Coffee drinkers! Come and partake of my pole!!!

[JulesMaximus]

I'm just curious. Why does this place do so well? Is it that people are just addicted to their over-roasted coffee? Is it the fru-fru (sp?) drinks?

Personally, I think their coffee tastes like crap. Hell, it's borderline undrinkable but I see lines out the door to that place all the time and they still seem to open more of them even when you think the market must be completely saturated.

It's not that I have a thing against successful businesses, it's just that their products are so expensive and I don't think they taste all that great (granted, I'm just a coffee drinker and not into those carmel mocha iced frappuccino drinks).

 

[IceBergSLiM]

jules, you know I'm a sucker for poles.

 

[nakedfrog]

I can't think of the last time I had coffee from Starbucks. It's probably been years.
Too expensive, I can make my own or go elsewhere for good coffee.
So I don't necessarily think they're evil, but I don't love them either. But maybe they're evil. They could be. Yeah, why not, STARBUCKS IS TEH DEBBIL!
I also make my own frappuccino at home for the woman... at a fraction of the cost. A bunch of sugar, half milk, half coffee.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
jules, you know I'm a sucker for poles.

Poles?

Sucker?

:laugh:

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
jules, you know I'm a sucker for poles.

Poles?

Sucker?

:laugh:

especially your poles big boy

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I can't think of the last time I had coffee from Starbucks. It's probably been years.
Too expensive, I can make my own or go elsewhere for good coffee.
So I don't necessarily think they're evil, but I don't love them either. But maybe they're evil. They could be. Yeah, why not, STARBUCKS IS TEH DEBBIL!
I also make my own frappuccino at home for the woman... at a fraction of the cost. A bunch of sugar, half milk, half coffee.

That'll be $6 please!!! :laugh:

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Do we have to partake of your pole to answer the questions?

 

[Scarpozzi]

I believe they do 2 major things wrong. They over-roast many of their coffee bean blends. But moreover, they don't use enough coffee or filtered water when they make their coffee. You should use 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup to avoid bitterness in most arabica blends. That gives you rich, full-bodied flavor. If you think it's too strong, add hot water after it's brewed.

 

[K1052]

The only reason I set foot the place is because of convenience. You can't spit in this town without hitting one.

Your pole leaves me unsatisfied.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
jules, you know I'm a sucker for poles.

Poles?

Sucker?

:laugh:

especially your poles big boy

Okay, let's not stray off topic here.

 

[mordantmonkey]

I prefer the local coffe shop that roasts their own beans fresh that day, and sells the drinks at reasonable prices. Plus I get the choice of House coffee or whatever they've had shipped in that week (tanzanian, Kenyan, Mexican).

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
Do we have to partake of your pole to answer the questions?

Not really...no. Only mosh has to. :laugh:

 

[BrokenVisage]

Oddly enough the closest Fourbucks to me in Philadelphia is downtown, luckily I hate their coffee and I can just go to one of the more than 20 Dunkin Donuts closer to me to get my dollar-fifty cup of joe.

 

[latino666]

Tim Hortons>Starbucks

The few times I went to Starbucks their coffee just did not taste right.


Oh how I miss my Tim Hortons coffee. Damn Cheyenne, WY has no Tim Hortons :|

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
jules, you know I'm a sucker for poles.

Poles?

Sucker?

:laugh:

especially your poles big boy

Okay, let's not stray off topic here.

When I'm really hung over I'll hit starbucks up for a double espresso on my way into work. that is basically the only circumstance in which I will pay for coffee and/or attend startbucks.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I don't mind Starbucks at all. And it's the consistency that I enjoy. You know you are going to atleast get a decent cup of coffee or latte. I've definitely had better, but I've never been surprised by Starbucks.

 

[Slew Foot]

The local housing developments cant sell crap so they give out $20 Starbucks GCs if you come look at homes. Ive got a pile of GCs now so I got many years of free Starbucks ahead of me. Not that I go very often.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
I don't mind Starbucks at all. And it's the consistency that I enjoy. You know you are going to atleast get a decent cup of coffee or latte. I've definitely had better, but I've never been surprised by Starbucks.

Me either, their coffee always tastes like crap to me. :laugh:

 

[Platypus]

Not all roasts Starbucks offers have the 'starbucks roast' aka roasted past their prime.

There are some gems in there, but not many. The reason they do so well is the reason that Dell does so well, it's easier to just pay some big corporation to do it for you where you're guaranteed almost identical results with each visit and it's great for people who don't know any better and/or don't care to know any better.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
Do we have to partake of your pole to answer the questions?

Not really...no. Only mosh has to. :laugh:

hot damn! :laugh:

 

[Apex]

Pole doesn't have enough options.

I drink coffee (mostly espresso based drinks). I think Starbucks is OK, mainly for the convenience factor. It's quick, they're everywhere, and sometimes I'm just too lazy to brew it for myself.

 

[Lola]

I do not mind Starbucks, i guess i like them for their creativity for their coffee drinks... not just their regular cup `o joe.
For instance, i do like their seasonal beverages. This fall they have a pumpkin spice latte or frap or whatever that is quite tasty. During the holiday season, they have the same but with peppermint or cinnamon flavors.
Also, their Tazo tea iced drinks are tasty as well.

Plus, they are everywhere...

Their expresso, coffee (pure) is not good to me at all. you need some flavor in them to make them taste good.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Apex
Pole doesn't have enough options.

I drink coffee (mostly espresso based drinks). I think Starbucks is OK, mainly for the convenience factor. It's quick, they're everywhere, and sometimes I'm just too lazy to brew it for myself.

I brew my own coffee at home. I grind the beans up the night before and set the timer on the coffee pot so that I wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee every morning. I love that smell and it's always a pleasure to walk downstairs and pour myself that first cup of coffee every morning. I only drink Gevalia Signature Blend or their Traditional Roast. :thumbsup:

 

[Descartes]

I go to Starbucks (*$) under the following conditions:

1) Someone else is going. This could be a friend, colleague, or even a lunch date. A lot of people like the atmosphere of a coffee shops, and for a lot of people *$ is the obvious choice.
2) No other options. This might be if I'm sitting in an airport for a 4-hour layover, a town I've never been in before, or simply a matter of convenient (e.g. if one is close by). Additionally, sometimes those local shops are far more horrible than *$. They'll use stale beans, bad equipment and undertrained employees.

I think that's about it. Their espresso is about as insipid as it gets, but it's more a matter of the equipment and training than anything else. Milk texture is a large part of what makes milk-based drinks like a macchiato, latte, cappuccino, etc. palatable. They almost never texture their milk properly. Again, that's just training.

They actually use high-quality beans. Their roast is not that dark; in fact, when fresh, it actually adds a nice character. I've had freshly roasted *$ beans before (as in a week from roast date), and I've pulled quite a few espresso shots using those beans. There's a substantial improvement, but that again goes back to training and equipment.

So, we shouldn't hate on them too much, in my opinion. They serve a niche and they server it well. They will never touch the quality you can achieve from your better "indy" shops (e.g. Intelligentsia, GimmeCoffee, Stumptown, Vivace, Hines, etc.), but they are better than the majority of what you find out there.

 

[HannibalX]

I don't go. It's a rip off. The coffee isn't that great. The service isn't that great. I am not trying to live the "Friends" TV show lifestyle. Some people actually go to work and do things, not hang out at a dumb coffee shop all day.

A cup of coffee should be about $.50 depending on the size.

I buy Brother's coffee from Publix, its great and won't eat my wallet.