbucks coffee?

I have a coffee pot at home, and what comes out of that is just fine.

I figure if I'm awake enough to operate heavy machinery like my car, I don't need to be buyin' any coffee after I've had my morning cup while sitting around in my bathrobe.

Er..well, some of us like to experience coffee during the day, and often enjoy said consumption as a social event.

This tends to mean buying it SOMEWHERE.

Some people apparently like that somewhere to be Starbucks.

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Starbucks came in 2000 - because the crew from the US television corporation broadcasting the Olympics felt they couldn't get proper (crap) coffee. They were importing their own Starbucks, so the company decided to open for itself.

Certainly in Sydney, Melbourne, and it sounds like, Adelaide and Cairns, (and probably everywhere else) there is a definite coffee culture, mostly Italian-based - and mostly looking for the type of coffee that Starbucks just doesn't provide.

2 of the Gloria Jeans coffee places near me have closed. I live in an Italian area, and there are a squillion coffee shops in the vicinity. I just can't understand why Starbucks and their ilk open up.

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margo wrote:

Starbucks came in 2000 - because the crew from the US television corporation broadcasting the Olympics felt they couldn't get proper (crap) coffee. They were importing their own Starbucks, so the company decided to open for itself.

Ahh, the Olympics. I'll always remember Gerry Seinfeld coming over to do some stand up. Just one good joke but boy I laughed:

"I love your flag; England at night."

I was disturbed to be offered 'American coffee' in a number of hotels in Italy at breakfast. Naturally I was never tempted to try it (I thought they meant 'instant'). Later in Lonely Planet I read that 'American coffee' is espresso weakened with boiling water. I also read that if you order a milky coffee (eg capuccino or latte) after 11am in Italy the locals will think you are a weirdo and give you strange looks. Is that maybe like trying to get an egg & bacon mcmuffin from Ronnies for dinner?

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dlowan wrote:

Chai wrote:
Would someone please explain to me the appeal of starbucks coffee?

I have a coffee pot at home, and what comes out of that is just fine.

I figure if I'm awake enough to operate heavy machinery like my car, I don't need to be buyin' any coffee after I've had my morning cup while sitting around in my bathrobe.

Er..well, some of us like to experience coffee during the day, and often enjoy said consumption as a social event.

This tends to mean buying it SOMEWHERE.

Some people apparently like that somewhere to be Starbucks.

That was not the question.

Why starbucks?

I'm not talking about coffee as a social event, or where you may happen to be when you want this social coffee event

I'm asking why starbucks.

I have no idea what goes on inside a starbucks, as far as people sitting around being social.

I'm talking about the leagues of people walking around with coffee they got through the starbucks drive-through, or walked in, bought and walked out. I don't know about in Oz, but in the U.S. most starbucks is consumed while navigating an SUV or rushing about carrying laptops or having "important" conversations on bluetooths. Don't think I've ever actually seen a group sitting around having a friendly cup and relaxing.

Why starbucks?

their coffee to many seems to taste worse than most. To me, on the rare, rare occassion I've had it because someone provided it for a meeting, tastes burned. It certainly tastes no better than countless other brands.

Why starbucks?

What's the cache?

It probably tastes not much different, if at all, fron what you can run in and buy at a 7-11, at a quarter of the cost.

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Chai wrote:

I'm asking why starbucks.

Can't answer that question. Never been in one.
Not many at this end can answer that!

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Re: Starbucks vs Australia

hingehead wrote:

I've had American friends in the past say 'Why would Starbucks come here? It's not hard to get a decent coffee.'

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE. OY! OY! OY!

Yeah!

Why spend so much on crappy, pretentious "coffee" when one can often just walk down the street & have a (much cheaper) throughly splendid Italian brew? It's a mystery to me why some folk even went back for seconds at SBs.

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.... though, mind you, I'm at a complete loss at explaining the popularity of a certain US brand of plastic "burgers" with some segments of the Oz population. Seems that astute, targeted advertising can convince some that anything is delicious! Confused

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I will never go to a fast food chain such as Crap-Donald's or beverage chain such as Star-Belch.

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I have nothing to add here.

I dont think I have even ever seen a starbucks coffee shop.

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dadpad wrote:

I have nothing to add here.

I dont think I have even ever seen a starbucks coffee shop.

You mean you've never had the skinny triple vanilla latte with marshmallow, slivered chocolate & double whipped cream on top, dadpad?
You haven't lived!

(Alright, before someone indignantly sets me straight - I completely made that one up. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if it actually existed! Very Happy

)

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dadpad wrote:

I have nothing to add here.

I dont think I have even ever seen a starbucks coffee shop.

I have to confess I went in one when someone gave me a gift certificate.
I bought a pound of something.

It sucked.

Chumly - I'm with you.

I'd be embarrassed to be seen walking about with a cup with starbucks blazened across it.

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(sitting down right now with my cup of the day, from my kitchen)

coffee ain't coffee if ya gotta put any stuff in it to make it drinkable.

(slurp)

ahhh.....

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Starbucks vs Australia

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