Why is Starbucks so popular? [Archive]

pinkytoe

11-6-15, 2:39pm

This is another one of those things in modern life I just don't get...the drive thru lane at Starbucks. At the two nearest our house, there are normally 6 or 7 cars in line idling away and often blocking traffic just so they can get their over-priced coffee drink to go. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day or day of the week - always a line. What exactly is the appeal there?

Ultralight

11-6-15, 2:42pm

Answer: Caffeine and sugar are addictive and Americans love perceived convenience.

kally

11-6-15, 2:42pm

well I never go to drive through, but the place, itself is a nice spot to meet.

ApatheticNoMore

11-6-15, 2:53pm

Yea it's convenient, when I drank coffee I went for a few years, I never had coffee making equipment, I still don't, I just switched to tea where you don't need so much machinery, but just the ability to boil water, to produce some caffeine.

It can be hard to function in this world entirely without caffeine, but of course there are many other alternatives to Starbucks. And yes they are places to meet people. Ok you could argue independent coffee shops are nicer places to meet people and I would agree, but if there aren't any around or something. The utopia where everyone has a nice house to invite people to isn't ever going to happen in actual reality, nor is the weather always nice to meet people outside.

Ultralight

11-6-15, 2:56pm

It can be hard to function in this world entirely without caffeine...

I muddle through...

catherine

11-6-15, 3:01pm

I am amazed at the Starbucks phenomenon. Example: I go to research in NYC. The facility that hosts the research has a Keurig and every kind of coffee you might want in the room. The client comes in and the first thing they say is "Let's do a Starbuck's run" and then they go around the room getting everyone's orders and they have the facility host go to the closest Starbucks to fetch the coffee. When coffee is sitting right at their fingertips!

I know we don't have Caramel Macchiato's and shots of espresso and vanilla, but come on! It's coffee!

Or, I'm in the airport. There's a kiosk that sells a lot of stuff, including regular coffee, and a Starbucks kiosk. There is a line of 10 people at Starbucks. There is no line at the kiosk that sells non-Starbucks coffee. Would I stand and wait that long for a cup of coffee when I could have one in 3 minutes? No way!

I agree, pinkytoe, I don't get it.

nswef

11-6-15, 3:25pm

I don't get it either. I don't do drive in much of anything. I make coffee in the morning and never drink it out because I'm too cheap to pay for coffee that might not be as good as mine. I drink it black and don't like "stuff" in the coffee. I remember reading many years ago how young people were not coffee drinkers so the coffee makers came up with a way to market coffee that appealed to the soda drinkers. They've succeeded beyond their expectations. I order 10 lb. of fair trade, bird friendly,peruvian French roast ground coffee from PortoRico.com. It is good coffee to me, strong and smooth. You get free shipping over $75, thus the 10 pounds at a time which I freeze. I've tried Deans Beans and didn't find one that I liked as well.

Ultralight

11-6-15, 3:26pm

The real question is if Starbucks will someday be like the Starbucks of Idiocracy!

TxZen

11-6-15, 4:08pm

I used to love them, when they first came to town. It was a larger Starbucks, room to sit down and it was attached to a book store. No one was pushy or aggressive, good music, good customer service and the coffee was fresh and not that expensive, as it was a treat for me. Last time I went, the customers were a nightmare, the coffee was burnt and they got my order wrong...twice..and all I asked for was what was on the menu, nothing add or take away. I think they have forgotten their roots and it's all about the money. I go to 2 local coffee shops now and I have much better service and coffee and the costs is way less. I don't drink coffee everyday, so it's a treat for me when I go out.

Gardenarian

11-6-15, 4:14pm

My dd likes it because she can always count on excellent wifi and charging outlets. I think people like the predictability of it, too.

JaneV2.0

11-6-15, 4:41pm

I always liked Stewart Brothers (now Seattle's Best Coffee). I think that's what McDonald's sells. But I like the coffee I make best because apparently I've never grown up, and I like a variety of tasty flavors in mine--and I mostly like it cold. I think the Wi-Fi and community feel of the place contribute to its popularity.

pinkytoe

11-6-15, 5:09pm

I get the physicality of coffee and place; I don't get sitting in your idling car in a long line for a coffee you will nurse by yourself on the way to somewhere else.

ctg492

11-6-15, 5:11pm

Ultralight

11-6-15, 5:16pm

lessisbest

11-6-15, 5:17pm

I've never been in one........ Never thought I needed to look "smart" or trendy by being seen with a cup of over-priced coffee, nor have I ever thought I was being deprived by NOT stopping at one.

iris lilies

11-6-15, 5:20pm

Because it is a small bit of personal reward for many.

I just read where our town of under 30,000 is getting a 3rd yes 3rd Dollar General. I was shocked, WHY? Guess there is a cliental that wants and will support it. Same as Starbucks in a strange way.

well, we are getting Quik Trips.,oh boy more Quik Trips!

Across the the road in the neighborhood next door, they tore down 4 Victorian buildings to make way for it. 'Cause we need another fugly cement block building on a big corner that dispenses 30 oz cans and gasoline, you know. And yesterday I was driving along a main road in the city to see another giant building project for a Quik Teip.

rosarugosa

11-6-15, 6:13pm

In our neck of the woods, it's all about Dunkin Donuts, they proliferate like cockroaches. DH & I think their tagline should be "the preferred coffee of people who don't like coffee" because it's crap. They've somehow managed to position themselves with the Boston loyalty thing though, and dissing Dunks around here is like dissing the Red Soxs. Do so at your own risk.
I think I can state with a fair bit of accuracy that I haven't bought a cup of coffee out in 12 years, and the last time I bought a cup of coffee, it was from Starbucks. I think they make (or at least used to make) a fairly decent cup of coffee. I like coffee at home first thing in the morning, black with a 1/4 tsp of cinnamon in the percolator basket. I really WANT that cup of coffee every morning, but I wouldn't call it an addiction. A couple of times when DH was having surgery and couldn't have coffee in the AM, I just skipped it so as not to tease him with the smell, and I really was none the worse for it. I don't drink coffee any other time of day, and for me it isn't a reward or a social thing. That would be wine. :)
I always wondered how Dunks did so well with their crummy coffee, and the idea that they're positioning themselves as the preferred coffee for soda drinkers has a certain logic about it. DH says they must put crack in it!

IshbelRobertson

11-6-15, 6:22pm

I have never bought a coffee from Starbucks. I've only drunk it once, when I was in a meeting, I didn't like it, the beans were over-roasted and tasted harsh. And if I buy a coffee, I want it to taste like coffee, not hazelnuts or vanilla or.......!

Also, whether the story is true or not, I read that the owner of Starbucks said his goal was to stand at the door of any Starbucks anywhere and be able to see the next starbucks... No thanks, that's globalisation gone mad!

pony mom

11-6-15, 9:10pm

I don't drink coffee (or tea or soda or alcohol) so don't see what all the fuss is about. However I once had a hot cocoa there and it was great!

In my area it seems that Dunkin Donuts is more interested in selling lunches than donuts. Not many to choose from anymore the last time I was in a DD. A special treat for me would be cheddar broccoli soup from Panera.

CathyA

11-6-15, 9:20pm

I don't get it either. But I think it's one of those things that becomes something that you do, just to be part of what other people do. And it just mushrooms.

Alan

11-6-15, 9:49pm

nswef

11-6-15, 11:04pm

I do meet my sister for lunch at a coffee shop. It used to be Port City Java, but now it's called Rooster Moon. It's a chain. One cup of coffee and you can get it in a ceramic mug and a free refill. Nice ambiance and good music. We sit for hours.

lessisbest

11-7-15, 7:38am

I was invited to a Starbucks for coffee about 15 years ago and was treated to a coffee of the day. I thought it was a little strong. Was invited back a couple more times and each time I enjoyed the coffee of the day more. Before I knew it, I wasn't waiting for invitations and began starting each workday making a cattycorner trip across the street for a Grande w/cream and sugar. It just seemed to be a more robust drink than I could make at home.
After about 5 years of that, my daughter came to visit with a fresh Carmel Macchiato and offered me a sip. I suspect that moment was similar to an addict's first time shooting up heroin, I was hooked. I no longer stop by daily, but I do still enjoy a Venti Carmel Macchiato about once a week. It's tasty, I like it and people can think what they want.

Alan- You just described exactly what is called the "bliss point" in the book by Michael Moss - "Salt Sugar Fat" - How the Food Giants Hooked Us.

"Food manufacturers need not fear the implication of pleasure in the word bliss, he [Australian psychologist Robert McBride] began. After all, he said, who among us chooses food based on its nutritional status? ... It's the taste, the flavor, the sensory satisfaction." At the end of this speech, McBride shared these words of encouragement for the food company attendees. "With a little work, he said, the bliss point can be computed and totted up like so much protein or fiber or calcium in food."

My sister expressed the same "bliss point" recently when she described why she loved her favorite breakfast cereal.

In a test with a 6-year old, conducted to calculate the girls "bliss point" for sugar, she worked her way through two dozen puddings, each prepared to a different level of sweetness. The "bliss point" was 24% sugar, twice the level of sweetness that most adults can handle in pudding. Some children go as high as 36% sugar.

The book is a very interesting read and very enlightening as to what the food and beverage world are doing to "hook" us.

catherine

11-7-15, 8:01am

The book is a very interesting read and very enlightening as to what the food and beverage world are doing to "hook" us.

Yup, we are all vulnerable to the wiles of marketing departments all over the world. Just one reason I am so opposed to Citizen's United. It's bad enough the food industry dictates the ADA food pyramid. Thanks, lessisbest, for giving a GREAT example in the food industry. In fact, I think I'm going to read it.

SiouzQ.

11-7-15, 8:57am

I don't like the taste of Starbucks particularly either, as someone stated before, it tastes burnt to me too. And I rarely go out for coffee unless I am traveling, though I do buy a cup at work on employee discount during my first 15 minute break of the day. I can't not do it, even if I still have coffee in my travel mug I made before work and didn't finish. I am hooked physically and mentally...for me to quit coffee is a very slow and protracted process of adding decaf to regular in ever-increasing amounts otherwise I suffer from horrible withdrawal symptoms...really. The last time I quit caffeine was over three years ago but I was back on it within 6 months. I've quit trying or even thinking about trying to quit for now. At least the stuff I make at home is half-decaf/half regular to minimize some of the effects.

IshbelRobertson

11-7-15, 9:52am

We have so many small, owner-run coffee shops here, that sell great coffee. I prefer to give them my custom rather than any chain operation, whether foreign or British.

Williamsmith

11-7-15, 9:58am

Howard Schultz, CEO.....is all the reason I need to not be a customer. I am blissfully caffeine free.

CathyA

11-7-15, 10:15am

Yes, sugar/salt/fat..........but mostly, it's the drug CAFFEINE! Trust me.......I know how happy caffeine can make us. I LOVE being happy.
Maybe we should consider Starbucks a drug dealer? :~)

kally

11-7-15, 5:09pm

I stopped going to Starbucks when they charged me 75 cents for a couple of TBSPS of soy milk. Well they stopped that practice and now it is included so I go back about once every 5 weeks. I prefer the local coffee spots, but sometimes people like to meet at Sbucks.

catherine

11-7-15, 5:19pm

Yes, sugar/salt/fat..........but mostly, it's the drug CAFFEINE! Trust me.......I know how happy caffeine can make us. I LOVE being happy.
Maybe we should consider Starbucks a drug dealer? :~)

I'm a caffeine addict, but I'm with nswef: I buy shade-grown, organic, fair trade coffee and make it at home. Since my Keurig went on the blink, I've divested myself of the single-serve pods (I was using reusable filters, but…) and I'm now back to making pots of coffee the old fashioned way in a new Cuisinart.

You don't need Starbucks to feed your caffeine addiction. In fact, hard core coffee addicts are not in it for the sugar and fat.

pinkytoe

11-7-15, 7:15pm

DH worked for about a year in a local coffee shop when he was laid off from his regular job. The owner told him that there is not enough good coffee in the world to supply all the SBucks there are so they use mediocre beans and roast them dark. Adding fat, sugar and flavorings also hides any substandard taste. As a result of working in the coffee store, DH now boils water in a pan and pours it through a ceramic cone filter using freshly ground beans. A lot of work but the flavor is worth the hassle.

Francie

11-7-15, 7:52pm

I'm a weird one, I guess. I do not like the taste of alcohol, but I love the smell. I do not like the taste of coffee, but I love the smell. So, obviously, I drink neither. I drink hot tea in the winter and iced tea in the summer (and often year-round)-- both de-caffeinated. And it's just "tea" -- nothing exotic or other-flavored.

But, I do like some caffeine now and again, so I get generic no-doze pills (200mg), split them in quarters (50mg) and take one or two quarter-tabs a day (one a.m., one p.m.), as needed. That seems to be enough for me.

But darn -- coffee does smell wonderful. To each his/her own ...

Williamsmith

11-7-15, 8:53pm

What does a group of people talk about at Starbucks that they can't talk about somewhere else? "Hello, my name is Williamsmith and I am a caffeine addict!" "Hello, William."

ApatheticNoMore

11-8-15, 2:18am

What does a group of people talk about at Starbucks that they can't talk about somewhere else? "Hello, my name is Williamsmith and I am a caffeine addict!" "Hello, William."

where else would you suggest? Their studio apartments? All the time? With a platonic friend of a different sex? For a first date? Etc. The bar? Then they need to imbibe much more than caffeine .... get tipsy. Outside having a picnic or on a hiking trail? Yes that's good but very weather dependent. A restaurant? Only if they want to eat and pay for a whole meal which is quite a bit more expensive and more calories than a coffee (well maybe not than some of those fancy things but surely than a simple latte or something).

DH worked for about a year in a local coffee shop when he was laid off from his regular job. The owner told him that there is not enough good coffee in the world to supply all the SBucks there are so they use mediocre beans and roast them dark. Adding fat, sugar and flavorings also hides any substandard taste.

I don't think everyone cares about whether mediocre beans are used or not, not everyone is a coffee connoisseur (there's an ethical argument for fair trade and shade grown etc. but that's a separate issue). As for adding fat, I don't know what weird stuff SBux may add, but I wouldn't even want to drink the stuff black. Ugh, coffee black, disgusting!!! It needs some half and half or something (which adds fat), to mellow it out to make me want to drink it.

creaker

11-8-15, 11:02am

I like to get a latte occasionally - I prefer local places, but Starbucks makes an acceptable one. But I never use drive-thru's, I just don't like them.

For coffee in my car I'd much rather bring my own from home.

Miss Cellane

11-8-15, 11:34am

Starbucks is popular because it is trendy. And a great many people follow the trends--they wear the trendy style or color, eat the trendy foods, drink the trendy coffee, play the trendy games.

While Starbucks has made inroads in New England, Dunkin Donuts is still very popular. And even though it is a big chain now, it started locally, in a suburb of Boston. You can get some heated arguments between DD lovers and Starbucks fans.

But back in the early 80s, before Starbucks hit New England, I can remember walking to work in Boston and seeing hoards of people stopping off at DD for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. So Starbucks is the latest craze, but people have been buying coffee on the way to work for a long time.

Meezer_Mom

11-8-15, 10:39pm

I like to get out of the house. I'll go to Starbucks but all I really want is my iced tea or iced coffee IV and my book or writing. Unfortunately, so many diners have closed. My Denny's is all I have left besides Starbucks.

It ain't right.

Weston

11-10-15, 3:39pm

I love coffee. Generally have 2 cups a day. I can't stand starbucks coffee. Very bitter and burnt tasting. On a lighter note at least they are responsible for a great comedy bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENGUYeiGtNk

pony mom

11-10-15, 10:33pm

Since I don't drink coffee, my perfect bliss food is a scone with jam and clotted cream. The dry blandness of the scone, the sweetness/tartness of the jam is just perfect with the rich creamy fattiness of real clotted or double cream.

Starbucks can't beat that for me.

peggy

11-10-15, 11:42pm

Personally I like the soulless, godless red (commie/ liberal) cup..but that's just me.;)

bae

11-11-15, 12:01am

Personally I like the soulless, godless red (commie/ liberal) cup..but that's just me.;)

I prefer this mug most of the time...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H4mZUH8VgiM/VEmHON36N-I/AAAAAAAAMRk/zDLbjSzs7MA/s800-Ic42/Awesomized.jpg

rosarugosa

11-11-15, 5:46am

That's a great mug, Bae. Toast to HPL!

Williamsmith

11-11-15, 3:56pm

Bae , you posted a real picture of yourself in the reflection on the coffee pot.

bae

11-11-15, 3:58pm

Bae , you posted a real picture of yourself in the reflection on the coffee pot.

In a sort of fun-house-mirror, encased-in-beard-from-wilderness-trip sense :-)

TVRodriguez

11-11-15, 9:41pm

In a sort of fun-house-mirror, encased-in-beard-from-wilderness-trip sense :-)

Yeah, I don't think I could pick you out of a lineup based on that photo.

jp1

11-11-15, 10:11pm

I Only go to Starbucks when I am traveling for work, so maybe twice a week, three weeks out of the month. I don't love or hate their coffee. I actually prefer Peets, but Starbucks is across the street from pretty much every hotel I've ever stayed in, or even right there in the lobby. It's a quick, easy breakfast and the cost is within the parameters of my expense account.

jp1

11-11-15, 10:11pm

I muddle through...

Maybe if you were a coffee achiever you wouldn't be so disengaged at work... 😀

ApatheticNoMore

11-11-15, 10:19pm

Maybe if you were a coffee achiever you wouldn't be so disengaged at work...

that one can cut both ways, ever consumed enough (and coffee is a pretty strong stimulant, so I find it doesn't take much) you can't concentrate at work to save your life ... because brain is bouncing off the walls ... and you just want to go and run outside and can barely sit still ...

jp1

11-12-15, 12:14am

that one can cut both ways, ever consumed enough (and coffee is a pretty strong stimulant, so I find it doesn't take much) you can't concentrate at work to save your life ... because brain is bouncing off the walls ... and you just want to go and run outside and can barely sit still ...

A few times. It's more that I get really jittery and feel the desire to puke if I have more than a couple of cups of coffee in a day. I've learned to never have more than three and three is only if I slept really poorly but need to be functional for a long day. I tend to do worse from under caffienating. In that case I can just stare at the computer all day and not get anything productive done. For instance a quick glance at Google news turns into an hour of reading random articles that I'm really not that interested in.