Dublin is getting Starbucked...

jetsonx

Holy cow...Since Christmas Starbucks seem to be mushrooming everywhere in Dublin City Centre.

It just like a scene from the Simpsons where Starbucks takes over every street corner in Springfield.

Insipid coffee and equally insipid food...and I don't care for their faux trendy atmosphere either.

What do you think of the Starbucks invasion?

catallus

Coffee, please. In a cup, with a bit of cream and a cube of sugar.

nyarlothothep

I would support my local coffee shop just on principle, more opportunity to get an individual coffee, even if on the odd chance it tastes of sewerage. Starbuck's is just bland.

Bepolite

It's not Starbucks who couldn't make a profit in Ireland, it's an Irish company running the franchise.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Better coffee than most of the slurry available.

It really depends on your preference in coffees.

shruikan2553

catallus wrote: »

Coffee, please. In a cup, with a bit of cream and a cube of sugar.

You mean a grande cafe au creme et sucre

MadsL

Kannon Early Trial wrote: »

Better coffee than most of the slurry available.
.

Perhaps you should ask for coffee and not slurry then?

Riddle101

O'Briens Sandwich bar/café should have conquered the market over here but now with Starbucks being here, they've got a big competitor. Personally I have no problem with Starbucks. Firstly, it promotes competition which is good from a business sense, and Secondly, it brings good business which is good for the economy.

awec

It's fashionable now to not like Starbucks and pretend you are some sort of coffee connoisseur.

catallus

shruikan2553 wrote: »

You mean a grande cafe au creme et sucre

Yeah, sure, that crap

Gran Hermano

Plenty of proper artisan coffee shops in Dublin where you can get proper coffee from specialty coffee roasters.
No need to slum it in Starbucks.

Ninjini

Latte and a marshmallow on a stick covered in stars nom nom

takes too long to get a coffee there, by the time they go through all their spiel

Aidric

It's not just Dublin. I was in Vienna last weekend and they had branches all over the place, some in prime real estate.

Gran Hermano

Ninjini wrote: »

Latte and a marshmallow on a stick covered in stars nom nom

Exactly, coffee for people who don't like coffee.
You may as well stick a flake in it.

Kylo Ren

Where else am I going to charge my MacBook?

bnt

You think it's bad here? At one intersection in Vancouver, in the 1990s, three of the four corners was a Starbucks. One of them had closed by the time I went there in 1999, but that still left Starbucks on opposite corners of the same intersection.

Gongoozler

Was thinking the same this morning. I counted six from Grafton St to Henry St. Ridiculous.

wolfpawnat

I like a nice Caramel Macchiato as much as the next person, and I have to say, the one in Dun Laoghaire has the nicest staff imaginable, but I love going to little coffee shops too.

I think it says it all when Westmoreland street has 2! I was saying it to my OH the other day, from the Illac to Stephens Green, if you count every Starbucks within a street of your route, you're in double figures (including the new one about to open on the corner of O'Connell street) It is great for employment in that particular sector, but for competition, they cannot compete. Starbucks can make a loss and not feel it in one shop, because they know they can ensure the market for that area.

Its no Cherry BPB

irish_goat

awec wrote: »

It's fashionable now to not like Starbucks and pretend you are some sort of coffee connoisseur.

It's not about being a connoisseur, Starbucks coffee is just plain crap. Even McDonald's scores better in taste tests.

keithclancy

Starbucks is grand ... its just a bit expensive.

Richard Hillman

Keno wrote: »

Where else am I going to charge my MacBook?

And the charging point must be near a window or at least visible to the rest of the store. Otherwise what is the point in having a MacBook???

McChubbin

Had Starbucks coffee today after a long time. Ordered a Cinnamon Dulce Latte. Tasted like burnt, lukewarm, milky crap. Give me a nice cup of Insomnia's Hot Angel any day!

SimonQuinlank

More jobs I suppose.I get free McDonalds coffee voucher things off my cousin so I never darken Starbucks door anyway.

Arbiter of Good Taste

I do not like Starbucks coffee. I'm more of a Costa girl myself. But their cinnamon buns are just to die for. Yum yum.

Bertser

Never gotten into anything like Lattes or Cappucinos, I'll stick to my Americano and Donut from The Rolling Donut usual

Pretzill

I live in the country a star buck is a strapping young fella who plays gaa.

I have added starbucks to the list of outlets I have yet to try...kfc...pizza hut...et al. I live a simple life

Amirani

wolfpawnat wrote: »

It is great for employment in that particular sector, but for competition, they cannot compete. Starbucks can make a loss and not feel it in one shop, because they know they can ensure the market for that area.

I'm not so sure that's as much of a issue as with some other industries. It's not like Starbucks has been using their huge economies of scale to undercut independent coffee shops on price, quite the opposite in fact.

EazyD

awec wrote: »

It's fashionable now to not like Starbucks and pretend you are some sort of coffee connoisseur.

You don't have to be a connoisseur to realise that Starbucks is overpriced muckwater.

bnt

I was in London when the whole thing kicked off, and Starbucks was a latecomer to the market there. The copycat "Seattle Coffee Company" got there first, in Covent Garden. Since then, I still like a good cappuccino, but I'll only hit Starbucks when travelling and there's nothing more interesting around.

Gran Hermano

NiallSparky wrote: »

I'm not so sure that's as much of a issue as with some other industries. It's not like Starbucks has been using their huge economies of scale to undercut independent coffee shops on price, quite the opposite in fact.

They also use their multinational status to do some serious financial wizardry and minimise tax exposure and payments (even more tax avoidance than any ICT MNC). Not exactly a level playing field for the smaller indigenous Irish coffee shops.

catallus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBNOB7FkSSM

wolfpawnat

NiallSparky wrote: »

I'm not so sure that's as much of a issue as with some other industries. It's not like Starbucks has been using their huge economies of scale to undercut independent coffee shops on price, quite the opposite in fact.

No, Starbucks is very expensive, my favourite coffee is close to €4 for a small/tall whatever the feck it's called. But with regards Dublin City rents. No coffee shop seems to be able to last on O'Connell street for too long bar Kylemore. They probably cannot afford rates and rent (I would assume) and the like for the main street of Ireland, Starbucks can easily afford it, because it guarantees no competition.

Lux23

I prefer Costa Coffee, however Irish people seem to be mental for a cup of Joe and a bun. There are eight coffee shops in my parents local shopping centre and they are always packed, can be impossible to get a seat.

Grayditch

Different Starbucks places make my coffee in different ways all the time, it never tastes the same, and sometime tastes horrible. I've just started going into Costa or Insomnia. Don't dislike it to be a hipster, it's just not as nice or consistent as it used to be. Prices are a bit much, too.

wolfpawnat

Everyone raves about costa, but I have to say, I personally fine their coffee terribly bitter. As Grayditch said, Starbucks differs too, but not to the same extent IMO.

pebbles21

Starbucks employ a tactic of opening up a number of outlets in one area to take over the market, and when they do, they compete with each other till there is only one or two left

Linky http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/363

Grayditch

I usually used to get a White Mocha in Starbucks and I swear it could be like two different drinks when made by two different people, and it shouldn't really be like that. Might just be down to certain levels of that syrup they put in. Someone told me their strict ways of making every cup consistent has gone out the window the last 2 years.

Gran Hermano

For anyone interested in the alternatives
http://lovindublin.com/cafe/top-10-cups-coffee-dublin/

OneArt

I guess Starbucks is okay if you're into the fancy coffees like the Frappawhatchamacallit or what have you. I only like black coffee with a bit of sugar, and the plain stuff they serve there is horrible.

From what I remember of living in Dublin three years ago, there were tonnes of better coffee places. The Illy coffee was always my favourite. Their range of snacks is also pretty pricey: too expensive for a snack, but too small to have for lunch and be full.

The only good thing they have is their free WiFi which can come in handy sometimes (when they have plugs...).

Holsten

I love Starbucks and actually like their coffee.

Too bad it's pretty expensive and absolutely loaded with calories.

I count 14 in and around the city center.. meh, could be more.

Amirani

Holsten wrote: »

I love Starbucks and actually like their coffee.

Too bad it's pretty expensive and absolutely loaded with calories.

That's not the coffee.

Holsten

NiallSparky wrote: »

That's not the coffee.

Ah of course but I'm a sucker for the most calorific items they sell haha!

geckovision

irish_goat wrote: »

It's not about being a connoisseur, Starbucks coffee is just plain crap. Even McDonald's scores better in taste tests.

And you don't have to get out of your car to get it.

super_furry

Insomnia for me, even if their coffee is served too hot.

IvaBigWun

Starbucks were a fun novelty when visiting the States before they came to Dublin but after spending €7 on lacklustre hot chocolate and mediocre cheesecake there last week I wont darken its "we're so hipster we're not hipster" doors again in a hurry.

Its a shame there's only two Esquires Coffees in Dublin, they serve by far the best coffee in the city.

http://www.esquirescoffee.ie/

geckovision

A lot of cafés in Dublin don't seem to know the meaning (or they actually think it's supposed to be that way) of a sprinkle of chocolate. Bloody cappuccino's are smothered in it.

If I wanted a chocolate drink I'd have ordered one!

hfallada

Irish people dont like proper coffee. If you go to Italy or France a coffee is a shot of espresso. I work in a shop that serves espresso and a lot of irish customers ask where is half the coffee

Muahahaha

I'm remember reading before that Ireland and Italy are the only two countries where chains like Starbucks have failed to get a grip. The Irish and Italians are more predisposed to supporting independent coffee shops and given the wealth of choice we have I don't blame us.

There's far better coffee shops than Starbucks or Costa or Insomnia in Dublin. Check out Foam in Great Strand St near the Italian Quarter, it's totally unique and like stepping back into the 1970's. Or 3fe on Middle Abbey St which has superb coffee or even Accents coffee shop near the Hairy Lemon pub, they've a cool basement area where you can lounge about sofas and they're open till almost midnight.

People who go to Starbucks don't go to drink Starbucks coffee, they go to be seen to be drinking Starbucks coffee. Sad for them because there is far better choice in Dublin than the generic brands.

Barna77

Not a big fan of Starbucks, maybe the Christmas specials though. Last time I was in any was last Christmas in Madrid to use their free wifi.

Insomnia is bloody rotten.