For many years I reveled in my hatred for Starbucks and everything they stood for. I despised them for their corporate branded image. I condemned them for their over the top prices. I recoiled at their growing popularity as one by one they popped up on most city street corners. I categorically ... Read review
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Advantages: Addictive, costly and taking over the world Disadvantages: good coffee, good service, good selection...
...reveled in my hatred for Starbucks and everything they stood for. I despised them for their corporate branded image. I condemned them for their over the top prices. I recoiled at their growing popularity as one by one they popped up on most city street corners. I categorically refused to be sucked into the brand and for several years avoided every setting foot inside one.
Last year whilst working in Glasgow, I allowed myself to be ... ...a warmth radiate from the Starbucks as I walked by.
I stopped to look briefly and inside was a scene akin to a beautiful Christmas card. Everyone inside looked toasty warm as they sipped liquid warmth from giant sized cups and leant back in over stuffed leather armchairs they read the paper or laughed merrily with a colleagues oblivious to the suffering and pain carrying on outside the glass-paned double doors and across the Starbuck ... more
For many years I reveled in my hatred for Starbucks and everything they stood for. I despised them for their corporate branded image. I condemned them for their over the top prices. I recoiled at their growing popularity as one by one they popped up on most city street corners. I categorically refused to be sucked into the brand and for several years avoided every setting foot inside one.
Last year whilst working in Glasgow, I allowed myself to be taken in and I succumbed to the unthinkable. I remember that day well.
It was quarter to eight one morning last November. It had been raining in Glasgow for what felt like two years, and as I trailed up Buchanan street in the pitch black, shivering against the wind and trying desperately to ignore the fast stream of water running down the street and over my feet; I felt a warmth radiate from the Starbucks as I walked by.
I stopped to look briefly and inside was a scene akin to a beautiful Christmas card. Everyone inside looked toasty warm as they sipped liquid warmth from giant sized cups and leant back in over stuffed leather armchairs they read the paper or laughed merrily with a colleagues oblivious to the suffering and pain carrying on outside the glass-paned double doors and across the Starbuck Welcome Mat.
That morning I was lured by the promise of a Peppermint Candy Cane Cappuccino. Only now can I see that this is how it starts. They get you hooked with promises of a world with an endless supply of Coffee and sugary treats and toppings and before you know it, you can’t get enough – you find yourself wanting more and more until eventually that want turns to need. I started with the only slightly obscene Grande peppermint-laced warmer, promising myself that I was only indulging because of the holidays and that I would give them up as soon as the festive season was over. By the time Christmas came around things had gotten out of hand. I couldn’t start my day without my fix and had graduated to the insanely large “Venti” dose twice a day.
Each morning I stood in line anxious and unsettled with the mix of decadent vanilla-rich aromas swaying around me caught up in an imaginary breeze. I was desperate to feel the caffeine rushing through my body while the sugary sweetness danced across my taste buds. I thought I could quit at any time. 10 months on, although my taste have changed, my addiction is as strong as ever. I am taking small steps towards recovery and for now, I have reduced my daily fix to a slightly less harmful Venti double shot non-fat cappuccino but I am under no illusions. Recover is a long and arduous process and I depend on the support of family and loved ones.
As hard as it is for me, I have shared my story with you to warn other potential victims. Starbucks doesn’t discriminate. It can get anyone at anytime. You may think you are strong enough to fight it but the truth is Starbucks reduces you to a powerless heap of whipped cream and freshly roasted coffee beans from the very first sniff of their specially blended coffee.
Starbucks Rap Sheet ************************* Starbucks, named after the Moby Dick character is the largest coffeehouse company in the world. Frighteningly, there are currently over 13,000 stores and kiosks across 40 countries. The beast - set up by three English Teachers began in Seattle, USA 35 years ago and grew quickly over the following two decades until by the 1990’s, the Starbucks brand was as American as the Stars and Stripes, Apple Pie and gun crime. Towards the end of the 90’s Starbucks set their sights on global domination and in 1998 saw their dreams take form when they bought over 65 Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK *Starbucks Save the World* Starbucks have pledged a very high profile was against injustice over recent years: - *Community Starbucks promises to help achieve the goal of a sustainable model for the worldwide production and trade of high-quality coffee by paying a fair price directly to the coffee producers. They are also active fund-raisers for fair trade and often sponsor events that help raise awareness. As a company they have contributed to projects such as for building nurseries for children in Africa suffering from HIV and Aids or renovating a school for a community that would otherwise have none. On an environmental impact basis, Starbucks use less packaging and recycled products wherever possible including all salad and sandwich packaging which is fully compostable. They also promote conservation in the countries where their coffee is grown coffee-growing countries. Of course, there is the concern that more efforts could be made to promote fair trade and that much of the corporate responsibility efforts are simply an effort to look good to the users…I’m saying nothing. The Product and cost ************************* *Hot Drinks – Average between £1.79 and almost £4.00 for a fancy seasonal treat Coffee isn’t just coffee these days. Nowadays you’ve got extra shots, non-fat, half fat, half heat, no foam caffeine free, fair trade….and the list goes on and on and on. You can get anything your heart desires here as far as hot drinks going including hot chocolate, specialty teas and a sea of different flavourings for your drinks.
*Fresccatos and Smoothie type things – Between £2.55 and £3.89 In the summer (as short as they are) Starbucks makes up for a loss of coffee sales by peddling un fairly delicious iced drinks like pomegranate and raspberry smoothies or Vanilla Fresccato’s Do we ever stand a chance of recovery???
*Cakes and Treats – Average between £1.30 and almost £3.00 Cakes and Treats are delivered to the stores daily to meet the users needs. They have an array of muffins, cakes, biscuits and pastries with low fat, nut free, gluten free, dairy free options that still manage to maintain taste. The Skinny Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffin is a killer for me.
*Sandwiches, Wraps and Salads – Average from £2.49 to roughly £4.00 These are pre-packed and delivered to the shop. The selection is limited but interesting with items like humous and pepper wraps to the odd breakfast baked bean toastie…
*Cold Drinks – Average between £1.10 to £1.70 Not content with bottled water, Starbucks also goes after the addicts wallet through enticing smoothie drinks from the aptly named Innocent range and delicately flavoured citrus waters and fresh juices.
The Dealers/Pushers/Peddlers ************************************* These are the people I blame! The pushers who pry on the innocent peddling their filth to anyone naïve enough to listen.
They stand behind the bars with their fancy titles like “Senior Barista” or “Coffee Master” in their pressed black polo shirts and trendy aprons with polished smiles plastered on their faces ready to greet you. Well the witch in Hansel and Gretel smiled too!.
They have all been trained to lure you in under the disguise of “Customer Service” and they further ender themselves to their returning addicts by learning exactly how to produce a high quality product so they won’t look elsewhere for their fix.
They remember your name, the names of your children and partner and always ask about your weekend like an old friend.
My local dealer even signs songs to his customers. They’re good – I’ll give them that!
The Venue ************* The atmosphere of any Starbucks is designed to tempt you in with it’s impossible to refuse cosy and intimate, layout. The combination of small tables and chairs with sofas and arm chairs to lounge in makes it impossible not to be sucked in. The lighting is low, the music is chilled and the decor is warm and comforting like an old beat up blanket. As you take your first sip, feel that first shot hit you and you sink into the comfort of this safe heaven, you can watch your troubles melt away in the creamy foam of your cappuccino. All stores are accessible to the disabled with appropriate facilities available.
Final warning **************** You cannot win! The allure is too great and you will find yourself under the spell of the sick illness known as Starbucks.
Advantages: delicious coffee, huge variety, good food, comfy seating Disadvantages: not enough fair trade, very expensive, could be cleaner
...more than 7000 branches of Starbucks worldwide, so they must be doing something right. Is it just that they make good coffee, I wonder? For much as they are maligned for their shaky ethics, they do make a mean cup of coffee. I can even stomach a skinny (low-fat) latte, and find it tastier than a regular coffee made elsewhere. Maybe it's more to do with choice and variety: We used to just be offered coffee, or maybe cappuchino if we were lucky. Now ... ...for example my most recent Starbucks experience, where the ordering went something like this: Her: (Think SUDDEN, and think LOUD) "Hey you GUYS!! What can I get for you today?" *(do I know this woman? She's talking as if she knows me. Frantically racking my memory in case I have met her somewhere) Me: "Two lattes and a blueberry muffin please" Her: "Oh MARVELLOUS... good CHOICE! Those are delish! mutter mutter mutter incomprehensible mutter *presses ...
molelover 29.03.2004 (22.05.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starbucks
Advantages: The variety and range of blends Disadvantages: The price
The Starbucks invasion has come to Northern Ireland – albeit in the shape and form of 3 stores so far, although we do have one on the way and expecting the arrival of more imminently! There are two stores in Belfast city centre itself – Castle Lane, Cornmarket (a stand alone store), and in Castlecourt Shopping Centre. The first Starbucks to open its doors in the province back in August 2004 was at Junction One shopping village, in Antrim. ... ...the space of around 6months Starbucks have spread like wildfire!
Most people have decisive opinion on Starbucks – you either love them or hate them. I think if lm being honest l probably fall into the first category – although perhaps love is too strong a term. What l do like is the fact they are now a player in the coffee shop market others in the province have had to pull their socks up and play hard ball. Now we have Café Clements ...
purdy 13.02.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starbucks
Advantages: Best customer service going Disadvantages: Pricey, globalised
...Psion Series 5 review) in Starbucks at 7.30 in the morning. So if I can't convey the atmosphere under these circumstances, there isn't much hope for me is there . . . Prices added 19/11/2001.
Nitty Gritty
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Starbucks is an enormous American chain of coffee shops. As such they are the target of anti-globalisation campaigns, which may or may not be just. They aren't a restaurant chain, so this category is slightly misleading, but they ... ...believe, by popularity. Why is Starbucks so popular ? Because of the service. Purely and simply, they give the best customer service on the block.
So a gap eyed pean to Starbucks then ?
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No. They don't do everything right by any means. I'll list a few of my pet annoyances and then get onto what they do well. * Firstly, there are too many branches. They target a town and clean out the opposition, or try to. ...
Saturn 15.11.2001 (01.12.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starbucks
Advantages: lots of choice Disadvantages: a bit pricey
A few months ago a Starbucks café opened in Hereford town centre and as I had watched the shop being refitted over the previous months, I was waiting for it to open so that I could go in and try the different kinds of coffee they sell. There is only this Starbucks café in Hereford and having read reviews about how good they were and also being a real coffee lover, I had to go in and try a cup.
The first thing that caught my attention when I entered ... ...competition running in the hereford starbucks to guess how many coffee beans is in one of the jars, the winner gets a 8 cup cafeteria and a packet of roasted coffee beans.
Starbucks get their coffee from Indonesia, East Africa, Latin America and they meet with the local growers to inspect the crops to strengthen their ties with the coffee growing communities. They also support the fairtrade coffee, as this helps the coffee growers to get a fair ...
Sunnysmiles 18.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starbucks
Advantages: Chilled out relaxing atmosphere! Disadvantages: Is quite pricey!
...now from my friends! Starbucks it would seems is the place to be! Forget the whole trendy bars in town! If you go to Starbucks your hip and happening! :-)
Starbucks has now got several cafes in our town center all in all I believe there are three or four! You can normally find one of this chain i most towns and citys! SO HOW DO I ORDER?
Well when you enter you are normally first greeted with a stand containing panini's and sandwiches, futher on ... ...pesto panini's yum, yum! Starbucks is a pleasant place to sit and relax with friends too, although many a time I have been in alone and still feel comfortable! Your able to grab a coffee and sit and chat for hours if you want to with friends and theres no presure! The staff are very pleasant I have found, and the panini's and cakes are lovely too.
I must admit I have tried Starbuck over in america too, in LA and nothing compares to there! But this ...
glitterstar21 28.03.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starbucks
Value for Money
Standard of Menu
Atmosphere
Standard of Service
Cleanliness
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great for making your own café style coffee at home. It has become a daily drink for me and I have taken to buying freshly ground beans from our local Starbucks café.
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! There were not enough staff in our branch and this is why I think it just took so long...they had to take the money, serve the long queue of customers and clear up...all the time with a smile...and there were only two of them!!!
The choice:
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excelsior81 31.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Costa Coffee Bar
Advantages: Good mixture of cheeses Disadvantages: None, again.
ready to go.
The Cheese is a blend of Mozzarella, Soft Cheese, Mature Cheddar and Emmental, which gives it a really nice stringy, yet not plastic taste. It is very tasty and you get a good sized portion within the Panini.
The red onion chutney is quite sweet, but compliments the cheese well, both tastes work very well together.
My conclusion after trying all three of the deli Style Panini?s on offer from Ugo is that the Chicken one is my favourite, but the others are still very good.
These Panini?s would not be out of place in a Café Nero or Starbucks as a lunch time meal. They are very tasty and I will definitely be having them again.
This Panini is also Vegetarian friendly.
http://www.ugosdelicafe.com ...
