Starbucks
 

For those of you visiting the Netherlands who miss their daily Starbucks they are opening two new branches, in addition to the Schiphol one.
One will be at Amsterdam Centraal Station and the other at Utrecht Centraal Station. Starbucks have had their European HQ in teh Netherlands since first apearing on the European scene, but never opened a branch here as they didn't see a market for it.
The only one was at Nike's HQ and only accessible for Nike staff. Last year they opened the one at Schiphol and now two more.
Personally I hope it ends there. I do not want to see a Starbucks on every street corner like you do in some parts of the UK.

I'm with you. Who wants to go to Europe to see the same stuff we have in the US. And, who wants to go to Europe to drink mediocre coffee.

Agreed - I can get expensive, mediocre coffee at any Starbucks at home. No need to travel to Holland for that. I suppose it'll be good for those that need that walk-around-with-cup-in-hand experience.

The expensive, mediocre coffee Starbcks in our little town in G is being closed by Corporate HQ.

Despite the fact that the franchisee and the employees are perfectly happy with their incomes, Starbucks has determined that our local shop is not meeting its goals.

That will give us one more empty store.

((I))

>Who wants to go to Europe to see the same stuff we have in the US. And, who wants to go to Europe to drink mediocre coffee.

I wonder about that, too, but according to some posts here and on other forums such people exist.
I wonder even more how come Europeans who are used to European quality coffee take to Starbucks. The average crowd in the Starbucks shops here, however, seems to be 25 and younger. In other words, those who will adopt any fashion just because it is new and from overseas.

I love Starbucks. Maybe you don't like it, but millions of people do.

When I was in Paris the line for a Starbucks on Blvd. St. Germain was out the door. The people standing in line were all young and speaking French.

If you don't like Starbucks, then don't go in. But, I don't see why you want to deprive others of something they appreciate.

Thin

Yes we understand that you like Starbucks, but do you seriously like their coffee ? I mean the brown water, stale over-roasted beans, crema deficient beverage. Maybe the mocha frapaccinos are OK for serving in Amsterdam coffee shops.

I'm no coffee expert, but I can't stand Starbucks. It tastes totally burnt to me. And those 5,000-calorie frappe-thingies are desserts, not coffees. I don't understand the appeal, but obviously it's there, as they are enormously popular. It's a bit of a mystery to me, though, how they would thrive in Europe, which always had superior coffee, and still does. The power of marketing, I guess.

All the chains seem to produce similar tasting coffee - burnt or overly bitter. I don't know if it's the barristas, or if they just buy crap beans. Caffe Nero does a great lemon cheesecake, so I partially forgive them. The others have virtually no redeeming features though.

Hi, I'm Seamus and I am a Starbuck's addict.
Ditto Thin (gotta stick together, haina?) that if you don't like it, don't drink it. There are plenty of people lining up for their products. I never get those confections they assemble, just plain old filter coffee or an Americano if filter is not available. The one thing I dislike at Starbuck's is their new policy of not brewing decaf after noon. A decaf Americano is the next best thing but just not as good as a cup of the filter coffee. It surprises me that there is not more demand for decaf later in the day.
I tried Caffe Nero in London recently and thought it was OK,too.

This is probably more a study in human psychology rather than anything to do with coffee me thinks. "Plenty of people lining up" may indeed by the greater attraction for many.

I just assumed Starbucks and many other chains in the USA bought the worst, cheapest (most burnt) beans they could find .. Maybe that explains all the flavors and add-ons.

I'm not a Starbuck's fan in general, agree about it tasting burned, but I did like the decaf Komodo Dragon that was recently discontinued. And I really dislike the policy of no decaf after noon. That was the only coffee of theirs I liked, and I can't drink regular after noon.
But, I do collect their mugs from cities I visit. Nice memories of all the wonderful trips.

That's right, Seamus. We are just Pennsylvania Coal Mining Trash who like the taste of burnt coffee. ROFL!!!!!!!!!

Thin

<I do not want to see a Starbucks on every street corner like you do in some parts of the UK.>

Please. Get back to us when you have one on each corner of an intersection. :)

It is too acidy for me...

YEARS ago my sister and I worked at the roasting plant for the Christmas season in Seattle.....
One day I was going by the managers offices and they were in there playing Mr. Potato Head !!!

yes, I hate Starbucks and I only watch PBS! LOL..... it's so funny how hating starbucks seems for some people to be some kind of status ---- just like years ago so many people would stay they didn't watch TV, they only watched PBS.

I drink Starbucks, but then again I don't think that drinking coffee that is so strong it makes you gag is a proof of my having better taste.

I know a couple of people who love Peetes' coffee, I think it's okay, but rarely go in there because of the snob appeal.

Hasn't this been discussed before?

I think they're making some inroads because they're roomy with couches.

Another thing that differentiated them from local cafes was that they gave you drinks to go.

But now some cafes in Rome are offering the latter option as well.

I'm am just hoping that Starbucks don't move into every town in the Netherlands, forcing the lovely small cafés we have to close down. I have no opinion on their coffee.
The two stations they are opening on have lots of places selling coffee, to drink there or to go so it will be purely the novelty and fashion of drinking Starbucks that will keep them alive.
I did have a coffee at the Schiphol one once - because it was empty and I could sit down whilst the others were full with nowhere to sit.

Right on, lyb. Reverse snobbery and all that.