I admit it. I like Starbucks. But after seeing that there will be a Starbucks in the Forbidden City in China I am troubled that someday I will walk into Plaza Mayor and see a Starbucks. Has anyone seen a Starbucks in Spain? If they haven't made it there yet, I say we "mobilize" to keep them out!

Alejandro,

Do not worry. Starbucks is not going to make it in Madrid. My daughter was a Starbuck fanatic until she started drinking cafe con leche and she said it is a lot cheaper than Starbucks.

Cafe con leche makes Starbucks taste like too old instant nescafe (not that I've tasted that but...) In reality - Hard Rock Cafes are world-wide (including Madrid) as are McDonalds - so Starbucks will probably give Madrid a shot .... No slur/slams intended - but the teenagers (and the kind of tourists that cause you to deny your association with the same country) are the ones that most likely would support a Starbucks. Just like with Hard Rock - it's an American gimmick with a ton of marketing expertize behind it.

Hi.

I live in Boulder, Colorado and we get a satirical newspaper here called the Onion. Anyway, there was a headline a couple of months ago that read: "Starbucks Opened in Bathroom of Already Existing Starbucks."

That pretty much says it all, no?

I have not seen any Starbucks in Europe, in fact I did not know it before coming to the US. American style places seem to become more popular, though, not only McDonalds, but also quite expensive Bagel places (I have not seen one of those in Spain, though).
Apart from McDonalds, there are a few Dunkin' Donuts in Madrid, and some Spanish chains of places for coffee and tea, although the large majority of cafes/bars are still independent ones. It is possible that a Starbucks in Madrid might attract enough young people and tourists. However, certainly not if they charge prices as high as in the US. Teenagers will hardly have that much money. I am not really sure whether it would be profitable.
I guess in any case they would not brew exactly the same coffee than here if they opened a Starbucks in Spain, the Spanish coffee tastes so much better.

Kimberley,

The Onion is awesome! I don't read it regularly but it is so funny! I remember hearing the slogan a Starbucks on Every Corner. There are two within five minutes of where I live.

Connie: I saw Starbucks lots of places in London, but that isn't too surprising.

I am all for capitalism and expansion, but I despise the idea of a chain company running into the ground local businesses that express a locale's culture. Not exactly the same, but a local Austin coffee shop put a big sign up asking Austinites why they were supporting Seatle!

Starbucks doesn't hold a candle to cafe con leche!

Kimberley,
Wisconsin is the only place besides Colorado(Madison and Milwaukee) that the Onion is published and distributed. It is the most popular paper on campus and I just tried to send my brother a couple copies in Spain(although he never received the package). I saw that article and it was hilarious.

Starbucks coffee is horrible in comparison to cafe con leche. We have one not even a block away and I was so sad that they can't even make anything similar to it. All of their stuff tastes bitter or burnt. Cafe con leche is strong but sooo smooth to drink. I've never had any coffee like it.

Jaime, I totally get it about the bitter or burnt coffee at Starbucks...Every time i try to get something I like, it ends up very dissapointing. Here in S.D. they have 3 of them within a 1/2 mile radius...need I say more about running "ma and pa" out of business...just another example of the homogenization of America!

Yeah. I can't stand it either. They roast the beans waaaaay too long. blech. I like my coffe strong, but not strong and bitter.
That is the trick with spanish coffee.

WHen I came back to the States, I tried drinking capuccino's but they don't have that smooth flavor of a Spanish cafe con leche.

P.S. You can read an internet version of The Onion! It is hilarious.

Sorry, you might call me ignorant, but i trully don't know what Starbucks is. Is it like a coffee place or what?
It seems you have a lot of Starbucks in the U.S., but we have none here in Brazil.

Opening a Starbucks in Spain seems to me like an American firm opening a school there to teach Spanish to Spaniards.
Cantabene

We recently got our first Starbucks here in Columbus, Ohio, USA a couple months ago. While I haven't tried it here, I did try it in Seattle, Washington in the early 1990s. It was okay, but nothing special.

No, I can't imagine a Starbucks coffee/café anywhere in Spain. Coffee is so sacred in Spain that I can't imagine the government would even allow a franchise to open there. Plus, as connie said, Spanish coffee is so good that I doubt a Starbucks would survive very long with their current 'American' recipe. I'm sure even Starbucks knows this.

FYI: The Onion newspaper online is, um, TheOnion.com

Saludos, MadridMan

Ana,

Starbucks is a nationwide (and international) chain of coffee bars. It originated in Seatle, Washington and spread quickly. They offer "gourmet" coffee and lots of espresso drinks. Prices range from $2.00-$5.00 per drink.

thanks alejandro, i've seen some information at Starbucks's site

The funny thing about Starbucks opening in Spain is the they will serve "Spanish style" coffee, so they better make it cheaper than in USA because there are other places "Jamaica", "Gua-Gua" that are very good coffee shops.

I think there's some hope that Spain won't become the chain disaster that is the US. When I was in Sevilla in 1994-95, a brand new giant Virgin Megastore opened on central Calle Sierpes. It was always crowded. But three years later, I went back and it was closed. It seems that the people still bought their discos at Sevilla Rock even though they browsed but didn't buy at Virgin. I think (hope, pray) that Starbucks would generate a similar reaction.

I hope that you are right that Spaniards would not support Starbucks. American coffee in general is nothing to et excited about. I think they put something in Starbucks coffee to make people so addicted. When I have it, infrequently, it makes me feel really edgy (and how is it that it always tastes burned?) What is most disturbing is how there is always a line. There must be hundreds of them here in NY (in some places you can stand in front of one and see another one down the street, but there always seem to be 10 or 20 people waiting patiently for their overpriced coffee (a small regular crappy burned coffee is almost 2 dollars). Oh it makes me shiver.

WHO are we kidding here?! Of course they're going to Spain. It may be known as Mc Burgerbucksbox, but it'll be there!....Rev, Mike

GOD< I just remembered why!! In 76 during my most recent pass through Paris, I recall seeing this four person obviously American ( funny how you can tell huh?) family coming from the opposite direction and as they came alongside I heard the youngest , the boy, call out, "oh goody, there's a McDonalds, now we can eat!!"..and they did!! The point...people get hooked!! The human's psyche is an extremely feeble entity at large in a jungle of corporate demons, and our sweat and blood is feeding them!! never mind ,..soon we'll fly MONSANTO AIR, drive SHELLEXON-MOBILTEXACO, and watch WARNERDISNEYTIMEPHILLIPMORRISMITSUBISHIHITACHISONYGRUNDIG vcr's.....MadridMan, how do I not say it?...Rev. Mike

I hope there is never a Starbucks in Spain. It's bad enouth you can't escape them here in North America and now they're opening all over Japan and China now! Why can't Americans just expand their cultureless homogenizing chains within their own borders and let the rest of the world be different??? We should have the right to travel without running into Americana everywhere we go!

Am I one of the few who noticed, during our year-end trip, that people in Madrid/Sevilla and elsewhere don't walk down the street with cups of coffe! We are jaded by all the coffee shops here in the States and the untold masses that "grab and go" coffee cups are tossed everywhere...maybe the 15 days we were in Spain they were out of to-go-cups? Because Starbucks opens so many new sites; did you here where they opened the latest store.......in the bathroom of an existing Starbucks.......

If Starbucks does open in Spain, like McDonald's, you will "often times" find a clean bathroom with toilet paper while traveling abroad. Just like home. Think about it...



[This message has been edited by Sofia (edited 01-21-2001).]

People in Spain usually don't eat and drink while they walk along the streets. I have seen it a couple of times but for the most part it is rare. As for why they don't walk around and drink coffee "on the run" has maybe partly to do with the fact that having a coffee is a social event, you go and sit and enjoy it and hang out with friends or coworkers or whoever might be there at the time. It is to be enjoyed, and not rushed.

Also Sofia, I went to a McDonald's in Sevilla (a visiting friend of mine insisted, otherwise I would have never set foot in there) and in the bathroom there was no toilet tissue and it was hardly clean.

Yeah, and I went to the one in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, and just like ilovemadrid says, there was no toilet paper and it wasn't clean. But, in a pinch many other McDonald's restaurants have had an american style bathroom. In keeping with the StarBucks bathroom chatter, I just couldn't resist.

If McDonalds can survive in Spain so can Starbucks unfortunately. The young people here I work with go to Burger King and Pizza Hut for lunch daily.

I myself go for the menu del día at one of the local places with a big cup of tinto.

------------------
Laurence Sigler Asterault
http://www.fly.net/~lsigler/
lsigler_1@yahoo.com

There are lots of cute cafes that are now chains in Spain-- or have several branches in one city. They are kinda starbucky in their own way, but people do go to HANG. Caffe di Roma is one; in Sevilla, Cafe de Indias is another (great place!!). Starbucks can keep their burned coffee. Yuck. I much prefer a real cafe con leche, largo de cafe.

I prefer cafe solo & cafe con hielo in summer. Also is good from time to time carajillo(with a little bit of alcohol), have you ever tried?
I'm very worried about these coffee chains like cafe de Roma, because I think they are a big competence for cafes like cafe Gijon or cafe Barbieri which have a lot of history behind. Please, look for alternative cafes.