Coffee

We were looking for a new coffee maker to make espresso. We were really close to pulling the trigger on a $600 entry level machine. Why I don't know but we found this little delonghi and it does great. Slap in some lavazza, gasp, pre gound coffee and boom it makes nice shots. The $50 machine serves us right.
 

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Van Johnston said:
I think if you define the market as those who go into a store to buy a cup of coffee just for the coffee (I.e. not accompanying a meal, or a meeting), you are correct.

If you define the market as everyone who drinks coffee, then the SB share is probably a minority.

If you define the market to be the whole US population of coffee drinking age, the SB minority is even smaller.

No numbers to back that up, but that’s my supposition/assertion.
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The market is 'coffee shops'. Stores whose main line of business is to sell coffee and tea based beverages, not gasoline, ice-cream or C-store items. I may have missed it, but I have never seen a 'Folgers' or 'Maxwell' coffee-shop. There are a couple of regional players like Peets and Caribou, but all of them are small fry compared with SB.
 
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weilke said:
The market is 'coffee shops'. Stores whose main line of business is to sell coffee and tea based beverages, not gasoline, ice-cream or C-store items. I may have missed it, but I have never seen a 'Folgers' or 'Maxwell' coffee-shop. There are a couple of regional players like Peets and Caribou, but all of them are small fry compared with SB.
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Around here we have Biggby, and they are all over town. They used to be called Beaner's, but someone got all butthurt over the name.
 
EdFred said:
Around here we have Biggby, and they are all over town. They used to be called Beaner's, but someone got all butthurt over the name.
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There is/was a Biggby on the way to Ormond Beach from where we live. We've visited a few times and make a point to visit when we go to Ormond (not much anymore). Pretty good coffee!
 
DaleB said:
Yeah, and we also used to pay less than a buck a gallon for gas. And the car I'm restoring sold for about $2500 new. I'm not a big fan either, but apparently what Starbucks charges for coffee is not out of line with what people are willing to pay, and pay frequently.
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No doubt. If we weren't willing to pay it, they wouldn't charge it. I think SB brought gourmet coffee into the mainstream. Probably millions of people had not had much other than grocery store or restaurant coffee (I grew up drinking Folgers and Maxwell House with my Mom!) until their community got a SB. Sure, there were independent and small chain shops in larger markets before, but nothing like SB.
 
EdFred said:
Around here we have Biggby, and they are all over town. They used to be called Beaner's, but someone got all butthurt over the name.
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230 franchised locations.

SBUX 9874 corporate owned, 7770 licensed locations (hotels, convention centers, Target stores etc.). By the time Biggby came around, SB had 1800 locations.

I am sure Biggby's sells perfectly good coffee which may even be 'better'* than SB, but they still fall under the 'small fry' I mentioned in my post.

As for the 'outrageous prices' SB charges for a cup of coffee, a brief look at a Biggbys menu suggests that their prices for espresso drinks are right around the same level. If there was a way to consistently make money on a $2.50 latte, there would be someone eating Starbucks lunch by doing it. Many enterpreneurs who thought 'you know, I could run a coffee shop', have learned the hard way that the business combines the low margins of grocery with the personnel headaches of a restaurant all in one.




* 'Better' is difficult to nail down when it comes to things defined by personal taste.
 
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Ryanb said:
Happened to go by Starbucks today and for whatever reason decided to stop in and get a coffee. I ordered a medium roast and when I took a sip I almost spit it out. It was the most bitter tasting beverage I’ve ever had.
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Starbucks specializes in bitter. LOL. Horrible stuff. The rest of their drinks are all about milk or soy and piles of sugar.

About the only thing I’ll get there is the largest iced coffee with soy milk and two splendas. That’s tolerable on a hot day.

SoonerAviator said:
I take it you don’t like Porters/stouts as far as beer goes . . .
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And porters with coffee IN them. Delicious.

For hot coffee at Starbucks their original Pikes Place blend is about the only one I like there, and it’s not too hard to see why that blend out them on the map when they were small. It’s excellent. Most stores have some brewed or will make some anytime. It’s also a nice roast to have at home.

But I’m just not a coffee snob. I love the flavor of almost all “bad” coffees like Folgers and such. Always have. Even as a kid. Will willingly admit to a nice caffeine addiction also, but I honestly like the flavor. I can “do” decaf and not hate it, and probably should more often.

Many folks above do it right. Fresh beans, grind yourself, water at exact temp, the big beaker that looks like a science experiment... if you meet someone who takes that much time to make a cup, have some. It’ll be totally different to most coffee you’ll find anywhere else.

Especially Starbucks. Burnt and bitter is their thing. Except for Park Place Roast. Give that a try.
 
weilke said:
Depending on who you believe and how you slice the market, starbucks market share is 40% to 60% and they are the largest coffee shop chain in the country. Dunkin and McDonalds also sell coffee, but it's an add-on product with the bulk of their revenue from food sales. Given that SB dominates that marker, I don't know where you get the 'small minority' part from.
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Not all Starbucks customers are in that "small and vocal minority". There are plenty of SB customers that aren't coffee snobs and just get SB because it's convenient. There is a much smaller minority of people who think Starbucks is the best thing ever and preach about it.
 
denverpilot said:
Starbucks specializes in bitter. LOL. Horrible stuff. The rest of their drinks are all about milk or soy and piles of sugar.

About the only thing I’ll get there is the largest iced coffee with soy milk and two splendas. That’s tolerable on a hot day.



And porters with coffee IN them. Delicious.

For hot coffee at Starbucks their original Pikes Place blend is about the only one I like there, and it’s not too hard to see why that blend out them on the map when they were small. It’s excellent. Most stores have some brewed or will make some anytime. It’s also a nice roast to have at home.

But I’m just not a coffee snob. I love the flavor of almost all “bad” coffees like Folgers and such. Always have. Even as a kid. Will willingly admit to a nice caffeine addiction also, but I honestly like the flavor. I can “do” decaf and not hate it, and probably should more often.

Many folks above do it right. Fresh beans, grind yourself, water at exact temp, the big beaker that looks like a science experiment... if you meet someone who takes that much time to make a cup, have some. It’ll be totally different to most coffee you’ll find anywhere else.

Especially Starbucks. Burnt and bitter is their thing. Except for Park Place Roast. Give that a try.
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Agree about the Pike Place blend- I find it good, and the rest of their coffee is both bitter and more expensive.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Not all Starbucks customers are in that "small and vocal minority". There are plenty of SB customers that aren't coffee snobs and just get SB because it's convenient. There is a much smaller minority of people who think Starbucks is the best thing ever and preach about it.
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Kinda like apple? :D
 
We have a small chain of coffee shops in my area known as “Shadrachs”.(maybe I spelled that correctly) but they do very well at both hot and cold coffees of various flavors. They also make a great brew of black coffee. Anytime I’m in town they are my first choice. If traveling however I am not at all opposed to a cup of SB coffee, I would actually prefer it above many other coffee shops.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Not all Starbucks customers are in that "small and vocal minority". There are plenty of SB customers that aren't coffee snobs and just get SB because it's convenient.
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Yep - you'll find a Starbucks at almost every airport. A black cup of Pike is about two bucks depending on where I am. That same cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts? About two bucks. Au Bon Pain? About two bucks. So it's all pretty much the same for a regular black coffee. I can get cheap and get a cup from McDonalds for about a dollar, but at that point I might as well drink the free garbage the FAs give me. :)
 
Lachlan said:
The only coffee company that puts more badness in their coffee than Starbucks is Dazbog. I thought Starbucks was bad, but Dazbog is just punishment. :)
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Oh lord. Most people haven’t been subjected to that swill so I don’t mention it, but if you have, you know. And I agree. Horrid.
 
EdFred said:
well, weak minds are easily brainwashed.
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