Topic: YANKEE (Coffee shops) GO HOME!!!

[troppo]

I like strong coffee. Do you know those "BUM" coffee makers? Do you know how much ground coffee is needed to make a full jar? In Spain, the same amount of ground coffee will be used to make two cups. Obviously, it will be much stronger, then it is mixed with milk -caffe-latte-, just a single hint of milk, or espresso.


I don't like Starbucks' coffee, and the price is outrageous. When I was in the States I went quite often because there was no other place to have a good coffee. Here in Spain you can have a good expresso anywhere for 1.20 euro. Starbucks here costs 3 euro, and you get a paper cup, a wood stirrer and nothing else. For 1.20 you get a china cup, a steel spoon.  It definitely tastes different. You don't drink a good wine in a paper cup, do you?

Starbucks in Spain has become the place for the trendy, non-price-conscious young people who like to spend some time there performing "cultural" activities such as surfing the web with their i-books or reading. Not surprisingly, the one that has the more customers is the one that sits in the gay neighbourhood of Madrid...

As far as i can tell, the big draw with these places isnt product, its placement..
Its not "I got coffee" its "I got starbucks" you got to be in the right shops and buying the right thing to be part of the "in" crowd..
Forget taste, you eaten at mcdonalds lately? All the fast food places whether food or drink are the same, crap with a huge advertising budget, make a name big enough and they will come........
Try going to a real coffee shop, you will find these places are so much better than any of the franchise operations, they are there for profit not passion, and passion is what makes for good food and drink.

[Uncle Ernie]

Troppo- you are right.
I still remember a day at Farley's in San Francisco;  Somebody (nooby) asked if he could get a latte with skim milk.  Instantly- it was like somebody cut the sound off as avery head slowly turned to see where that noise came from.  Dead silence for a full...long...second... until the woman behind the counter sort of half-smiled/half-sneered and said, "No."
At Peets in Berkeley, the coffee was so thick a cub was an option.

Now that I'm poor- I bring my own coffee.  I'm afraid to take chances on junk.

[cleveland]

.......  Strong coffee is a daily foundation for a lot of guys in retail sales.  Half way thought the day when I am exhausted, a cup of strong coffee keeps me going.

I recently read a very interesting book about sleep, and it neatly shows, that what humans need is not coffe, red bull, or whatever else, but just plain good 'ol sleep. And plenty of it... I really agree with it, only sometimes there's this and that to be done to the bike... y'know....   

You are absolutely correct!  You want to hear something funny?  I work for a specialty sleep shop.   

Starbucks in Spain has become the place for the trendy, non-price-conscious young people who like to spend some time there performing "cultural" activities such as surfing the web with their i-books or reading. Not surprisingly, the one that has the more customers is the one that sits in the gay neighbourhood of Madrid...

You live in Madrid?  LOL!!!  Sorry, couldn't resist.    Your right about the culture aspect.  A lot of people around here consider them non-alcoholic bars. 

[BobbyR]

Living where I live, Starbucks is all around me. I bought one cup a few years ago and that was it. When I do my 26 hr driving trips, I hit Waffle House every 2 hours. You get about a 1/2 gallon of Trucker brew for 2 bucks and you are good to go.

[bender01]

My wife is the manager at a Starbucks here on Hilton Head. That company has nothing but helped our family. The health care and benefits alone are far superior to lots of jobs. As far as the store closings ,well they got too ambitous I think. The only one in this area ive heard @ possibly closing is in a mall somewhere. Stores dont want shoppers spilling coffee on their clothes anyway. The boss let other people run his company and well now hes back. Cleaning house too!! In short I need them to stock my shed with tools and 4-pipers.

[heffay]

in this economy who can afford a $3 coffee?

but...its...so....delicious

recently got back from vegas where i rented a spa suite at the NYNY for the girl and i... i cursed them every morning for not having complimentary coffee pot in the room (only in the uberUBERexpensive rooms)... we went to starbucks the first morning because it was all we could find.  it was only my 3rd trip into a starbucks of any kind.

anyway, i paid over 10 dollars for 2 iced coffees!  here's what i have to say to starbucks... SUCK IT, GO AWAY, AND I MAKE BETTER COFFEE THAN YOU!

[Donzon]

i had a starbucks coffee once asnd i was wondering if i should use it to fill in pot holes on the highway,that stuff is awefull strong...never again,ill stick with tim hortons coffee

Heh Heh, same here!  It was the only coffee I've ever bought that I didn't finish, and I drink a LOT of coffee!  Timmies rules 

Don

[dusterdude]

the only good drink ive had at starbucks was some kind of iced deal that had whipped cream on top.one of my ex gf`s drank it.

[martino1972]

the best cup of coffee is my first cup of the day..
instant coffee with a little sugar and milk,and then i take the chocolate syrup from my son and put a good shot of that in my coffee....smoke 2 cigarrettes while drinking that,meanwhile checking the 20+ emails from sohc...and im set for the day....(i have a pc in the shop,so dont worry,i dont smoke around my kid..)

[rhos1355]

I've been reading with curiosity the reactions to this thread, and I remembered something a friend of mine said after I'd disparaged these mega corporate food outlets (I think it was specifically macdonalds we were discussing). Consider this;
you're in an unknown land, say the arse end of siberia, and you're dying for a bite and a coffee, where you gonna go? who you gonna trust? Then you see the golden arches and I'd bet my bottom dollar that you're gonna go right there to feed your hunger pangs. Even tho' you wouldn't dare set foot in one of them back home. you know exactly what you're gonna get, and you know that it's a fair wager it'll be standard quality and therefore safe to eat/drink. besides, if it isn't you can sue the arse off them.
So, in some situations, these companies are useful to everyone.

[Uncle Ernie]

Never had their coffee, but hose Double Shots in a little can I'm addicted to.  Love them very much.

I would love to work for them, too.  I seem to be unemployable.

[Mr Johann Vegas]

i had a starbucks coffee once asnd i was wondering if i should use it to fill in pot holes on the highway,that stuff is awefull strong...never again,ill stick with tim hortons coffee

Heh Heh, same here!  It was the only coffee I've ever bought that I didn't finish, and I drink a LOT of coffee!  Timmies rules 

Don

One of the handful of reasons I am truly glad I moved to the midwest: Tim Horton's.  Every time I have been in one, I couldn't help but drink at least 2 cups and don't get me started on the "Canadian Creme" donuts.  Whew.

[Skonnie Boy]

.......  Strong coffee is a daily foundation for a lot of guys in retail sales.  Half way thought the day when I am exhausted, a cup of strong coffee keeps me going.

I recently read a very interesting book about sleep, and it neatly shows, that what humans need is not coffe, red bull, or whatever else, but just plain good 'ol sleep. And plenty of it... I really agree with it, only sometimes there's this and that to be done to the bike... y'know....   

Sleep is when the Enemies of Freedom get you.  I try to sleep as little as possible in order to minimize moments of vulnerability.  Seems to work well.

Snakes snakes everywhere oh man all these bugs snakes snakes where are they coming from oh man more snakes, dammit get them off me.

[Spikeybike]

what i'm wondering is how does one "rock like a monkey with a wire mother"



and....
i absolutely hate starbucks .. and i love coffee     now that international delight creamer, thats another story , i'm shocked it hasn't showed up in this thread yet. i'm so hopelessly hooked on that stuff .   mmmmmmmmmmmmmm french vanilla mixed with hazelnut   sooo good

[martino1972]

signs you drink too much coffee
- You answer the door before people knock.
- Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.
- You ski uphill.
- You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
- You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.
- You lick your coffeepot clean.
- You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.
- Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
- You chew on other people's fingernails.
- Your T-shirt says, "Decaffeinated coffee is the devil's blend."
- You can type sixty words per minute ... with your feet.
- You can jump-start your car without cables.
- Cocaine is a downer.
- You don't need a hammer to pound nails.
- Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low."
- You don't sweat, you percolate.
- You buy 1/2 & 1/2 by the barrel.
- You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.
- You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.
- You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in.
- You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.
- Charles Manson thinks you need to calm down.
- You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.
- People get dizzy just watching you.
- You've worn the finish off your coffee table.
- The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.
- Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
- Your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.
- Instant coffee takes too long.
- When someone says. "How are you?", you say, "Good to the last drop."
- You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.
- Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil.
- You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.
- You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.
- You can thread a sewing machine, while it's running.
- You can outlast the Energizer bunny.
- You short out motion detectors.
- You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.
- Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.
- You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.
- You don't tan, you roast.
- You can't even remember your second cup.
- You help your dog chase its tail.

[Bob Wessner]

That pretty much sums me up except I don't use half-and-half.

[Skonnie Boy]

what i'm wondering is how does one "rock like a monkey with a wire mother"


Wire mother reference explained.  Don't worry, its a metaphorical joke, not a literal one.

Good riddens to all the Starbucks.  I'd rather spend a dollar more and wait 5 more minutes for locally brewed coffee.  Talk about overextending your market presence.  The appeal was that each  location was like your living room, an place of intimacy and relaxation with great coffee.  Turns out most cafes already had that going for them.  Kudos to all the coffeeshops who outlived their local Starbucks.

[Uncle Ernie]

Can't watch that video.
I hate humans for the things they do to animals.

[754]

Heffay, please explain, how you went from would have been happy making coffee in the room to 10.00 a pair iced coffees

What was wrong with the 4.00 a pair (or less coffees) ??

[Spikeybike]

Can't watch that video.
I hate humans for the things they do to animals.

oh man that is just  fu*ked up ... so wrong.    and for what? to figure out something we ALL already know

[754]

I am amazed at how many slam Starbux after one try..

 I sure did not enjoy beer at first, but I did somehow manage to get used to it..

[martino1972]

[Skonnie Boy]

Coffee decisions shouldn't be made while uncaffeinated.

[Terry in Australia]

I am amazed at how many slam Starbux after one try..

 I sure did not enjoy beer at first, but I did somehow manage to get used to it..

I electrocuted myself once Frank, I was washing down a kitchen wall in an army house I was vacating on posting, and knocked some water into a power point, and the god of electricity picked me up and threw me across the kitchen with such force I bounced off the opposite wall, and was unconscious for a few minutes. I didn't like it much, but by your reasoning, maybe I didn't give electrocution a chance and I'm "slamming" it, unfairly?

On the other hand, I can understand not enjoying Canadian beer, ha ha!

[Raul CB750K1]

I electrocuted myself once Frank, I was washing down a kitchen wall in an army house I was vacating on posting, and knocked some water into a power point, and the god of electricity picked me up and threw me across the kitchen with such force I bounced off the opposite wall, and was unconscious for a few minutes.

i guess it explains a thing or two about your behaviour...... 


Where have you been? The forum is not the same without you -for the better or the worse-