Yeah, it's weird how nobody mentions Starbucks these days. I guess it's just natural for brands to eventually slide out of the public eye, like Burger Chef and Shinola and Burma-Shave. What they really need is to redesign something to get people talking... like add a 3rd tail to the logo mermaid!
@RedHot This has been up for hours, and no one yet has referred to it as a "brew-haha" or a "Trumped-up story" for publicity. I'm disappointed in all of you Meh'rican pun-dits who are slacking off.
@Starblind Is Burger Chef a thing? I seriously can't remember. I have them mixed up with Burger King and I couldn't tell you where the nearest of either is/was.
A critically important step in understanding our own desires and tastes is to realize that we cannot always explain what we want, deep down. If I asked all of you, for example, in this room, what you want in a coffee, you know what you'd say? Every one of you would say, "I want a dark, rich, hearty roast." It's what people always say when you ask them. "What do you like?" "Dark, rich, hearty roast!" What percentage of you actually like a dark, rich, hearty roast? According to Howard, somewhere between 25 and 27 percent of you. Most of you like milky, weak coffee.
(Laughter)
But you will never, ever say to someone who asks you what you want that "I want a milky, weak coffee."
@MehnofLaMehncha Once upon a time I lived in Sicily. Coffee as served there is only nominally the same beverage as here. Even the fancy machines here don't produce the same consistency. Heavy, oily, and with a very serious kick. Maybe it's time to take a trip to see if I'm remembering right. Hit the Christmas markets, eat some roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. Yeah, that'll cure me of SBUX for good.
@OldCatLady I actually liked German coffee when I lived over there. Horrible stuff. But it was the whole experience of getting it at a bakery, not a cafe.
@uwacn Not exactly. They've always had rather shit coffee, and way back in the day readily admitted to intentionally burning their beans. What they have is a proliferation of stores and a strong brand. So long as the love for them outweighs the bit if hate, they could care less.
@uwacn They've still got a wide range of coffees, and one near me has all the plain coffees listed on a chalkboard with descriptions of the flavors and where it's from.
Cuz we don't grow a lot of coffee here in the Lower 48.
So to sell swanky coffee, you need logistics.
And odds are, you're taking someone else's word that they got good beans.
One of the things the CIA tells all operators in training is that the most consistent cup of coffee on the planet is McDonalds. Tastes the same everywhere.
I have mixed feelings about Starbucks. On the one hand, there's something very plastic tasting in all their flavored drinks. I'll try a seasonal whatever every other year, and always regret it. Tastes like they burned the tub that Cool-Whip comes in.
On the other hand, their plain iced Joe and their americanos are super reliable. Always tastes the same. Not the greatest, but never the worst. Reliable.
So I don't get the hatred. They never ran anyone out of business, and they're better than half of the alternatives.
Yeah, it's weird how nobody mentions Starbucks these days. I guess it's just natural for brands to eventually slide out of the public eye, like Burger Chef and Shinola and Burma-Shave. What they really need is to redesign something to get people talking... like add a 3rd tail to the logo mermaid!
@Starblind Excuse you, Starbucks lack of love for Jesus is one of my future president's primary concerns.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/09/politics/donald-trump-starbucks-boycott-christmas/index.html
@Starblind Maybe if they made a holiday cup that was ultra-minimalist, so they can show how modern and non-offensive they can be....
@lumpthar i'm thinking they should switch to styrofoam cups. that way, they can piss off the fundamentalists AND the environmentalists all at once.
@RedHot This has been up for hours, and no one yet has referred to it as a "brew-haha" or a "Trumped-up story" for publicity. I'm disappointed in all of you Meh'rican pun-dits who are slacking off.
@Starblind
Is Burger Chef a thing? I seriously can't remember. I have them mixed up with Burger King and I couldn't tell you where the nearest of either is/was.
@MehnofLaMehncha They were, in Florida @ 1968. My ex used to manage one
@MehnofLaMehncha Yes! You just made me flashback to Burger Chef! Thanks for the rush...
Do they still have frankenfrappaccinos? That was a holiday drink.
@sammydog01 Ewww. Those were revolting last year. This year's Frappula was the bomb.
@koalamoo I liked them. You can tell I'm not a coffee purist.
i refuse to drink starbucks because their red cups should be purple. am i right @Barney?
@carl669 That must be why I don't drink coffee.
@Barney That or the fact that it doesn't taste good.
@ceagee
A critically important step in understanding our own desires and tastes is to realize that we cannot always explain what we want, deep down. If I asked all of you, for example, in this room, what you want in a coffee, you know what you'd say? Every one of you would say, "I want a dark, rich, hearty roast." It's what people always say when you ask them. "What do you like?" "Dark, rich, hearty roast!" What percentage of you actually like a dark, rich, hearty roast? According to Howard, somewhere between 25 and 27 percent of you. Most of you like milky, weak coffee.
(Laughter)
But you will never, ever say to someone who asks you what you want that "I want a milky, weak coffee."
http://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce/transcript?language=en
@MehnofLaMehncha Once upon a time I lived in Sicily. Coffee as served there is only nominally the same beverage as here. Even the fancy machines here don't produce the same consistency. Heavy, oily, and with a very serious kick. Maybe it's time to take a trip to see if I'm remembering right. Hit the Christmas markets, eat some roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. Yeah, that'll cure me of SBUX for good.
@OldCatLady
I actually liked German coffee when I lived over there. Horrible stuff. But it was the whole experience of getting it at a bakery, not a cafe.
@MehnofLaMehncha Mit schlag?
Starbucks used to have good coffee (plus they used to sell decent decaf too). Now it's all fappuchino and pumpkin spice gimmics. Screw that.
@uwacn Not exactly. They've always had rather shit coffee, and way back in the day readily admitted to intentionally burning their beans.
What they have is a proliferation of stores and a strong brand. So long as the love for them outweighs the bit if hate, they could care less.
@uwacn ...Fappuccino? I don't want to know what kind of cream they're putting in those.
@cutroil you already know, though... you already know.
@uwacn They've still got a wide range of coffees, and one near me has all the plain coffees listed on a chalkboard with descriptions of the flavors and where it's from.
@jaremelz
See TED link above
@carl669 @Starblind @lumpthar I'll just leave this here...
Maybe because starfucks is crappola in a cup.
Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks
@Cerridwyn
@boc
@boc And Oh, the first time I saw that was years and years ago from a small independent shop in Cambria California. Had it on my car, 2 cars ago!
What exactly is an independent coffee shop?
Cuz we don't grow a lot of coffee here in the Lower 48.
So to sell swanky coffee, you need logistics.
And odds are, you're taking someone else's word that they got good beans.
One of the things the CIA tells all operators in training is that the most consistent cup of coffee on the planet is McDonalds. Tastes the same everywhere.
I have mixed feelings about Starbucks. On the one hand, there's something very plastic tasting in all their flavored drinks. I'll try a seasonal whatever every other year, and always regret it. Tastes like they burned the tub that Cool-Whip comes in.
On the other hand, their plain iced Joe and their americanos are super reliable. Always tastes the same. Not the greatest, but never the worst. Reliable.
So I don't get the hatred. They never ran anyone out of business, and they're better than half of the alternatives.
@oldcatlady it goes 'till 11/16/15 if you are a Starbucks rewards member
@connorbush and we get an extra hour at night, I think.
@Thumperchick @oldcatlady
Misread that. Thought rewards members got an extra hour of daylight, like some DST thing
@MehnofLaMehncha just FEELS like it when you drink as many shots of espresso a day as i do. :)