Is Illy interested in challenging Starbucks in the United States?

Italian coffee chain Illy has opened its first cafe in the United States. (It's located in a Renaissance M Street Hotel in Washington DC.) "This is a true Italian espresso cafe," says John Eddleman, director of restaurants for Renaissance. Translated: No automated espresso machines here. (Washington Post)

Comments

[Fred Kiesche]

Doesn't sound like much of a threat so far. I'd be more concerned (if I were $bux) with those coffee stands where the staff wears, um, fabric challenged outfits!

[Rich Lafferty]

I'm amused -- one thing I noticed in France was that it was easy to get a decent cup from even the straggliest looking places because they'd just hit the button on their Illy or Lavazza-supplied automatic espresso machine!

[JenQ]

How old are the pods being used in those non-automatic espresso machines. :P

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I think competition is always good for a free-market. Starbucks will realize that they actually have to create quality products and live the Mission Statement.

[Epsilom.Sigma]

Illy has been around in Greece before Starbucks and still rules the marker.
Their coffees are sour and weak compared to the Starbucks, mature roast.

[Vito Danelli]

I'm interested in getting a job at Starbucks somewhere in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Can anyone tell me what the starting pay is and any other useful information?

Thanks

[equal among equals]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Argo Tea also use Illy supplied beans for it's espresso drinks? I would be more worried about Argo expanding and marketing it's line of espresso drinks than Illy opening it's own line of cafes.

[Epsilon.Sigma]

The thing with Illy is that it is supposed to be classy and it is surrounded by an air of finesse, whereas we are treated as the McDonalds of coffee.
Now, get serious about your job, baristas! We have the best product and you spoil it by your lousy attitutde more often than not.
As an assistant store manager I always inject great amounts of enthusiam into my baristas and we have a truly devoted customer base around my store.
Get to love what you do.
Lavazza and Illy have yellowish, sour, acid coffees. We have fully roasted, deep ones, but some employees' atittudes are enough for some people to prefer Illy and Lavazza-based coffee shops over Starbucks.

[zeroperatioshift]

Epsilon.Sigma

realize that all do not have the same work environment as you may have in your store.

A bad manager can ruin everything.

the product

the experience

and even a partners attitude.

zeroperatioshift

[BroylingWater]

Sigma, I can tell you this. Your attitude towards baristas is unbecoming of a manager. I can infer from your comments that you are the type of manager who, instead of leading by example, insteads choose to belittle and demean your baristas, and then wonder why they don't care. Why should anyone care when you see your manager as a complete jerk, and someone who looks down their nose at you? Now, don't get me wrong, we have plenty of baristas who just don't care, but that is to be expected in any job. Are all doctors motivated? Probably not, because you always have some people who just don't love the job. But, to assume that all baristas are idiots, or unpassionate is just a recipe for disaster.

[chi-town's best/angriest barista]

illy's regular coffee is actually pretty good. i haven't tried any of the espresso drinks tho.

[Epsilon.Sigma]

Don't you be so quick to judge my attitude. I said I inject enthusiasm into my baristas during my shift.
I have been awarded a BRAVO after my first month in the company and became an ASM2 just after 3 months since I started to work for Starbucks.
That must say something.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Epsilon Sigma,
So therefore you decide to surround yourself by people who only agree with you and those don't you just somehow determine a way to terminate them?
Also, you are the type of partner the rest of us grow to hate because you were not with the Company long enough to be promoted. You must've been down on your knees alot and be related to some fat girl in a stained blue dress, aka, Monica Lewinsky.

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

[Jon B]

As a customer, I don't think the Starbucks/McDonald's comparison/put-down comes from the attitudes of the front-line Starbuck employees. They are almost always pleasant, never unpleasant, and efficient.

I think the comparisons started when the heavy non-coffee merchandizing started (e.g., CDs, b'fast sandwiches, etc.). When I first started going, it took me a couple of trips before I noticed that S'bucks sold anything more than coffee drinks and muffins, etc.

Now, I've got to run an obstacle course of merchandizing displays just to get to the counter.

If Illy is going to be a true competitor then they will eventually have to use automatic espresso machines. The quanity that starbucks does in number of stores and transactions per day can not be done anyother way successfully. Just look at the mom and pop shops already out there trying to grow to chain size. They are all having dialogues about this now.

[Epsilon.Sigma]

Give me a break, Rebel!
If this is the way you do business in America, it's not the same here in Greece.
Lousy Americans.
Bye bye.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Oh Epsilon Signa,
Sorry for that, I didn't realize you were in Greek. You must've been bending over then.

[Tall Drip]

Illy could become a niche player, if it really wanted to. I don't think it will bother trying to pick a big fight with Starbucks...it will probably just try to carve out a niche for itself in more upscale markets. It will leverage the whole Italian espresso bar motif to the hilt - I'm sure they'll keep hand-pulled espresso. I doubt you'll see Illy out in the suburbs attempting to serve fattening frozen drinks to teenagers.

[Christina]

I just have to say that when I tried an Illy espresso for the first time it far surpassed how Starbucks espresso tasted. I didn't think Illy's tasted weak and sour but rather it had a fuller taste without the bitterness, imo.

As for Illy taking over Starbucks? I don't think that will happen because SB already has it's own following that won't diminish.

[mtnbearistabear]

Illy could become a niche player, if it really wanted to. I don't think it will bother trying to pick a big fight with Starbucks...it will probably just try to carve out a niche for itself in more upscale markets. It will leverage the whole Italian espresso bar motif to the hilt - I'm sure they'll keep hand-pulled espresso. I doubt you'll see Illy out in the suburbs attempting to serve fattening frozen drinks to teenagers.
______________________

So very, very well said, tall drip.
:-)

[Chels]

I'm so so dissapointed in all of you partners sitting on here bad mouthing Starbucks. We are treated like gold and Howard Scholtz worked so hard to get this company to where we are at now. We should have pride that we get to work for such a fabulous company that cares so much about their farmers, partners, and especially the quality of their beverages. As for Epsilon Signa I'm sure you are a fabulous Asistant Manager and we are lucky to have someone as passionate about their job as you are. If everyone at Starbucks was like you we might not have the bad reputation that has been built as McDonalds of Coffee. I hope you do not hold us all to the unfortunate distaste of rebel partner there. In Canada you will find that everyone is strongly devoted and proud of Starbucks as a company and a third place. Also, Attn. Rebel Partner: If you dislike Starbucks quit because you don't deserve to work at Starbucks with that attitude.
From a passionate Canadian Coffee Master.

[VeronaRoast]

I hate to say it, but I was brought up on Illy's and Lavazza. Being Italian, I was brought up with more of the european culture surrounding drinking espresso as compared to the Starbucks "espresso". It's hard as a barista to know that when I go home, I still prefer the hand tamped Illy/Lavazza espresso to the Starbucks stuff any day.

[VeronaRoast]

I hate to say it, but I was brought up on Illy's and Lavazza. Being Italian, I was brought up with more of the european culture surrounding drinking espresso as compared to the Starbucks "espresso". It's hard as a barista to know that when I go home, I still prefer the hand tamped Illy/Lavazza espresso to the Starbucks stuff any day.

[Dawn Lowen]

Its pretty interesting to think of anyone really being able to stand up to Starbucks. Kevin Price also wrote a blog about. Check it out at www.bizplusblog.com.

[crowdSPRING]

If you dislike Starbucks quit because you don't deserve to work at Starbucks with that attitude. From a passionate Canadian Coffee Master.

[pippo]

It looks like you have absolutely no idea of what a cup of coffe is.
Italian coffee (Illy on top of each other, but we can name also Cremcaffe (from Trieste as well)) is not acid or strong by no means. It's mild and round, prepared with high attention.
Just think about the training a barman has to sustain in order to be licensed to serve illy coffee.
It's not "pushing a button and have coffee", that's the north-american way to ruin everithing. I have my coffees 3/4 times a day as everyone and I wouldn't be able to make one if I have to try with the machines on my own.
It's true you have just to select if you want double coffee, single, or short, but FIRST you have to put some ground coffee on the filter, you must be able to gather the correct amount, then you have to press it a bit (how much?) and this changes 50% of the taste.
Then of course if you want a cappuccino you have to put some cream on it, and here again you have to boil some milk, get the topmost part (the dense cream, not the shitty hot liquid milk below).
And consider that a normal barman in Italy serves 5/6 coffees per minute, and all of this procedure is made on the fly, every time.
I don't know why north-americans are convinced since their birth that USA is the world, and the rest lives by reflection. At least learn what you talk about prior to spit sentences like the bestiality about the "strenght" and "acidness" of illy coffee (someone may think you're crazy).
And think that I'm an uncommon Italian since I love "long" coffee, I often pour cold water in my cup, but as basis I have a real coffee, not your undrinkable soup with "coffee flavour".
Some creep said that illy is taking on starbucks just by their kind manner.
Ok then you don't know what you're talking about, again: our barman are not enslaved androids, they usually mock you if you take too many seconds to decide what coffee do you want. After all, there are just 3 main types (nero, cappuccino and macchiato) and usually a person chooses the same almost eveytime so you know in advance what to order and usually the barman doesn't even ask you because he recognizes you as you enter the bar.
Italian coffees are a whole world better simply because of their taste.
In other words, you drink maroon soup, we drink coffee.
It may sound rude from me, but I'm sick and tired to read on the blogs about this starbucks thing crying on why there is not a single starbuck in Italy and never will be.
The reason is simple and you have to admit in the depth of your reason:
Italians love cocacola and mcDonalds..
but...
Italians don't have/want/need PizzaHuts
Italians don't have/want/need Starbucks
Italians don't have/want/need EAT/Tribeca/coffeheaven and whatever other awful mass production with ultra-low quality you have.
Another point to think of: CocaCola (the largest company in the world to me, they managed to inculcate worldwide the COLORS OF CHRISTMAS (santa was green, before)!!!! so they know where to put their steps) they chosen Illy for their "not-that-bad-but-pointless" illyssimo (some sort of nescafe).
You don't have to blame kindness or quality of service, you have to understand that people don't like to be treated all the same. I don't want to waste my coffee break exiting from a production plant to enter in another one (starbucks & co) we want our well-known barmen behind the bar.
And why the hell I have to pay 3/5 euros for a coffee soup with smarties, flurries, frosties, pizza bits, perhaps ketchup.. while I can find everywhere plenty of different bars with good coffees for ...80cents? no way!!!!!

Just to end my rant: saying that italian coffee is bad is like saying that italian food is "heavy". OF COURSE, when I was staying in the U.S. I've seen almost always the most craziest soups as topping, the most used was ketchup.
Ketchup!!!! But I also saw a lot of usage of peperoni (1 p, please, don't pretend to use them if you don't know how to spell them) and other fruits or vegetables.
Of course it gets FAT AND HEAVY! you fool!
Italian food (as well as coffee) is healthier and better tasting because it's simpler an more fresh.
A tomato souce have to be just tomato souce with some onion perhaps, salt, oil and stop. For bolognese ragù add tons of mashed FIRST class meat, and stop

Want to make a big deal and stop to be so fat as only you can be? STOP TRYING TO IMPRESS making ananas-flavour-coffee, menthol-bolognaise sauce, pepppppppperoni everywhere, mixandmojo in a tumbler and pretend the world likes it.
Refine your plain basic products, and do research on how to make the SAME product better and better.
Look guys I love US like all other civil countries, but revert back to basics on coffee & food.
Perhaps also car making industry (same point here, a 500HP Ford Mustang GT is stupid if it's undriveable and got the worst handling in the history of automotive, try a BMW with one third of the horsepower and see how much is better at everything)

You can do better. But if you want to do as the europeans do, learn how they do it, and next time you go in Times Square to the most famous "ITTALYAN RESTAUURANTTE" and see people from pakistan trying to mimic us, realize that perhaps you're going to eat rubbish!

Keep on trying, but no starbucks here please :D