"Starbucks isn't in the business of selling coffee"
me: huh?
coffee guy: Yeah, they're more into selling dairy products and sugar.
I wasn't sure what he was talking about. He's the guy I know that gets insider trade magazines about coffee. He could give college lectures on international coffee competitions and why you want your coffee to brew for a certain amount of time...and what it should smell like, and even look like.
He's really into it.
I asked him how starbucks does in those international competitions and he just kind of laughed.
Apparently that's like asking a food expert how McDonald's did at the international competition of fine dining.
"they have Batista's from around the..."
me: "oh, Batista's like at Starbucks?"
No, Starbucks doesn't really have Batista's. All of their machines are automated...they have people who pour drinks"
me: oh...you really don't like Starbucks, do you?
me: huh?
coffee guy: Yeah, they're more into selling dairy products and sugar.
I wasn't sure what he was talking about. He's the guy I know that gets insider trade magazines about coffee. He could give college lectures on international coffee competitions and why you want your coffee to brew for a certain amount of time...and what it should smell like, and even look like.
He's really into it.
I asked him how starbucks does in those international competitions and he just kind of laughed.
Apparently that's like asking a food expert how McDonald's did at the international competition of fine dining.
"they have Batista's from around the..."
me: "oh, Batista's like at Starbucks?"
No, Starbucks doesn't really have Batista's. All of their machines are automated...they have people who pour drinks"
me: oh...you really don't like Starbucks, do you?
No, I appreciate that they're bringing coffee to the marketplace.
I thought it was interesting and then happened upon this article from the times - apparently a frappucino is the equivalent of a McDonald's coffee with 11 creams and 29 packets of sugar. It's a coffee flavored milkshake. There are as many calories in a venti cafe mocha with whipped cream as in a quarter pounder with cheese.
People pay for that kind of deal. I'm guessing they'd rather pay someone to put 29 packets of sugar in my coffee than to sit there and do it myself while realizing what they're ingesting.
I was in meetings all last week with folks who walked right by a machine with freshly roasted coffee (fair trade and better quality beans) to go out and get overpriced, over roasted coffee
and I couldn't figure it out. I'm guessing it's quicker to drive to Starbucks than to spend 20 minutes tearing open those sugar packets...
I thought it was interesting and then happened upon this article from the times - apparently a frappucino is the equivalent of a McDonald's coffee with 11 creams and 29 packets of sugar. It's a coffee flavored milkshake. There are as many calories in a venti cafe mocha with whipped cream as in a quarter pounder with cheese.
People pay for that kind of deal. I'm guessing they'd rather pay someone to put 29 packets of sugar in my coffee than to sit there and do it myself while realizing what they're ingesting.
I was in meetings all last week with folks who walked right by a machine with freshly roasted coffee (fair trade and better quality beans) to go out and get overpriced, over roasted coffee
and I couldn't figure it out. I'm guessing it's quicker to drive to Starbucks than to spend 20 minutes tearing open those sugar packets...
Maybe a post on coffee and sugar packets is a safe change of topic... but not quite as...uh, shall we say, "controversial"?
ReplyDeleteKeep 'em coming, Sean Michael!
it's the experience...
ReplyDeletewe (westerners) are so void of relationships and significant connections we'll pay $3 for a cup of cream and sugar if it will give us a momentary feeling of connectedness.
it's the "relationship drug"
(that doesn't really explain my drive-through habit...)
I like coffee. I don't buy starbuck's unless everything else is closed or someone gives me a gift certificate.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I only drink Drip coffee if I go somewhere else. Only during Christmas do I splurge, once only thank you, for that sweet Peppermint Mocha.
And I might get a Latte, plain and medium, on my birthday. It was tasty this year.
But there is truth to the comment David made. We do want community. We do want to connect. And Starbuck's gives that. Even though you walk in and everyone is at their own table with their own mac popped open ignoring those around them.
Want to create a real connection feel there, just put in beer-garden tables and make everyone sit with each other. Kind of hard to ignore someone who's vibrating the bench you're sitting on.
You are a fine linguist but I think you mean 'barrista.'
ReplyDelete"I could care less" though.