It was about time I started a new thread....

Well, it looks like once again an "imported" American chain is going to establish itself in the center of Madrid pretty soon. I passed the Palace Hotel last evening and saw that a Starbucks Coffe place is about to be opened there. Right between Vips and Planet Hollywood, in what once was the glorious Galeria del Prado.
Is it any good? 'Cause I live right next to it.

[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hi Pim, I'm not sure if the first thread I read here more than one year ago was tittled café con leche and later there was another one called Starbucks, people didn't talk very well about it.
Personally I like very much the cafés but when they are not chain looking, like Ital café and so on, I like the cafés around Opera, café Barbieri in Lavapies and so on. I still haven't go to café Gijón.

Interested (and angry) members should read the " How's the Coffee??? " where we all lament about he possibility of Starbucks opening a coffeehouse in Spain and how the Spaniards will receive them.

(There's also the " Cafe Con Leche- Help! " thread which Miguelito mentioned)

pim, I'd say the Starbucks coffee is an "acquired taste", but I don't really care for it... although I have been known to go to their coffee houses just to relax and read the paper -- at the price of an overpriced cup of "burnt" coffee.

I can't say I'm very happy to hear the news that Starbucks is invading my favorite city on the planet. But thanks for telling us, pim!

Saludos, MadridMan

How on earth can Starbucks last more than about 5 mins in a city with hundreds,possibly thousands,of places so much better its embarrassing?

I´d be curious to find out what they will charge for a cup of coffee since they are so outrageously overpriced in the USA.

What's next Buca Di Beppo or the Olive Garden in Rome? Ugh....

Evil Capitalism!
Yet another American globalised company invading foreign shores and trying to corrupt foreign culture. It is a sorry sight when travelling that you stumble across so many McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks etc. I certainly stay well away from them. If I wanted American culture I would go to America. All I can say is boycott them. If people do not go to them then how can they make money to broaden their stake in the world?

Calm down, calm down everyone. Don't be so hard on "American capitalism overseas invasion"; always keep in mind that the owners of these businesses are most likely to be Spaniards (or Italians, French, or whatever....) who have approached these chains, looking for their expertise in the hopes that their road to commercial success is less risky.
So, at least in my view, and realisticly speaking, if anything, it's a "friendly invasion".

You may be right but what I find ridiculous is something that I saw in Cordoba. All over the city you will see street signs pointing various sites in the city like the direction of the train station, the museum, the city hall, perhaps some famous restaurant, and, believe or not, to McDonalds. Yes, folks, these are official, city-installed signs pointing you to where nearest Big Mac can be found. I found that to be a bit much. How can a Mickey D be in the same league as all these other historical sights. Has McD actually bribed the city to install these official signs?

I assure all of you Europeans out there that haven't been to a Starbucks that you aren't missing anything.

They are known for their tactics here in the U.S. of going and opening up so many shops in a given area that they drown out the competition(hence the Onion.com joke about opening one in the bathroom of an existing Starbucks) - because Starbucks can afford to lose money on the short term, and then scaling back.

Lets hope that Europeans will enjoy the wonderful and cheap coffee they already have, not to mention the wonderfully diverse cafe culture that already exists, and will steer clear of the Starbucks.

Sip down those cafes con leche while you still can!

BK