Debut of Starbucks into Ireland market is expected to push up prices

A shareholder of Insomnia Coffee Company -- a Dublin-based chain -- says Starbucks would "develop and grow the market and bring price points up." He adds: "They'll raise price points here because they have a standard pricing model and would look to impose that model." (Sunday Business Post)

Comments

[Moko]

At last, Starbucks in Dublin! I can move back there now (well, in the summer)!

The updated URL for this story:

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/03/13/story3111.asp

[Jolien Hampson]

I wish they made Oreo flavoured coffee in Starbucks...that would be yummy.

[Coffee lover]

Hi,
It is not really a comment, but a question. Is Starbucks open in Dublin now? And if it is, where?

[Patrick Mooney]

Not yet....but the site is on Dame St. They've planning permission in the window for external seating. Until then we've Barnies!

[Zcott]

Starbucks have been open in Belfast now for just over a year, and they're doing really well. A few of the other coffee places -have- noticed a drop in business, but they're still doing really well. They're forcing everyone else to raise their game.

Im a starbucks love, any further developments on the Dublin site for its opening, Im getting withdrawl symptoms after living on the stuff while on vacation in Canada

[Sean]

thank GOOOOODDDDD! Every time I've gone away in the last few years, be Munich, Koh Samui, NYC, San Francisco, I have lived on Starbucks. Then I had to come home to wretched Ireland where, among other major detractors, there was no Starbucks. even if it was in the airport, I wouldnt give an fcuk, I'd still go up every day for a coffee.

[iqbal]

Hi,

Some body told me the Starbucks opened near to Connoly Station in Dublin.

Is it true?

[Patrick Mooney]

Nope it hasen't. The Dame St. Branch has removed the "to let" signs. With the new habitat store opening next month opposite it, I can't imagine starbucks holding back much longer.

[katt]

Hi starbucks aficionados,
Im doing a project on Starbucks ( ie their PR plan if they launched in Dublin.) We all know that their arrival is imminent, only problem is their is nothing concrete to go on - off their website? Can anyone help with my research/
KATT

a sign went up in dundrum center saying it's coming soon - so that would be two places in dublin !

[Patrick Mooney]

Yes I've heard about the Dundrum store. Looks like that will open first. Competition is really heating up in the market. I've noticed more insomnias opening, plus costa have opened in Cork. There are now three Barnies within 1km in the city center! There is a really good article on the expansion of Starbucks into Ireland at http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/07/03/story6137.asp.
Gloria Jeans are planning on going head to head by expanding their 5 stores to over 30, and that Canadian coffee chain, Tim Hortons have open their first stores in the city too! It's a great time to be a coffee drinker!

[Rick]

My god,

Starbucks is only ok. As with all expanding multinationals, I believe the quality of the product reduces or'levels off' at an acceptable but mediocre medium as the co. gets bigger and bigger. There are plenty of better places to get a coffee in Dublin. Proper stuff. Try any of the bar italias.

true true; bar italia makes the best cup off coffee hands down. palombini is the only way to go! I do like those orange mocha frappucinos though and so i am quite excited!

[Aoife McGrath]

hiya! i work in the dundrum shopping centre in penneys which starbucks is opening right across from and i was told it's opening on the 18th of august!!

[Jan]

As a girl from eastern Canada, where Tim's is a staple of our diets, I am beyond excited to hear about it's opening. (4.5 yrs of begging Mom to send over the stuff to make at home - it's never as good as what they make in-store.) Unfortunately, I don't know where to find them! Anyone know where? I heard Dublin Zoo - true?

[patrickm]

Yes, and insomnia on baggot st. Got me some apple vanilla fritters yesterday...so good!

[dsof50]

When is starbucks opening on dame street ??? and is the dundrun one really just a week away ???

[patrickm]

Yeah, from all reports dundrum is the 18th. The store is fitted. Dame street on the otherhand is a total mess. Will be some time. Harcourt st. might be the second one. I for one am going to be taking some time off work to visit dundrum when it opens! Can't wait!

[patrickm]

OK with only two days to go to the launch of starbucks in Ireland, the new starbucks.ie site is now resolving to the US one. Here's praying for an Aug 18th launch in Dundrum! :) :)

[Jennifer]

Does anyone know if Starbucks would ever open a store in Limerick City? I moved here from the states in June and am totally lost without it! Is the Dundrum store open now?

[patrickm]

Yep it's open. This site doesn't really have a good navigation. There is a discussion on it under the gloria jeans thread. Pitty you can't add new threads.

[Jolien]

When is the Dame Street branch of Starbucks opening?

[Eoghan]

Yeah, anyone know when the Dame St. branch is opening? They don't seem to have started fitting it out yet.

[Laura]

Hey,
i am doing a very important project on starbcuks and reaklly need some good information on their competitive analysis if you know of any good web sites that i could find this information please

[addict]

Any updates on the Dame Street branch? I was in Barcelona over the weekend and i saw Starbucks. It was the best part of the trip, i swear.

[John]

That's actually pretty sad .There are so many better places in Barcelona to have coffee.No offense meant.Starbucks does so well in the states because there really is not too much else to choose from .If you go to any euopean city you will find coffee that's is at east as good as if not better than Starbucks. For instance,I had the best cappuchino in Bewleys on Grafton street,Dublin. I swear ,I am the biggest coffee snob there is ,I travelled 30 mins from Cabinteely to the store for their coffee.

[Eoghan]

Open today! Looks great!

[-m]

I have to disagree. I lived in Paris for about a year and I have been to Europe many many times. With the exception of Italy, europe doesn't get coffee. Especially France. The coffee in France is the most undrinkable gutter slush that I've ever tasted...and I've tasted a lot of undrinkable gutter slush. The UK faired no better. I don't suppose it helps that Europe is one of the biggest purchasers of rubusta beans.
Europe has a lot of culinary delights that beat the hell out of their American counter-parts, but coffee is not one of them. The Pacific Northwest has created the true coffee culture and perfected it. They gave birth to Starbucks, Peets, SBC, Torrefozoine and Dutch Bros. These places have given coffee a new life through-out the world. Europe can have Beethoven and DaVinci, but our French Roasts will always be better than Frances, and that is good engough for me.

Peets is actually from San Francisco but point is good.

[Immirage]

I know this is probably an inappropriate place to post this, but I have to vent my rage somewhere. I heard today that there are two Starbucks southside. I've lived in Dublin for two years and only recently moved back stateside temporarily. This is one of the saddest things I've heard about Dublin in a long time: far from, 'thank god, now I can move back' I'm quite literally reconsidering the possibility of doing so. Hey, Dublin's just like any other place now, only about fifteen times more expensive. Why do we support the homogenization of all culture?

[john]

u can take the starbucks out of america, but u cant put the starbucks in america and expect it to be the same thing. i mean even a week after they open a store, they still havent got it mapped on the website, and there is no land line even listed for the store. or is it a shop?

mapquest has been up and running for awhile now in dublin, dont see why they cant map the bloody thing. and i dont suppose there is wifi yet! anyways, all i can say is that a starbucks on dame street is better than that central perk thing that used to be there was silly.

if anything maybe this starbucks thing will show ireland that yes it is possible to have ice in your drink. i mean hey, it is always funny to go into west coast coffee here in dublin and be reminded just how far you are from the west coast! i mean you have to spread your own fricking cream cheese on the bleedin bagel. whats up with that?

i was always curious as to why insomnia was called insomnia, i mean it's not open late at night, so if you did have insomnia you would be SOL if you wanted a coffee.

my vote for the worlds best coffee is pannikin coffee in encinitas, california. 90 cents for a glass of iced coffee, sitting in the sun at an old railroad station watchin life go by.

now the next step is drive thru starbucks... are you ready for that ireland? my vote is to put one by the M50 toll bridge. maybe that would make it tolerable.

[paddy carroll]

Of all the Starbucks in all the cities, in all the world, Starbucks Dublin, is the only branch i have seen that does not sell iced tea

[Donna]

doing a project on starbucks and whether or not they take into account the cultural variations in the countries that they operate in??any ideas?all are the products the same everywhere?

[Frappacino Addict]

Thank god... I've had hundreds of Venti, no whip , Mocha Frappacinos...and worried if they would be the same here in Ireland...good news! they are!

p.s. Dame St. location IS open!!!

[Juliana Q. B. Viani]

Hi. I left Starbucks College Green (Dublin) in December and I need to receve my P45. PLEASE send it to my new address in Athlone: 15 Rinardo House, The Ard Ri Apartments, Old Dublin Road, Athlone. PS: my partner number was 4000007.

[Mark]

Starbucks Ireland "RIP-OFF" prices! Like many of my co-workers who ventured into a new Starbucks outlet on Harcourt Street. The prices were way too expensive, so we did a 360 back out the door. Basically Euro 10 for a reg coffee and a sandwich!!! Euro 6.30 for a ciabatta with a single slice of cheese and ham. Off the wall prices! Rip-off or what?! There is much better value for money at other less in your face outlets. You have been warned - bring your Visa card!

i'm wondering whether this is a corporate location... any for sure?

[Brian]

There are Five Starbucks in Dublin Ive been to (bar the last one that makes it six in total!)

Vodafone HQ - Mountainview, Leopardstown

Microsoft HQ - Sandyford Ind. Est

College Green - Dublin City Centre

Harcourt Street - D4

Dundrum S.C - Dundrum

(And I believe in the past few days) Blanchardstown S.C

In 04 meeting with the insomnia chain I heard that insomnia cafe's would be swopped out for starbucks. This hasint happened to date (and now insomnia has something to do with bewley campbell, correct me if Im wrong) but I would like to see more myself. I enjoy the atmosphere and I like my coffee so HELLO PLANET STARBUCKS [Scary biscuits though, there a big corp]

And if you have a problem with the price the answer is simple - go someplace else that charges less (BTW, Juliana Q. B. Viani [two posts ago!] if you did a 360 you'd be walking back into Starbucks, Duh ...)

[Phil]

Are the Dublin stores company owned, joint ventures with a local Irish firm, or franchises?

[Gemma]

Ive been to Starbucks College Green and the coffee was fantastic,i am a big coffee addict and had people bring me Starbucks from New York and London up until recently. Anyway,as i said,i went into STarbucks on College Green and bought a bag to make at home which was great and the guy who ground the coffee couldn't have been nicer (I also got a free take away with the bag i bought). I was in Blanchardstown the other day and went into Starbucks to buy another bag of coffee,i got the worst Latte ive ever had (and i was charged for it even though i bought a bag) and ended up not drinking it cos it was so bad. Anyone else got really bad coffee in Blanch and anyone know if you should be given a free one when you buy a bag???? For me,Blanchardstown was a big let down. Im sick of getting bad coffee.

[Karen]

Hi all, I am doing a research paper on Starbucks and wanted to ask you, avid patrons 2 easy questions:
Why is Starbucks your preferred brand compared to other brands?
what do you think about the brand and its image?
Awaiting your thoughts on the matter. Thank you!

[Brendan]

The biggest problem with the quality of Starbucks coffee drinks is their use of super-automatic espresso machines. These allow no control from the barista over extraction time or any other aspect of brewing. Should they even be given the title "barista?" Starbucks is in the milk business, not the coffee business.

[Josh]

I am doing a business research project on Starbucks in Ireland. **Question**

1. Is it affecting the coffee shops already existing in Ireland in a major way?
2. I read that there was disputes about moving the Starbucks to Dundrum, Is this true?

[Jay]

Josh how much does a start up for a Starbucks cost?

Regards

[Catherine]

I hate to bash but I gotta say the prices Starbucks charge are too expensive relative to their competitors. Forget the whole brand identity thing which Starbucks go on about . . . get down to the basics! They got an outlet on Harcourt Street near my office and the snadwich prices are crazy for what is actually in those sandwiches. The simple basic cup of coffee tastes "cooked"

I actually brought clients over there for a post meeting coffee and I was less than impressed with the setup. Most colleagues in my office agree with my views of their prices and middle of the road quality.

So Starbucks - if you are listening, you should take note of such comments. Drop the prices and improve the quality otherwise you'll be running at a loss in Ireland for much longer than you had forecast within your business plans.

[Shane]

Starbucks now open in Liffey Valley Shopping Center.. a large mall in the western city suburbs.

[insomnia]

I blame starbucks for my insomnia :P haha

[martyn le breton]

will starbucks be opening in limerick some day i hope so there coffee is the best