What is this Global Attraction to Starbucks? (Pound cake, cake, grocery store)
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The general idea globalization is what's new/different to some is seen exotic/exciting: One man's trash is another man's treasure. McDonald's being an example that Americans see as "average," (yet clearly enjoy based on the business McD's averages), and becomes international.
Perhaps it's all regional, but I grew up in New England, which is still very much Dunkin' Donuts' territory (and to a lesser extent, Honey Dew's), despite having Starbucks around. They coexist because while there are diehard Dunkin fans, the general area is affluent enough to afford both of them. For me it's a matter of convenience and options. I'm not particular about coffee, and so, side to side, I could choose either one for their non-coffee beverages, even while recognizing one is a few dollars more and expects additional gratuity/tips. Since for every Starbucks there's at least 2 or 3 DDs, I either choose the majority or single out the Starbucks based on what I'm in the mood for.
I would think those preferring Starbucks would be those who think DD is too mass market, and think paying $5 for coffee makes them seem "yuppie." (It could be likely they're the same consumers that go to Target, seeing it as a step up from Walmart).
It's the same here in NJ. We have lots of Starbucks AND Dunkin Donuts. I don't care for DD's coffee, either, because I think it's too weak and watery.
Call me crazy, but I think places like 7-11 and QuikChek both have better coffee than either SB or DD. And I work near an Au Bon Pain, which has a pretty decent cup of coffee, as well.
My very favorite coffee is Trader Joe's Bolivian Blend, which I make in my percolator. I have it every morning!
They have the quality, that's why they are popular.
They really DON'T have "the quality," though. There are numerous regional chains that sell a better-made product. Starbucks dresses up harshly over-roasted beans with copious amounts of sugary and/or artificially sweetened syrup and dairy. I'm sure that if some of the more quality-focused regional outfits were able to create a model where they had the same reach without allowing quality to slip/be downgraded, it'd be eclipsed. As it is, they don't have any serious competitors operating at the same level of saturation. In various places, there are regional chains that are more popular, but no real national chains have taken the crown at this point. There is no Pepsi to their Coke, really.
Call me crazy, but I think places like 7-11 and QuikChek both have better coffee than either SB or DD. And I work near an Au Bon Pain, which has a pretty decent cup of coffee, as well.
The QuikTrip chain of convenience stores here has awesome coffee. QT in general is pretty sweet.
I would think those preferring Starbucks would be those who think DD is too mass market, and think paying $5 for coffee makes them seem "yuppie." (It could be likely they're the same consumers that go to Target, seeing it as a step up from Walmart).
I'm no fan of Starbucks as I made clear earlier in the thread, but I often see the cost of their coffee exaggerated this way. A tall coffee (12 oz.) runs $1.85 at Starbucks, ten cents less if you bring your own cup. A small Dunkin Donuts coffee runs $1.69. Yes, it's less expensive, but we're talking about a difference of $0.16. If you pick up a tall black coffee on your way to work every day, we're talking about all of $0.80 per week. If $.0.80 per week is the difference between making rent or being out on the street, you don't have enough slack in your budget for Dunkin Donuts either. And BTW, those $5.00 drinks at Starbucks are not coffee. They're caffeine-infused milkshakes, and Dunkin Donuts offers them, too.
Last edited by randomparent; 01-27-2015 at 12:30 PM..
Let me say that I have never had a cup of coffee in my life, BUT I spend too much time and too much money at Starbucks, mostly on tea drinks, but on occasional sweets or sandwiches.
So why can you walk 3 blocks from nearly anywhere in Manhattan and find a Starbucks?
Why not get addicted to any of the cheaper options, instead of the ridiculous Starbucks prices?
Why pay nearly the price of a gallon of milk or two gallons of gas for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, when you have so many options to shop for coffee drinks at a fraction of the cost, and put up with usually ridiculously long lines and the restroom lines are longer than the service lines?
I am stumped. I don't even know why I go, yet I do.
WHY, WHY, WHY?
I don't know, but it's gross and bitter! Gimme a Timmy's or McD's coffee any day.
The QuikTrip chain of convenience stores here has awesome coffee. QT in general is pretty sweet.
It's probably similar to QuikChek. They have decent sandwiches and other items, too. The 7-11s can vary--in my former town, 7-11 was the best coffee in town. At the one where I live now, it's OK--still better than Starbucks, but hit or miss sometimes.
I don't know, but it's gross and bitter! Gimme a Timmy's or McD's coffee any day.
I have heard several times before that McDonald's has good coffee. I have rarely been to a McDonald's, mostly because I grew up in a town with a Burger King and now that I'm an adult I don't eat that kind of stuff anymore, but there is one not far from me that I pass all the time. Maybe I'll do a drive-through run and get a cup of McD's coffee one day and try it!
I'm no fan of Starbucks as I made clear earlier in the thread, but I often see the cost of their coffee exaggerated this way. A tall coffee (12 oz.) runs $1.85 at Starbucks, ten cents less if you bring your own cup. A small Dunkin Donuts coffee runs $1.69. Yes, it's less expensive, but we're talking about a difference of $0.16. If you pick up a tall black coffee on your way to work every day, we're talking about all of $0.80 per week. If $.0.80 per week is the difference between making rent or being out on the street, you don't have enough slack in your budget for Dunkin Donuts either. And BTW, those $5.00 drinks at Starbucks are not coffee. They're caffeine-infused milkshakes, and Dunkin Donuts offers them, too.
Maybe the people in your area are coffee "sippers," but coffee "drinkers" in my area don't go to Starbucks to get a small—er, tall, unless they're modest middle-aged ladies or broke college kids. (They don't even advertise for tall or short, although their existence is known.) Most people buy grande (16oz) or get a medium at DD for about a quarter more than a small. If you have to downgrade the size of the average drink (grande/medium) to consider it "affordable," then it's not really affordable for the masses. Besides, I could still get a medium Coolatta and a bagel for less than $5.00, compared to spending $2.00 more on a grande Frappuccino and one pastry. (It helps that Dunkins' sizing is more generous in sizing than Starburks, which tends to run smallerapart from the venti.) I'm not the poster child for DD, (Honey Dew is good whenever I have the opportunity), but there certainly is a difference.
Maybe the people in your area are coffee "sippers," but coffee "drinkers" in my area don't go to Starbucks to get a small—er, tall, unless they're modest middle-aged ladies or broke college kids.
Well, la di da. I guess count me as a sipper, then. Honestly, though, if you're guzzling coffee at that rate, why not just buy yourself a coffee maker and save yourself a bundle?
So why can you walk 3 blocks from nearly anywhere in Manhattan and find a Starbucks?
I am stumped. I don't even know why I go, yet I do.
WHY, WHY, WHY?
Great marketing!!!
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