Paris Starbucks Mobbed!
 

Will Starbucks go over in Paris? That was the question posed by many dubious folks - that it couldn't compete with the legendary Parisian cafes. Well if the Starbucks i saw on a weekday in December in an area with nearly no tourists in it - the Parc de Bercy area - is any indication Starbucks have won over many French as the place was mobbed.
From what i've read it seems the French, especially women, love a smoke-free cafe with WI-FI and quick snarly waiter-less service. I haven't been to the Starbucks by the Opera but i assume it's similarly popular.
I'm no big Starbucks fan but also enjoy a smoke-free environment and quick service. I have relatives in France and many of the women don't care to go to the traditional male-dominated oft smoke-filled cafes and welcome a Starbucks type place to go at lunch.

Starbucks has been open in Paris quite a long time, as well as other European cities. I think most of those nontraditional chain places (fast food or whatever you call it) are always pretty full whenever I've visited them in lots of cities. Given how popular a lot of them are and that are worse than Starbucks, I never doubted that Starbucks would do well in Paris. Those hokey Tex-mex places are always pretty crowded in Paris (Indiana cafe), and so are McDonalds and they are not as pleasant an experience as Starbucks, at least for ambience. I've been in Starbucks in Madrid (which was actually very nice) and it wasn't mobbed, but it was mid-day on a weekday, and there were plenty of people there.

I didn't know people went to Starbucks for lunch (I don't go there very often myself, I thought they had only coffee and some pastries). I never thougt of cafes as male-dominated in Paris (some countries, yes), but if so, that's a good reason for me to go there.

Christina - interesting observations - by going for lunch i meant not to eat but many French have long lunch hours where they may end up in a cafe just for coffee or other drink. And i agree with your observations that fast food places in France are often mobbed - more so than at home in the US it seems. Marc Bove - love it or level it!

I cracked up when I read the sign for opening hours on the Paris Starbucks in 'our' neighborhood. It didn't open until 9:30am.

The Starbucks I went to when I was working Basel was always filled with women reading, relaxing. There were some men, but most of them were grabbing coffee to take out. And this was in winter, these were almost all locals or expats, very few tourists.
The Starbucks I pop into in Vienna usually is full of locals (and before I hear yadda yadda yadda about all the great Viennese cafes, when I've got an nighttime walk of several blocks in below freezing, snowy, windy weather, a Starbucks decaf latte is nice and warm to drink along the way).

PalQ, you were referring to José Bové? The man that took apart the McDonald's in Millau? He's hugely popular among the anti-globalization set.

Anselm

Is the coffee at Starbucks in Europe very good? As good as local coffee?

BTilke...I love it... that is great! My husband loves to get up early when we are "on the Continent" and his ONLY complaint is that there are never any places to get take-out coffee and just walk around and check out the sites...the Americans have solved the problem in a few cities!

José Bové , Lives in Millau. I support him.

Thank God! I can't do dairy, so must take my coffee black when I leave the states. Now I can get the soy lattes I thrive on...

I'm sorry to see Starbucks taking over the world.I rarely go into a Starbucks in the states and that's only if I'm with someone that wants to. I honestly don't know what the hype is all about. It's not just about the coffee but the charm and ambience of which Starbucks has none.

Starbucks in Paris is very popular with certain segments of society, including the wannabes who dream of the United States and some younger demographics that like the trendy exoticism of the chain.

The smoke-free environment may have something to do with it, as very few places are truly smoke-free in France, despite laws—and most French people smoke like locomotives, especially young French women.

Remember that Starbucks seems exotic to the French even though it is mundane to Americans. And remember that Americans drool over IKEA even though Europeans know the chain to be the land of the poor college students.

The coffee at Starbucks isn't better or worse than local fare; it's just different. It's also a lot more expensive, and considerable price hikes have taken place as well.

Starbucks is opening a vast number of stores in Paris. In large cities, it can take a decade or more for the long-term stability of a chain or business to become apparent, however, so it remains to be seen if these many Starbucks will all still be in business ten years from now (although certainly a few of them will probably survive indefinitely).

There are some tourists at places like Starbucks or McDonald's in Paris, but these chains are still supported primarily by local customers, usually the aforementioned wannabes, or specific demographics that want what the chains provide (such as fast, cheap food, or a comfy chair to sit in while drinking coffee, instead of a cold iron chair).

Oh gosh, it's tiresome to hear everytime about these chains taking over the world. Yes, I admit they are overpopulating the cities, but the local cafes and restaurants will still survive. There are people like myself who will more likely frequent a local cafe than a Starbucks overseas. But I won't rule out patronizing them if I feel like it.

I'll go for a local café any time, but that frosty Frappucino we had after a full day of walking was very refreshing. It's just another choice, not 'all or nothing'.

We visited a Starbucks in Paris last year (Opera location) mainly to buy a Starbucks Paris mug and ask if they had their stuffed animals for sale. We thought it would be a "good"time to go, but the line was snaked around and out the door. The have a area of seated tables and DID serve sandwiches! It seemed a very popular and good place and the locals seemed to love it.The manager was very cordial to me in our request. (:<)
We ate at a small Starbucks in Edinburgh early on a Sunday morning...muffin etc. ,,nothing else was open.
We don't eat at McDonalds much in the USA (possibly once in a while when traveling by car cross country etc)...but I am fascinated by them in other countries and how popular they are with the local people,..families, businessmen, young people and old. Once or twice on a two week trip we try a McDonalds and I find it just plain interesting!!!. ..Germany, Hungry, Italy, SWitzerland, England, Scotland,FRance, Portugal,and on and on. (the paper placemats/menus in different languages are fun) , and they usually have a good restroom (sometimes hard to find while walking the streets in Europe!)

oops! I didn't edit very well'!

"They have an area of" is correct.

The Opera Paris location had good business when we were there - but no lines outside the building. I liked stopping there for a Vanilla Bean Frappucino and a stop at the restroom (just like the ones at home :-) )

EVERY McD's in Paris was mobbed with locals when we were there. I ended up grabbing a burger twice at Quick Burger - because Mickey D's was way too crowded.

Love the big (oversized) Paris Starbuck's mug!

I swear I will never go to Starbucks as much as I love it when in Paris BUT coffee in Paris just isn't what it used to be. I think they are converting to those no brainer coffee machines. I used to so enjoy a coffee with a little pot of steamed milk - didn't see that at all last summer. Perhaps I need to upgrade my hotel and cafe ;)

Welll they have finally arrived here in Dublin as well. It had not been so big when I left the U.S. and I only was there once in America so it is a novelty to me. In my day Dunkin Doughnuts coffe was the best around! Far more progressive on the coffee scene these days. While it's a treat the few times we have gone in I just cannot say it will be a regular stop for me. The prices are MUCH higher for a coffee than many of the other coffee places in the city centre and I like the coffee at a few others that are much cheaper. I am worried that Dublin will soon start looking like London with chains on every street and you won't go 5 minutes without passing the same chain again.

The french coffee with hot Milk is something I never got in Paris. In Spain we did but it was Cafe con leche that is always served with hot milk.

"The prices are MUCH higher for a coffee than many of the other coffee places in the city..."
which is exactly what some people say here in the US but Starbucks obviously knows how to do business and the majority of folks obviously think it is "worth it..."

Re: supporting Jose Bove - does this mean you support his taking a bulldozer and smashing to smithereens the McDonalds in Millau? I can see supporting the anti-globilization cause but not criminal activity and taking the law in his own hands. And i think there is something to McDonalds defending themselves by saying they are one of the largest buyers of French potatoes and meat. The French love McDonalds and several have said here they always seem to be mobbed. Let Bove go to international meetings to protest globilization - bravo but bulldozing down a business - that's not right. So you should qualifty your support as it sounds like you sanction his bulldozing act.

In Brussels, Jacqumotte (sp?) is a Starbucks style spot on the Grand'Place that sells takeaway coffee drinks. There is a also a Caribou Cafe takeway coffee spot at the edge of the Fnac store in the City 2 shopping center on the rue Neuve. Neither make particularly good coffee drinks, IMHO.

I have the big Starbucks mugs from Austria and Switzerland. Don't know whether I'll get a France one--the mugs are actually too big for everyday use. Made in China anyway, I think.

Locatig Starbucks in Paris: Looking for specific addresses of Sbucs w/i city limits of Paris. Staying in 16th arron, but moving around town a lot. Anybody help with this?? Tks

I went to a Starbucks in Athens and it was empty...only because the numerous Greek customers were outside smoking on the roof terrace. ;-)

From www.starbucks.com
France
All Starbucks locations in Paris, France are listed below

1 . Paris --Archives
13, rue des Archives

2 . Paris --Avenue de France
Avenue de France, 75013 Paris

3 . Paris --Beaubourg
4, Rue Aubry Le Boucher

4 . Paris --Bercy Parc
Rue de l'Ambroisie

5 . Paris --Boetie
37, rue de la Boetie

6 . Paris --Forum des Halles
Forum des Halles

7 . Paris --General Leclerc
76, Avenue du Gal Leclerc

8 . Paris --La Defense
Coeur Defense, 90-102, av. du General de

9 . Paris --Monge
118, rue Monge Paris

10 . Paris --Montmartre
18, boulevard Montmartre

11 . Paris --Montparnasse
70, boulevard du Montparnasse

12 . Paris --Odeon
91 Boulevard Saint Germain

13 . Paris --Opera 26
26 Av. de l'Opera

14 . Paris --Poissonniere
7 boulevard Poissonniere

15 . Paris --Rue de Seze
4, Rue de Seze

16 . Paris --Sebastopol
11, boulevard Sebastopol

17 . Paris --St Antoine
29, Rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine

18 . Paris --St Lazare
108-110, Rue Saint Lazare

19 . Paris --Victor Hugo
90, avenue Victor Hugo

PalQ - Tks for Sbuc list in P. wab

The popularity of Starbucks in Paris is disheartening but I suppose that every nation has at least some people who can be hornswoggled by slick marketing into drinking the loathsome swill served there.

To each his own.

I was surprised to find that there were no Starbucks in Italy, until I went there and found that you can buy a cafe latte (standup, not sit-down) for less than half the price that Starbucks would charge for the same thing.

I guess they figured out that overpriced coffee will not sell in Italy.