What's So Special About Starbucks?

[TEQUILAJOE]

I dont know, I dont drink coffee

[diopatra]

basta kape ok kahit saan....... maganda nga yung ambiance......

[bgates1]

it's more than just a coffee... it's for the social climber... :evil: sossy ka daw kasi pag starbucks ka nag coffee... ang pinoy nga naman...

when i was in the US, its just for a plain coffee and nothing else, unlike here it takes more than an hour in sipping out the coffee...hmmm,

tambayan ng mga pa-sossy... hehe :headsetsmiley:

[strong_cock]

Haven't you noticed how Starbucks has taken the place of Megamall, Enchanted Kingdom, and Jollibee? Today Starbucks spells gimmick. Suddenly everyone is mad about coffee, and is willing to spend a whooping hundred bucks for "one tall mocha frappe please!" or "I'll have one grande iced coffee please!".

 

Everyone claims it's different, it's something else, it's to die for. Instead of catching a nice flick at the cinema, the Filipinos' new idea of fun is to voluntarily park their buns at the café and ingurgitate all the caffeine they can.

 

No one knows exactly why Starbucks has become the hot spot, when what they serve is just foamed Blend 45 for crying out loud. Oh, try pointing this out to Starbucks fanatics  (i.e., the gulping likes of teeny-boppers and kikay girls), and you can expect getting attacked on how little you know about coffee.  Get ready with answers like "Duh!

Starbucks isn't just coffee! They're ground beans and processed chocolate and skimmed milk! What do you know about that?"

 

They have a point there, though, because even in the United States, when you talk coffee, Starbucks comes first.  Their ingredients are never questionable, and if I'm not mistaken, Starbucks is an established-since-year brand.  In short, Starbucks is the coffee authority. But it ends there. Starbucks is coffee, period.  Certainly not a gimmick place of some sort, not convincing enough as an alternative for the mall. This, I repeat, is the case in the United States.

 

But Starbucks invades Manila and here it becomes an obsession. As you may have already seen, the interiors of Starbucks cafes are all designed to create a distinct ambience.  Notice from the Italian-tiled flooring, to the cowboy-motif wall covering, to the fancy lamps, tables and chairs crafted like those only seen in home magazines.  Of course, who would miss the complicated bar counter, behind which all the grinders and blenders are displayed as if to remind you they really do process your cappuccino.

 

I mean who can resist frequenting a posh place like this? Instead of worrying about other important things the typical kikay teenager puts on her best dress, and with her kikay friends goes straight to Starbucks where she orders "one tall caramel frappe please!".  This takes time to prepare, which is fine.  She feels rewarded by the fact that the ethical cashier would shout her name across the room by the time her frappe is ready.  After she claims it, she heads for the self-service corner where she takes excessive pockets of extra sugar, extra cream, an inch thick of Starbucks tissue paper for souvenirs.  Then she sits by  the front window, hoping someone she knows would pass by and see her drinking expensive coffee. She takes remarkably small sips in order to prolong her stay, like a real smart-ass.

 

During the entire process, there is the obligatory flaunting of Nokia Cellphones Finland or China???), the occasional eruptions of "yeah" and "sure" here and there. You get the impression everyone in the room is from CRC.

 

Pathetic as it is, the Starbucks atmosphere is so contagious that it simply brings out the social climber in on e. You have to admit that the Philippine franchiser of Starbucks--whoever he is--deserves credit. He's certainly not stupid. He sees through us Filipinos, and definitely knows how to flatter us.

 

Mr. Starbucks is aware of the average Pinoy desire to be associated and considered  among the elite because well, in reality, the average Pinoy is far from being that.

 

The average Pinoy home is less attractive than a place like Starbucks.  The average Pinoy meal is without garnishes.  The average Pinoy environment is less comforting and convenient than the service of Starbucks.

 

But when in Starbucks, the average Pinoy is instantly made to feel he's in New ork, or Las Vegas, or Paris, or anywhere else but Manila--one probable reason why we Filipinos buy this flick.  We are total suckers for a nything that is western in concept. But Starbucks has gone beyond colonial mentality; it has become pure escapism. It helps us forget about the EDSA traffic jam, the hostages in Mindanao, and the decreasing popularity of Erap.  In this age of harsh realities of poverty and chaos, anything that offers oblivion and temporary indulgence sells fast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

a novel about starbucks. lol

[quality_checked]

its the most conveniet coffee hang-out to find since they have alot of branches all over. it's also nice to sit and people watch!

[discountorder]

tinanong ko na yan dati eh,

ano nga ba espesyal sa istarboks,

cguro kasi yung mga mahilig pumunta dun

talagang mahilig sa kape

o kaya mahilig makakita ng nagkakape

o kaya mahilig makakita ng mga sosyal na nagkakape,

o kaya gustong magpasosyal kaya nagkakape

o kaya gustong makakita ng magagandang chiching o chong

na nagkakape...

iba ibang dahilan...

basta kung ano man ang dahilan mo ok yan basta may

pambayad ka :cool:

[Bloveld]

I like instant

[ayrton]

I like instant

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

starbucks + instant? parang di ko yata ma-connect...

[fortune_cookie]

Businesses thrive if they serve legitimate needs of their target market. Obviously, starbucks is doing so well in serving certain needs. What's interesting in starbucks' case is that it is able to satisfy different needs of various people. For me, these needs are being served well by starbucks:

 

1. a nice place to meet and chat with friends (better than most restaurants and bars for this purpose)

 

2. fulfills a sense of belonging to one's aspirational group (this is a legitimate need, and all of us do try to satisfy this need through different ways.)

 

3. people-watching (similar to bars)

 

4. to buy coffee / food

 

5. to use the restroom (at least for me! and i don't even bother dropping by the counter! )

[exciting_night_owl]

it's the taste and the status that it gives you.

[chicboy143]

Their coffee and the crowd.

[joycelim]

d naman ganoon ka sarap un coffee nila, pero masarap panoorin ang crowd doon

[wolfpak]

not much of a coffee drinker. i think people go there for the crowd????

[Huge_Bird]

CONVENIENT. I think that summarizes it. Many of us would prefer Figaro, but since it closes earlier, Starbucks na lang. Although, if Caramel Coffee Jelly would be available, I would choose Starbucks over Figaro.

[s3cr3tiv3]

ambience, soft music, smell of freshly ground coffee... i guess these would be valid reasons why starbucks has been (and still is) such a phenomenon in the country...