Over the weekend, I walked by the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market here in Seattle. You would have thought that Madonna was barista-of-the-day…or at the very least that they were giving away free Frappuccinos. The sidewalk was jammed with people waiting to get inside and taking photos of each other like they were at the Statue of Liberty or the White House.
We all know they weren’t there for the coffee. Even Starbucks fans acknowledge that it’s not a particularly good cup of coffee…slightly burnt tasting and overall, undistinguished.
In fact, the folks on Pike Place were there for the history, the hype, the joy of hanging out with the Goliath of the caffeine world.
Part of that hype and history these days is store closings and employee layoffs. Part of it is desperation measures designed to attract new customers and hang onto old customers questioning their pricey latte habit
.
That’s where the VIA instant coffee comes in. The buck-a-pop VIA instant coffee.
Talk about a “Hail Mary" pass.
I don’t get why any java connoisseur would settle for instant coffee when A. it takes just a couple minutes to crank up a Mr. Coffee two-cupper or B., on the road, there's likely a coffee shop within a couple blocks. Nor do I understand why any non java connoisseur would shell out a buck a packet for something that’s not really going to taste that much better to them than what they’re already drinking at McDonald’s?
(That said, I did find the Italian Roast Extra Bold pretty tasty and will keep a pack in my glove compartment for the very rare occasion that A. or B. is not applicable.)
Last year, when Starbucks’ former chief executive Howard Schultz re-took the reins, there seemed to be a lot of talk about going back to the basics. I figured that meant focusing on the product that got them into the party…namely coffee.
Instead, a peek into the cases at a Seattle Starbucks this morning revealed an entire menu of breakfast sandwiches, ciabatta “panini,” egg McMuffin-like numbers, even an eggy “wrap” forpetessake. And oatmeal? Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great alternative to the artery-clogging fast food that’s out there. (OK. So it’s not Irish steel-cut or Bob’s Red Mill Organic. It’s nutritious and, with dried fruit and nuts, very satisfying.) But is it a fast train out of the doldrums for the Starbucks brand? I doubt it.
I wish Starbucks well. And I will continue to contribute to their bottom line whenever I’m traveling. The presence of Starbucks counters in airports and along the I-70 in Utah and Colorado has brightened up many a travel day for me.
But while I’m in Seattle this week, I’ll luxuriate in the finest espresso and espresso drinks, intoxicatingly fragrant, richly flavored and supremely satisfying… at two of my favorite haunts:
Caffe Umbria on Occidental Avenue near Pioneer Square. An atmospheric café where serious coffee lovers relax and contemplate the picture-perfect latte in front of them. Umbria sells its beans throughout the Northwest.
And Caffe Migliore on downtown’s Fourth Avenue, a tiny, bright café in a modern office building, where a
charming team treats each customer and each drink with great care. "Migliore" is Italian for "best," and that's what I'd call the mocha (made with unsweetened chocolate) and artfully swirled latte that I'm drinking each morning.
That's good to know that despite the crisis, Starbucks is finding ways to still attract customers and maintain old customers.
Posted by: sell everquest platinum | April 02, 2009 at 12:19 AM