Encountering Starbucks Throughout the World

I did not grow up in a coffee drinking family. My parents seldom drank any. They were much more likely to drink tea. In fact, as my father grew older, he would always have a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator. Coffee was just not part of our life.

Shortly after college I moved to the Dominican Republic for four years. There I began to have some exposure to coffee. The Dominicans would serve coffee in small demitasse cups with a big heaping spoonful of sugar. It’s strong but very sweet, and it’s not uncommon for there to be sugar at the bottom of the cup when you are done. I also encountered cafe con leche, coffee with milk. I tried it at restaurants on a few occasions and didn’t mind it. It was something different with enough sugar.

When I married my wife, I married into a coffee drinking family. Being Brazilians, coffee was very much a part of their culture. My wife would often order coffee, but I was still not really into drinking coffee, that is until Starbucks came along.

I’m not sure when I first encountered coffee at a Starbucks. The company started here in my home area, but I certainly wasn’t an early follower. However, somewhere along the way we began to go to Starbucks, and I discovered a latte which was somewhat like the Dominican cafe con leche. I also discovered adding flavors. I began to see a drink from Starbucks as a treat. It certainly wasn’t nor is today something I drink every day.

Starbucks’s marketing began to grab us as we started traveling more. My wife found their mugs with the names of various towns on them, and she began to collect them. I, on the other hand, began to collect their gift cards, looking especially for cards from cities and countries. It became part of our travel itinerary, look for a Starbucks.

In the process, we have had a number of experiences at Starbucks stores throughout the world. One of our early international experiences was in Mexico. We traveled there in February seeking some sun and warmth. However, that alluded us, and we were thankful to discover Starbucks stores which helped give us something warm to hold onto and drink as well as mugs for my wife to collect.

In travels around the US, Starbucks stores were usually easy to find. One thing we did learn is that not all places have mugs. We expected to see mugs in Savannah and Charleston, but the baristas told us the cities were not considered big enough to have their own mugs. Being such well-known cities, I was surprised Starbucks felt that way.

Airports are often the first place we look for Starbucks. We had a layover in Chicago, and I was looking for a Chicago gift card. I had been to a few Starbucks in the terminal without any luck. Finally I discovered one store back in an almost forgotten corner, and they had one card there. I snatched it up rejoicing in my good fortune.

Our worst airport experience was in Denver. On a summer layover there we found a nearby Starbucks. That summer Starbucks had introduced some fancy cold drink that had proven popular. The line was particularly long, and the baristas seemed to make a big mess behind the counter making this drink. It was probably the messiest Starbucks I have ever visited. I was not impressed.

However, my worst Starbucks experience was in Zurich, Switzerland. We were visiting in April, and the weather was not cooperating. It was a cold, rainy day, and we were happy to encounter a Starbucks. I went to the counter to order my usual which is a decaf latte. The young lady at the counter seemed a little puzzled, and then said something to the barista. He looked at me and informed me that they didn’t sell decaf as it was not real coffee. He said it with such a snobbish attitude that I felt like a little kid being scolded. I felt humiliated and embarrassed as I took my regular coffee back to the table.

However, lest you think Switzerland is a snobbish country, we had a different experience a few days later. That day was again cold and windy as we wandered around Zurich. We saw a Starbucks above a book store and decided to get something warm. As I was standing in line, I could tell something was wrong. There seemed to be a problem with the credit card reader. When I got to the counter, I asked if I could pay with a credit card, and she said no, it was down. Since I had no cash on me, I turned to go, but she called me back. I informed her I had no cash, but she said that was fine, I could order anyway. She gave me a coffee without charging me. It was a memorable gesture which brightened my day.

While there are coffee cultures all over the world, I think Starbucks calls us as it is familiar to us. We have an idea of what to expect there. When we visited Melbourne, Australia last October, the blogs said that there was a great coffee culture there, and some even commented that Starbucks was not the place to get coffee. However, on our first day we saw a Starbucks and went in. I expected it to be quiet, but instead it was a lively, busy place. Apparently there are a number of people in Melbourne who do like to go to Starbucks. The funny thing to me is that October is spring in Melbourne, but the posters around were advertising fall and pumpkin spice. Apparently Starbucks’s worldwide advertising centers in the US.

Starbucks can also be a place for breakfast for us. We did that in Hong Kong. Breakfast items there was unfamiliar, but a trip to Starbucks offered us something more familiar. We also had breakfast in Madrid at a nearby Starbucks. The familiarity really helps.

We had a unique experience in Dublin, Ireland. When we visited we looked for a mug for my wife, but none could be found. We asked, and they were all out. However, we noticed some art for sale on the wall done by one of the baristas. One piece was filled with Starbucks logos and items including a Dublin mug. We ended up buying that since there was no mug. The manager got involved with that because it wasn’t a Starbucks product, and he was quite friendly. He introduced me to the London fog tea drink which Starbucks has. I would never have known about it if not for him. He also later helped us with directions. Great guy and a positive for Starbucks.

Surprisingly one of the best places for Starbucks was in Taiwan. We met some very friendly baristas at the Starbucks there, and they had the most interesting gift cards. There one has to pay a small fee for a card, but they had a wide variety of cards with interesting art work. I would have liked to have bought more. We also discovered a pop-up Starbucks Reserve store, which surprised us. It was quite busy with mostly young Taiwanese customers.

Starbucks stores in the US have a variety of looks, but one thing that is not common here in my experience is more than one floor. However, in many cities around the world, the stores are two and even three stories. My first encounter with this was in Seoul, Korea. When we walked in, there didn’t seem to be anyone there, but then we realized that there were stairs that led up to the second level where the tables and chairs were. It was actually nice to sit up high and look down at the busy street below us.

Of course not all places have a Starbucks. In my visits to Africa these last two years, there were none to be found. However, my hometown of Seattle is the mecca for Starbucks lovers. The few times I find myself downtown, I am always amazed at the long line waiting to enter the original Starbucks store. I went in once. It’s not that exciting.

So what are your experiences with Starbucks around the world? Do you enjoy Starbucks or do you prefer the local coffee shops? Share your experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Credit: The photo from Barcelona was taken by Silvette Lee