Howard Schultz: There are "numerous logical reasons" to get into the instant coffee business

Among them, says the Starbucks CEO, are "the significant size of the instant coffee market ($17B globally); the increasing mobility of consumers (imagine a cup of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew on a mountaintop); and, regardless of our ubiquity, that customers continue to tell us they want more Starbucks, and more ways and opportunities to enjoy it." Read "Howard Schultz: Staying Real in an Instant"

Comments

[The Haimster]

Well, the desire to completely destroy the image of Starbucks is complete.

The goal, I assume, is to sell more coffee at a lower price point. I just heard on the radio that this stuff will be sold for "less than a dollar a cup!"

You're telling me that I can purchase instant coffee for less than a dollar? Wow, that's the kind of value I've been looking for!

I am a former Starbucks field employee, I left just before things went to hell, but I've remained loyal to the brand...until just recently.

The price of a bag of beans just went up about a $1.50 in my area...so I did a little reading and found a secret.

People LOVE "8 O'Clock" brand coffee. I gave it a shot at just under $4 a bag and guess what?

It's GREAT! Goodbye Starbucks.

[SoOverIt]

Howard Schultz has done nothing but single-handedly destroy the image of Starbucks, and its employees since his return. In the wake of his re-taking of the CEO position, he has signed off on the continual roll out and re-focus to non-coffee products, pulled one of the greatest media-stunts by closing all US based stores for Espresso Excellence Training and then 8 months later, changing his mind, slowly taking the hours and benefits away from his partners and supporting a work environment that operates from a state of emergency as opposed to a state of calmness.

Schultz has lost all credibility to inspire his workforce, In years past, when one would say the name 'Howard Schultz' to any number of Partners and they would smile in admiration. Now, maybe less than a year later, his name incites the rolling of eyes, and mocking laughter. Howard Schultz is the biggest running joke at Starbucks, but no one has the heart to tell him.

[bean barrage]

SoOverit,
I couldn't add to much to your comment, but you pretty much covered it.

[NorCalBlend]

SoOverit, Thanks for putting that hammer square on the head of the nail.

[SBUX Alum Bill]

I guess we'll see if this is truly a "tranformational" product. It certainly has the potential to bring in vast amounts of new revenue without compromising the "Starbucks experience" at the stores (none of the service slowdown issues that come with Vivanno & other labor-intensive innovations, none of the ubiquitous odor issues that come with sandwiches, etc. - just another product on the shelf that customers can ignore if they want to).

What I don't understand is (1) why SBUX has to make this big announcement six months before the full product rollout and (2) why SBUX laid off so many workers at the roasting plants if they truly believe that this new line will create an explosion in the amount of coffee that we produce? Could it be that the timing was designed to divert attention from the severity of the layoffs or the seriousnous of the company's problems? Could it be that management itself doesn't believe its own hype about the prospects for this "transformational" product?

[Bdan]

Could it be this coffee will never see the inside of a Starbucks roaster?

There may be logical reasons for bringing out this product...but logic doesn't have much to do with anything Starbucks is doing these days. Don't assume that decisions are connected, annoucned or sequenced wtih any thought and they will make much more sense.

[CamSpi]

I'm interested in seeing how this product will develop. I see Via as an interesting brewed coffee alternative. I was on a road trip and was wanting some dark roast coffee. Wish Via would have been around.

This reminds me of those Crystal Lite packets. Ya'll know what I'm talking about? Yeah, REAL juice tastes better.... but sometimes it's just easier to get a water bottle, a crystal lite packet, and make some quick lemonade.

Starbucks has not said Via will replace their whole beans. There are all kinds of ways to brew coffee... turkish, brewed through a paper or metal filter, french press, through an espresso machine.... and now instant.

[Nacho]

The video they put out introducing Via is great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1YU5kRmDUo

"Super secret technology" that they developed to make instant coffee. Yup. Good stuff. I'll see how it goes when my free sample arrives in a couple weeks.

[Aaron]

From the video: "Not instant, INSTANT". WTF does that mean?

[SBSiren1]

Not sure why it would be a bad thing to have a whole new product line, something in addition to the stores, in addition to whole bean and bottled drinks in the grocery aisle, and now an instant. Why can't we see that having some diverse products can help to make the company more stable during tough retail times? Anyway, who's tasted it? Isn't that really the key issue: does it taste great?

[SBUX Alum Bill]

"Not instant, INSTANT"

I think it means that they're trying to re-define the term (get rid of the negative stigma).

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Whoever, leaked the Starbucks VIA video get the instructional DVD.

[Nacho]

One thing about this though. To the "instant-coffee consumer" that is appears Howard is reaching out to, $1 a cup is way too expensive. To the "Starbuck's Snobby Consumer" instant coffee is a no-go. So who is going to buy this stuff? Roughly the same number of people who consistently buy freeze-dried entrees for their mountaineering adventures. The "Premium" instant coffee market is anything but $17B.

[SBUX Alum Bill]

To amplify Nacho's point, the price point is $1 for an 8-ounce instant. That means that a grande would cost $2.

[Positive]

Dont knock it till you try it!

[Melody]

[quote]Howard is reaching out to, $1 a cup is way too expensive[/quote]

@Nacho- When I watched the video I thought I heard them say that the 3 pack makes 12 servings for your 2.95. It was towards the end, and confusingly worded to me. If so, then it's really only about 25 cents per serving of Via. ??

[The dude]

Today, we announced with great embarrasement that Starbucks will introduce an instant coffee, trying to sell our customers with worse then Pike tasting Starbucks coffee, anywhere and anytime. Not surprisingly, this news raised some eyebrows and some cynics are asking, "Why go instant, Starbucks?" duh!

There are numerous stupid reasons: the significant size of the instant coffee market ($17B globally)(not many of our customers); the increasing mobility of consumers (imagine a cup of poop VIA Ready Brew on a mountaintop); and, regardless of our ubiquity, that customers continue to tell us they want more Starbucks, and more ways and opportunities to take it up the ass!

But beyond these market trends, there is a larger rationale. During trying economic times, the brands that endure are those that that adapt to the changing needs of their customers, with forsaking their core values. We think introducing a paradigm-changing and better-tasting instant coffee is a way to bring quality and value to the mass market, and to turn on a whole new set of coffee drinkers to the Starbucks brand. This is a considered bet for us and we know we'll learn a lot as we launch the product in leading markets over the coming weeks.

I think John Quelch, the Harvard Business School professor and marketing expert put it best: in a tough economy, consumers are redefining value. They are consuming less, and focusing more on seeking satisfying experiences that enhance their lives. He calls this growing segment "The Simplifiers." They want fewer material goods, and more quality-of-life experiences. At our little or no core, we have the right poop to appeal to these idiots, whether it's the respite from the world our stores provide or now with Starbucks VIA ready brew, quality coffee on-the-go.

As I've written in this space in the past, I believe that today, perhaps more than ever, we need to be mindful of who we are. We are forced into making decisions without perfect information: delay a decision by even a day and the economy will have changed shape once again. Business in this climate is more art than science. At Starbucks there are thosands of sacred cows -- except none. I believe that it is crucial, and I think our customers agree, that we remain true to our b.s. values. To adapt is essential in order to survive, to walk away from our founding principles -- the very reason for our being -- would be reckless.

Like all businesses, we're aggressively managing the long term, with an eye firmly fixed on the future. But things will never go back to normal. When the economy does stabilize, I do not believe that we are going to see behavior and attitudes automatically flip back to what they were during more prosperous periods. There's been a mental shift that will be hard to undo. As Prof. Quelch puts it, the temporary coping mechanisms people put into place to deal with the immediate crisis will take on a new permanence - "The Simplifiers" will grow in number, looking for experience and value for their hard earned money.

Still, in spite of the current market realities, I know some will question our decision, and I understand this reaction. Expectations from brands like Starbucks are high, and interaction with our brand is very personal.

Yet in spite of those high expectations (or perhaps because of them), we are not so confident we can disrupt and reinvent the instant coffee category -- introducing quality coupled with value. I believe that Starbucks VIA Ready-Brew is just that - and the poop is in the cup.

Howard Schultz shoul not be chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company.

[SBUX Alum Bill]

Melody - I believe the 3-pack price point was $2.95 and the 12-pack was $9.95.

[the truth]

I tried it today, it was actually rather good!!! It has it's place in our line up. Plus we aren't making it in store, we are just selling the packets. It's an add product that has huge possibilities over in europe!!! I think this is a great, long term, move that we will all see growth from.

[Sneaky]

The product is on the corporate website - 24 10oz servings for $19.90. About $0.83 per serving.

[Central and Acacia Regular]

Where are they sourcing this stuff....Nescafe?

[Javaccino]

I'm just waiting for the first time that I hear this:

"I'd like to buy this 3-Pack of Via. And could you give me three tall cups filled with hot water please."

[Former Company Gal]

Instant coffee is HUGELY popular in Asia, Australia and lots of Europe. Specialty coffee drink sales are down in North America so Starbucks, being beholden ONLY to it's shareholders, likely feels obligated to the almighty dollar. Potential profits always trump Ethics and Ideals in Corporate America...

[triple_short]

i tried the via italian roast today and i really liked it. then again, i've never been much of a coffee "snob". i like how easy it is. sometimes i get up in the morning and i don't know where my head is, much less the button to my coffee grinder. this is super easy.

[Melody]

Sbux Alum Bill - My mistake. Each little packet is one serving, so it is about a dollar a cup. You can get it in Columbia flavor or Italian Roast. It has the possibility of being a hit. The flavor rocks! (I just had my first cup). Maybe I should eat my words about that it shouldn't be sold at Starbucks. *embarrassed* I'm certainly known to be wrong & off base some times. Time will tell if this product is a hit. I still will prefer a nice Clover cup of coffee to this, but there *might* some circumstances where I need some instant coffee to take with me somewhere.

[Coffee Soldier]

I'm excited we can get it as our markout! I'll be taking it camping with me in the summer!

[Luna]

Howie,Howie,Howie.......
The road will be tough since your coffee will always be expensive.
No mater what you do for your stock holders...Keep trying,Howie...Mcdonalds coffee actually tastes good.

[Javaccino]

As for me personally, I find it much easier to press the "on" button on my coffee maker when I'm bleary-eyed first thing in the morning than to boil water on the stove.

Of course,the Via would be great for camping, along with powdered hot cocoa.

Other than that I've never understood the alleged convenience of instant coffee, though. You are more likely to find a "Mister Coffee" in the typical American hotel room than a stove.

I guess you can enjoy it on the space shuttle, along with the "Tang" and the freeze-dried ice cream, but that's all I can think of.

[I know good coffee]

Luna --If you think McDonald's coffee "tastes good," your tastes are pretty lowbrow, I'd have to say.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Learning Card
What is Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew?
Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is…
• A New way to make a great cup of coffee.
• A convenient, easy way for our customers to access Starbucks® coffee anywhere, anytime.
• Single-serving packets of 100% natural, instant and microground Starbucks® coffee. Just add 8 oz of hot water to immediately brew in your cup.
• The flavor, body, and acidity, and moutheel that you ould expect from Starbucls.

What is “microground” coffee?
• Starbucks has been working for more than 20 years to develop an instant Starbucks® coffee, and “microground” coffee was the key breakthrough.
• Microground coffee is super-fine grounds made from the same beans used to brew the coffee that goes into Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew.
• Microground coffee captures the characteristics and aromatic compounds of the coffee. They add fresh-brewed qualities and give you some authentic “grounds” in the bottom of your cup.
• Microground coffee is added to the fina; instant/soluble concentrate, and will brew almost instanteously when you add hot water.

Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Coffee
Location: Colombia
Growing region:Latin America
Processing method: Washed
Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is available in: Colombia (medium) and Italian Roast (Extra Bold)

Colombia (Medium)
Key term: Nutty
Classification: Medium
Description: A medium-bodied coffee, smooth and well balanced, with a signature nutty flavor found only in coffees from Colombia.
Similar coffees: Guatemala Antigua and House Blend.
Complementary flavors: Walnuts, pecans and caramel

Italian Roast (Extra Bold)
Key term: Intense
Classification: Extra Bold
Description: A medium-bodied blend roasted a bit darker than our Espresso Raost; it offers a sturdy, sweet, slightly smoky flavor.
Similar coffees: Espresso Roast and Caffè Verona®
Complementary flavors: Chocolate, caramelized sugar and spices

The Process behind Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew
The quality of Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew comes from a 100% natural, proprietary process. Our breakthrough production of instant coffee delivers all the great flavor and experience of brewed coffee.

The Process
1. It starts with high-quality green coffees from Colombia that is C.A.F.E. Practices-verified.
2. The beans are roasted according to the specific Starbucks Roast profile.
3. The roasted coffee is ground and brewed with pure water, using an all-natural process.
4. The coffee is concentrated and dried using gentle, chemical-free process such as Centrifugation (spinning liquid out) to create the instant (soluble) base.
5. The Starbucks innovation of “microground” coffee is added to the dried before it is packed to give Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew its fresh-brewed qualities. The microground coffee is made from the same roasted beans that were used to brew the coffee to create the soluble base.

1. High-quality green coffee
2. Starbucks Roast profile
3. Brewed to the Four Fundamentals
4. Concentration and drying (all natural)
5. Microgrounds added to soluble

All of the coffee in Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is C.A.F.E. Practices-verified as part of our Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment. That means that 100% of the coffee in Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew s ethically sourced and responsibly grown.

Why Are We Offering Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew
Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is designed to ensure that every coffee drinker will “never be without great coffee,” wherever they are.

Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is more than just a higher-quality choice for someone who already drinks instant, soluble coffee. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is designed for all those when our customers crave the great taste of Starbucks but don’t have a café nearby, don’t have the ability to brew a cup of great-tasting coffee, or don’t want to brew a whole pot. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew can convert those coffee occasions into Starbucks occasions, and even create new occasions by converting other caffeinated beverages (such as soda or tea) into coffee moments.

By increasing the presence of Starbucks® coffee in the everyday lives of our customers, we can build our brand and serve our loyal customers even better.

How Do We Talk about Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew?

The Customer Talking Points below are just ideas to get you started. Personalize what you have learned about Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew and create your own talking points, in your own words.

• Starbucks VIA™ Read Brew is convenient and easy to prepare. Now you can enjoy Starbucks® quality coffee anytime, anywhere. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew provides convenient, single servings of the finest Starbucks® coffee to immediately brew quality in your cup- without requiring brewing equipment or access to a Starbucks coffeehouse.
• Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew uses the same high-quality beans as all of our coffee. Starbucks VIA™ Ready has the flavor, body and mouthfeel that you expect from Starbucks® coffee. With Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew coffee, you can enjoy the deep, aromatic flavor you love any place, any time. Without compromise
• The technology used to create Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is unique and proprietary. This new format uses the same high quality Arabica beans, as well as a proprietary “microground” coffee to easily brew as a smooth cup of real coffee. All you need to do is add 8 oz. of clean, hot (or cold) water.
• Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew reinterprets the coffee tradition in a way that only Starbucks. Twenty years in the making, we have perfected a unique processing method to bring a number of our blends- such as Colombia and Italian Roast- to customers who seek ready access to the flavor of our exceptional coffees.

Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Questions & Answers
Q: How does Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew compare to coffee brewed in a coffee press?
A: Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is similar to the Starbucks that our customers brew at home in a “drip-style” coffee maker. Therefore, Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew should not be compared to coffee from a coffee press. However, if you want a bolder cup of Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew, use less than 8 oz of water. Remember, the Four Fundamentals are “locked in” during processing and packaging, so using more or less water will not cause the coffee to be over-or or under-extracted.

Q: Why would a customer want to buy Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew?
A: Our research shows that even our most loyal customers buy a significant percentage of their coffee from other brands, in addition to Starbucks. We know that our customers love the taste of Starbucks® premium coffee, so why do they not buy more Starbucks® coffee? We found that the umber one reason why our customers don’t buy more Starbucks® coffee is “convenience.” Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is a convenient, easy choice that will meet the needs of our loyal customers.

Q: What differentiates Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew from other instant coffees?
A: With Starbucks proprietary process- including microground coffee that brews right in your cup- Starbucks has transformed instant coffee. Most instant coffees start with low-grade, poor0quality beans. These beans are put through a harsh process that sometimes uses chemicals, coffee by-products, and other processing aids, leaving a sour or artificial taste. In contrast, Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is 100% Starbucks coffee, processed in a gentle, natural way that preserves the flavors oils and qualities of freshly brewed starbucks® coffee. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew has raised the bar, bringing a whole new level of quality to the instant coffee marketplace.

Q: Why are we selling Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew in our cafes?
A: Starbucks is so proud of this transformational product that took over 20 years to develop, that we thought it only proper that we share this coffee with our customers through our baristas. By launching Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew in the heart of what we do, we show that Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is part of our heritage of coffee authority, and it gives you the opportunity to tell the story of Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew to your customers.

Q: What should I do if I am contacted by the media or asked for an interview?
A: It is Starbucks policy that you not give interviews or quotes to the media. If someone from the media asks you questions about Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew, you can direct them to your store manager and to the website (http://www.starbucksvia.com).

BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL
PRIMUS INTER PARES
STARBUCKS REBEL ALLIANCE
AIM SN: BOSTONSTARREBEL

[Grande Latte]

So, I bet no other area's big rollout meeting was as lame, cheap and poorly executed with zero enthusiasm as the one for Chicago. They promised us samples and we each walked away with one f'ing serving. That on top of having us for a meeting from 11:30 am to 2 pm without feeding us lunch. Thanks for making us feel so special!

[Jim Lane]

The ONLY thing Schultz give a flying fig about is the bottom line and he will blow the company away long-term to achieve next quarter's profit.

[Jim Lane]

If you look at Boston's comments above you will note one thing, Via is NOT any cheaper than going to the shop. Via makes an eight-ounce serving. So it would take 1.5 packs to give you the same amount as a tall. Cost: $1.50 minimum for the ersatz coffee compared to $1.60 (San Diego) for the norm 12-ounce tall.

Let's admit it, he's a shill for Starbucks.

[cactusmush]

I would like to know if there are any other ingredients in this Via coffee "product" other than coffee? Just curious.

I will try a pouch when it comes up to Canada here (added chems or not in the stuff I must taste it at least once).

I still like the vision that you can deploy 12+ coffee varieties of this Via crystal stuff by means of machines that can house multi-cup cartridges of all Sbux roasts. Any customer could walk in – pick exactly what they want.

“lets see I hate Pikes and am sick of Casi, Verona’s ok , but I haven’t had French in a while…yes…a Tall French please” . The Barista presses a button and presto.
· The coffee would be one-cup-at-a-time fresh (within the whole context of accepting the “instant” concept in the first place).
· Sbux could offer the whole roster of roasts on demand
· Sbux could return to a larger roaster of roasts (Bring back AMJ!)
· Quicker barista processes
· More counter space for other processes
· Lower Coffee prices
· Smaller stores and new boutique stores

After-all Sbux scratched the portafilter years ago (the “manual” espresso Machines) – why not toss the filters, beans and grounds?

[cactusmush]

"Sbux could return to a larger ROSTER of roasts (Bring back AMJ!)"

[Stan999]

Soon a Starbucks store will just be a room full of vending machines and change machine.

[supahvisah]

The best part of waking up.. is folgers in your cup!!!

Wasn't the whole idea behind our legacy to utterly and completely stay AWAY from instant coffee? Any company can sell instant coffee, its cheap, relatively drinkable, and does the job. But Starbucks will just overprice anything it creates to pay for all the money it spent creating that crap in the first place. Almost a year ago, we closed all of our doors early to create a night dedicated to learning of our "GOING BACK TO CORE", but no, we couldn't stop "creating". Oatmeal, banana's, pike every minute of every day.. It's ridiculous. I am open to change, I welcome new innovative ideas, and I gave everything a chance, but HOW did any of those things bring us any closer to our core? How did fruit flies and over exaggerated daily brewed coffee fill that gap? If I wanted to work for an instant coffee company like Folgers, I would've. So thank you howie, for letting me reach my breaking point and lose what little faith I had left in this company.

[ajb07]

Will Starbucks simply become a shelf at your local grocery store? We should be honest with ourselves, yeah Starbucks may survive this economic downfall, but the Starbucks that once was, can never be. We have back tracked on every commitment, our principles, and even went as far as to change the mission statement. I guess if we can't fix it we change it and this change is for the shareholders an no one else. Who do they think they are fooling?

[Darleen]

Wow, some of you guys have a lot of anger. Why not give it a try? I continue to be amazed at some of the comments here. I understand that a lot of great folks were let go. I was let go, but being so angry doesn't get you anywhere.

[bean barrage]

Maybe they just freeze dried the rest of the mountain of Pikes Puke stored in the roasting plants and are turning it into instant coffee. Actually I bet this not to terribly far from the truth. Now SBUX can procure coffee and handle it differently (Freeze, etc) as it is now less of a quality concern with freshness. This will definitely add to their ability to control some costs. If it sells and the demand is their, from a profit standpoint this has some real potential. I can't imagine the instant coffee drinker has ever been a store customer and ever will be, so why not venture into that arena. Surprised it took this long. The soldiers have had to suffer with instant coffee in their MRE's for years and years, so I imagine if SBUX could land a contract with Long Life Foods or whoever makes MRE's these days for the government, they could generate a decent revenue stream.

[Jason Moses]

Well.. I, a store manager of several years, and a partner of nearly ten, one of open mind, sampled it (both Italian and Columbian) today and can truly say.... Wave off! Wave Off! No smell! Little taste! No Good!

[scootes]

i tried it yesterday and not being a hot coffee drinker it was ok but there was an aroma i never could indentify. having said this i would drink it as an iced drink with no compromise in flavor or taste. i think with the current situation at the corporate level as well as the gerenal mood thru the company that they need to hire a better P>R> company or just stop making announcements because they are not making the starbucks brand look good with all the news lately good and bad. just a thought if you read this mr shultz

[Get a Life]

to the webmaster of this site, I dont know what your responsibility is to monitor what is said or written here, but either way you have failed. The crude and vulgar comments that continually are posted here do nothing to improve things at Starbucks. If your not part of the solution then your part of the problem. If you still work in a store, do us all a favor and quit, no notice needed. Save us the time and effort in building a paper trail and document all your shortcomings in not adhering to the job description you agreed to when you became a partner. The majority of things said here now make no sense and are just what the title invokes "gossip.com", if thats all you have to do with your time, I feel sorry for you.

[Coffeehouse Revolutionary]

Get a Life... yeah, you should do that. WTF are you babbling about???

Just tasted the Colombian today... the aroma that Scootes had trouble identifying was distinctly metallic--burning aluminum, IMO. The taste was severely burnt--not at all what Colombian should be. Better than Folgers? Yeah, sure. But whatever else McDonald's might be, it IS brewed from grounds and is significantly cheaper--and our new "value-seeking" customers can do the math as well as we can.

[FLA SM]

Get a Life wrote: "to the webmaster of this site, ...... to do with your time, I feel sorry for you."

Dear Lord, please let this be some sort of ironic or sarcastic comment.

[coffee snob]

I tried the Italian roast Via today. I was sceptical. Shocked that we would be selling instant coffee. My reaction when I tasted it? I thought it was pretty good. It didn't taste like Italian roast whole bean (not as strong) but incredibly better than Folger's brewed coffee, or many other coffees I've tried. I think it is a good option for on-the-go coffee drinking, or when you don't feel like brewing a cup. This is a lot coming from me, as I am one who throws out whole bean coffee after 5 days because I can taste the difference. Give it a try!

[Kris Merrells]

Starbucks is an elitist brand, and I am not apologizing for it. I like it. A Starbucks cafe is not somewhere where I expect a family of 12 who have just come from Wal-Mart to sit down for some drinks. I expect that place to be McDonald's, or Dunkin' or whatever. There are different places that cater to different people. It's not necessarily FOR certain kinds of people at the exclusion of others - it is simply that people make choices based on what seems most inline with what they want. If they want a quick cup of coffee, they can go anywhere. If they want a great cup of coffee somewhere with people who might care about coffee in a friendly, relaxing environment, then they may just want to go to Starbucks.

Or, at least, they used to, until Starbucks started to reach beyond their core audience, into the masses. No longer do I feel like I'm getting something "special" when I go to Starbucks - something I can't get elsewhere - I know that I'm getting the same mass-produced stuff you can get anywhere. I used to pay more money for the Starbucks "experience", but that experience is dying, and the people in charge seem to be happy to lead it down it's own "Green Apron Mile", to its inevitable place among the mediocre, where it may just die, because if you can get coffee that is just as good for less money, why wouldn't you?

[TorontoCoffee]

Folks, Starbucks is all about driving sales by doing ANYTHING necessary. In the end this will erode their brand.

Support local independent cafes that deliver a REAL experience that Starbucks can't manufacture in their science lab in the form of freeze dried instant coffee.

[KJ Gratteau]

Starbucks is just trying, like the rest of us, to keep in business, to move forward. We need to support each other not tear each other apart. Think about it --if you look for negative you will find it, if you look for good you will find it too. Wouldn't you rather live in happiness or live in hell? Your choice. Change your perspective and watch as your private life changes.