Guess I’m the lone wolf here who likes Starbucks coffee. Of course, I like a lot of other coffee better. I make a mean cup of coffee myself. It’s not fancy and many people who stick their nose up at “corporate” coffee would probably say a lot of mean things about my coffee, too, but it’s good to me and I like it. You’ll never please anybody.
One thing about Starbucks: you’re generally going to get the same thing wherever you go. If you find something you like, it’s consistent. Also, some of their coffee is good to make at home.
That said, my favourite coffee shop is a local cafe. It’s not a chain, there’s only one of them, and it’s the same nice lady making the coffee every day. I think she and her wife own the place? It’s a bit expensive, but I don’t mind because it’s good, and it’s espresso. I’ve talked to the barista about it, like I can make good coffee at home, but I come for the espresso, the unique drinks, and the atmosphere. It’s a nice place to break out a laptop and chill, and they play nice music.
I actually very rarely go to Starbucks. But when I do, I know exactly what I want, and what I’m going to get. I don’t think they’re better than anyone, and I’ll always prefer independent cafes. But I don’t hate Starbucks, either. And I am glad to hear Starbucks being taken down a peg. We don’t need them on every corner.
I like it too. Honestly I only order espressos and it’s consistent. I’ll gladly support local coffee shops, but the espressos are always bitter.
I favor independent coffee shops too, and I agree with everything you said. Starbucks is useful for when you’re on-the-go or traveling, for when you need a reliable 3rd space with seating, bathroom, and wifi.
Another thing I give Starbucks points for is high customization. I can do an online order as detailed as I want and know exactly what’s in it. Oh and the drive-thrus and early/late opening hours are convenient. Very helpful for shift workers.
Starbucks started out importing $40,000 (in ninties money) la marzocco machines, specially imported because nobody had done that before.
Those old, cost as much as a luxury car and supply a cafe all day long, la marzoccos required someone who cared to perform a skill. They had to train a new trade, basically coffee cooks, which hadn’t been a thing. Coffee generally came with breakfast.
If it weren’t for Starbucks Americans wouldn’t know what espresso was. Now, they did get out of hand with the milk at some point. Americans like buying and selling milk and I’m sure they focus grouped it or idk, but I’m sure that’s fate as much as fault. Anyway, my pet theory is that the charred tastes goes further in the milk.
Now they’ve got those super autos and the last interesting aspect disappeared.
I’m not paying $5 for black coffee
Bit idea: the Howard Johnson’s scene from Mad Men but with a millennial taking their gen z partner to a starbucks
Good. Who wants to drink burnt coffee from a megacorp when I can drink coffee that’s actually good from a local business?
I don’t drink coffee, but I hear you can make it yourself.
People can cook for themselves, too, but sometimes they like to go out for food. Same with coffee. It can be nice to get out of the house and go for a cup of coffee, or grab a cup when you happen to be out. Every tried making a cup of coffee on a road trip? Not impossible, but not super practical for most people. If you want a latte but you don’t own an espresso machine you’re kind of out of luck (unless you want to get an Aeropress). Anyway, there’s lots of reasons why you’d go to a coffee shop.
They cant roast coffee for shit, I got a blonde roast, because the storm couldn’t get to my normal shop. It was still burnt. What a bunch of clowns.
Starbucks feels like the Blockbuster of the quick-stimulation market. Once there were no alternatives, now there are loads, often cheaper and better. Without constant customer flow, it’s suddenly just vast amounts of premium real estate that need paying for. And unlike smaller competitors, it doesn’t have much room to pivot. Watching how that unwinds will be interesting.
Where I am, there’s more artisan cafes than 'Bucks. However I find it cheaper to just have instant coffee from Indonesia.
I don’t like coffee that tastes burned.
I got news for you… it’s all burned
It doesn’t all taste like it though.
Likely you’ve become accustomed to it and I’m a little jealous. As a non-coffee drinker, when I have rarely needed it, it’s always a burnt flavor, no matter how mild the roast.
Because it is. They burn the beans. Some more than others though and thats where the flavours come from
Starbucks is shit, it has always been shit, it will always forever be shit.
There’s a reason it failed in Australia. There’s a reason it only exists still in Australia and that’s only to cater to tourists who don’t like coffee but like coffee-flayoured milk bevetages - you’ll never find Australians in there except maybe if working and forced to make shit drinks. Literally everywhere else is better, including fast food places.
I’ll give it some credit as a “third place” but literally every other coffee shop is too and they serve actual coffee.
It’s absolutely always been shit. I’ve hated it since it gained popularity. There was a time when people would treat you as a coffee snob for hating it, but that seems to have waned as more people realized that it’s shit, even by fast food standards. I’d rather drink local, but hell I’ll take McDonald’s coffee over sbux
I can tell you exactly why people aren’t going to Starbucks anymore: the quality has declined from lack of training, it’s now overpriced coffee for what it is, and their shops aren’t even good “3rd places” anymore - their furniture isn’t comfortable and the space design implies “give us money, then gtfo”. Starbucks as just turned into an overpriced fast-food coffee company
I used to frequently go to a Starbucks in the town I went to uni in; To the point where the baristas knew me by name. I went a lot because it was that 3rd place I could go and study / get work done, with readily available snacks and beverages. However, they ended up closing that shop, even though it was one of the highest rated shops in either the town/province because: they couldn’t put a drive-through in at that location 🤦
It’s ironic how at that old location, they used to write / draw stuff on the cups for their loyal customers because there was an actual friendship between the employees and the regular customers. Now they write generic stuff on the cups as “corporate mandated fun”
The coffee has always been bad.
The coffee is burnt, the milk is thin and overcooked, and this has just been a constant part of the experience forever.
What’s really changed is there’s other places to compare with, and it’s now obvious what coffee can taste like and where to go if you want one that’s half way decent.
There are two mom and pop food trucks with pretty good coffee (bean grinding, not Folgers) within reasonable walking distance of my house. There are a bunch of both food trucks and sit down joints with coffee, breakfast pastries/sandwiches, and good branding within reasonable driving distance. Even my shitty hometown has a coffee shop now and that place is garbage.
Starbucks showed that there was an appetite for coffee that isn’t just white label drip diner coffee that will strip the paint off the walls. It normalized it so that it wasn’t as pretentious looking. They normalized coffee shops. But you’re absolutely right, it’s just terrible until they add 1000 calories of dessert to it.
Idk when it was ever good or a good value…
My friends always wanted to go after school around 2005 and it was overpriced and shitty then
I would rather get a coffee headache than get a Starbucks coffee.
Why do people even go to starbucks? I’ve been there once. The coffee is sugarry slop, the atmosphere is the same fastfood atmosphere as anywhere.
If I want to go out and have a coffee on my day off, I 'd much rather go to some local coffeshop somewhere and experience their unique atmosphere, sight, sounds, smells, tastes and everything they have to offer. It’s probably cheaper as well, except that I’m usually inclined to buy a bite as well and mayne some more.
It’s sugary if you order sugary stuff. I drink black coffee, and I do enjoy their espressos and americanos. They are definitely expensive, but within a reasonable margin compared to competing quality from other shops in my area. I try to go with local indie when I can.
sugary slop
That’s why people go there.
Consistency, same reason people eat at McDonalds. Starbucks has the same signature burnt flavor at all their stores and you know exactly what you’re getting when you order one of their drinks. I agree with you though, local coffee shops are way more interesting.
Also some people have a crazy amount of Starbucks credit to burn through. My girlfriend’s employer is constantly throwing Starbucks credit her way and she accumulates it faster than she can use it, so might as well go there when she gets coffee out.
Sbux credit is better spent on hot chocolate than coffee tbh
Surely America doesn’t have just one coffee chain?
It’s not the only one but it’s by far the most pervasive. So if you live in a small town there’s a good chance it will be your only option for espresso drinks.
Yep, it’s easily the most dominant chain in a lot of areas. Roughly half the coffee shops in my neighborhood are Starbucks.
Sometimes I just crave an OrangeMoccaFrappucino.
My best friends had one once and then they perished in a freak gasoline fight afterward. I’m still haunted by the events to this day.
Starbucks coffee is shit.
Starbucks doesn’t even have coffee so this is stating the obvious. They only serve brown water with milk and syrups
There’s a comment on that website that says “you sholdn’t drink coffee, because sugar is bad for you” . WhichI thought a weird statement ti make, until I read your comment and remembered what starbucks was.
Starbucks has plenty of unsweetened options. They’re not good, but the do have them…
