One word: STARBUCKS

[Mogley]

Originally Posted by Luv2Dance

Yes they do! We now have a Peet's near us! Four block walk. yip yip!

Albertson's carries their beans as well. I have several neighbors hooked on it after serving it to them during a breakfast party we held at our place. Java Crack!!


French Roast and Major Dickason's Blend are the two I usually buy.

Then I grew up on the Ca. Delta my sister would make trips to Berkley just to buy Peet's. She was know for making the best cup around, she used a huge amount of coffee per pot.

Funny, years later after she got divorced one of her life changing statements was: " I no longer wan't to be recognised only as a person who makes great coffee"
She got an espresso machine, started drinking latte's and pretty much faded away

[Homer]

Originally Posted by Luv2Dance

What is the noticeable difference between the "ghastly" coffee and coffee you drink in Australia? I understand you didn't like it, but why? Not strong enough? Oily? Bitter?

Next time you are in the States, try Peet's Coffee and Tea...........my personal favorite.

Peet's Coffee & Tea

Cool I'll give that a try...heading over in a couple of days time

I didn't mean any offence BTW, although looking back it does seem to read that way

I would have to say the coffee in general was bitter and tasteless or sooo sweet (some gas station variety's) that it was very hit and miss compared to the reasonably consistent quality we seem to have in Aus...although we can also make terrible coffee.

I think the main issue was it was generally hotel coffee and not from specialist coffee places so you couldn't really expect great coffee I guess...

Although to a person we all noticed it and when speaking to others who have traveled in the States you often hear the same thing...weird.

Personally I could drink it grudgingly, but the real coffee lovers among us couldn't or wouldn't...snobs haha.

If that's all I have to complain about then as you can guess I was pretty impressed with most everything else!

[Luv2Dance]

Originally Posted by Homer

Cool I'll give that a try...heading over in a couple of days time

I didn't mean any offence BTW, although looking back it does seem to read that way

I would have to say the coffee in general was bitter and tasteless or sooo sweet (some gas station variety's) that it was very hit and miss compared to the reasonably consistent quality we seem to have in Aus...although we can also make terrible coffee.

I think the main issue was it was generally hotel coffee and not from specialist coffee places so you couldn't really expect great coffee I guess...

Although to a person we all noticed it and when speaking to others who have traveled in the States you often hear the same thing...weird.

Personally I could drink it grudgingly, but the real coffee lovers among us couldn't or wouldn't...snobs haha.

If that's all I have to complain about then as you can guess I was pretty impressed with most everything else!

No! I wasn't offended at all! I was just wondering about your determining factors on coffee you drank. That's all. I don't care for gas station coffee, car dealership coffee, or any other places who let their coffee sit for a period of time. blech To me, those are reserved for times when you sacrifice taste for the mere fact you are getting some sort of caffeine jolt. Everything else falls into "savoring" and enjoyment.

[MaeEast]

From the NY Post: "Coffee king Starbucks could be making a move into the trendy pressed-juice bar business, Page Six has exclusively learned. CEO Howard Schultz has been scoping out top New York places, the Lower East Side’s Liquiteria and The Juice Press, and he’s just hired Liquiteria manager Yohana Bencosme, an 11-year veteran from Washington Heights, to train staff in Seattle. A source tells Page Six, “Schultz visited Juice Press in March, and after that went many times to Liquiteria. He spent a lot of time checking out the juices.” The source added, “Then he went in for the kill and hired Yohana. He has flown her out to Seattle to train staff to press juice. He said he wants to start dividing coffee shops within weeks to make one half a pressed juice ‘grab and go’ bar.” Cold-pressed juice is said to offer higher nutrition levels and is a celeb favorite. A Starbucks rep said this was “rumor and speculation.”

[tracydgreen50]

Originally Posted by PAUL250268

O.K., here goes.

I'm from England and have been living in Dallas since June 2006.

There are a lot of things I love about the U.S.

BUT..............

The whole Starbucks thing.

It's not even good tasting coffee. AND it's expensive.

It appears that they have, somehow, managed to convince the majority of North Dallas that they really do need to spend a sizeable amount of their hard earned income on Starbucks products at least once a day.

In Plano there must be a Starbucks every 3 miles or so.

I have to admit - even I have been in a Starbucks store and drive thru a few times (it's my girlfriends fault).

I'd be really interested to know just how much the "average Starbucks fan" spends on an annual basis.

There's so much better things to spend the money on. Like margaritas in Playa.


Paul

Paul, I used to live in allen. I remember in Plano that there was one spot where there was a Starbucks on oppiste corners.
You may be from acroos the pond but, I am with you. It is overpriced and not even good. Unfortunately, my daughter is addicted. We now live in Waxahachie and she visits the daily, sometimes more than once. I just don't get it.

[candylady401]

Someone asked how much people spend on Starbucks....I admit it, I'm a Starbucks-a-holic. I spend (on average) about $70 a week, between buying beans and drinks. Can't get enough of it. Starbucks buys the top 3% of coffee beans worldwide, that's why it's so good. If you think it's bad coffee, that just means your taste buds are ruined by nasty coffee.

[bothynicht]

Originally Posted by candylady401

Someone asked how much people spend on Starbucks....I admit it, I'm a Starbucks-a-holic. I spend (on average) about $70 a week, between buying beans and drinks. Can't get enough of it. Starbucks buys the top 3% of coffee beans worldwide, that's why it's so good. If you think it's bad coffee, that just means your taste buds are ruined by nasty coffee.

Some years ago while travelling in the Southern Hemisphere, I met a major coffee grower from Papua New Guinea who told me that Starbucks was an ongoing joke there! "They always buy the cheapest beans available, usually," he said," the crap even the poorest villagers(not his word . . . !) won't buy! Anyone who drinks their coffee is an idiot who drinks for yuppy status and not for quality! All their advertising talk about supporting local native people is complete BS."

I recently found a tiny coffee shop in Playa on 10th STREET off 10th Ave. If you are on 10th St facing the side of WalMart, it is on the right side of the road, opposite the carpark and next door to the German sausage shop (GREAT sausages!). It is run by a very friendly Londoner and his delicious coffee is half the price of Starbucks - and the best of Chiapas. Yummy!

[bigdogmom]

Originally Posted by candylady401

Someone asked how much people spend on Starbucks....I admit it, I'm a Starbucks-a-holic. I spend (on average) about $70 a week, between buying beans and drinks. Can't get enough of it.

Wow. All I can say is wow.

New Guinea coffee is THE BOMB. My second favorite, after Kona.

[candylady401]

Originally Posted by bothynicht

Some years ago while travelling in the Southern Hemisphere, I met a major coffee grower from Papua New Guinea who told me that Starbucks was an ongoing joke there! "They always buy the cheapest beans available, usually," he said," the crap even the poorest villagers(not his word . . . !) won't buy! Anyone who drinks their coffee is an idiot who drinks for yuppy status and not for quality! All their advertising talk about supporting local native people is complete BS."

I recently found a tiny coffee shop in Playa on 10th STREET off 10th Ave. If you are on 10th St facing the side of WalMart, it is on the right side of the road, opposite the carpark and next door to the German sausage shop (GREAT sausages!). It is run by a very friendly Londoner and his delicious coffee is half the price of Starbucks - and the best of Chiapas. Yummy!

I disagree with that statement. I use to work for Starbucks and I know for sure they purchase the top 3% of worldwide coffee beans. I also know they don't purchase very much of the Popua New Guinea beans (also my favorite bean)...which may be the reason that person says Starbucks is a joke. There are some great coffee beans out there such as Blue Mountain from Jamaica, Popua New Guinea and Kona from Hawaii. Starbucks does sell Kona but only in Hawaii and online. It's hard to get the Kona beans these days as Hawaii doesn't grown nearly as much coffee as they used to, which makes it a sought after product.

[sannie65]

Originally Posted by bothynicht

I recently found a tiny coffee shop in Playa on 10th STREET off 10th Ave. If you are on 10th St facing the side of WalMart, it is on the right side of the road, opposite the carpark and next door to the German sausage shop (GREAT sausages!). It is run by a very friendly Londoner and his delicious coffee is half the price of Starbucks - and the best of Chiapas. Yummy!

I just found that place, too! Paul is a great guy and would love to be serving more locals. The Coffee Stop is the name, I think?
GREAT coffee and delicious desserts, too!

[diogeron]

Well, I won't weigh in on the issue of how good their coffee is. As the Romans said, "De gustibus non est disputandum." Having said that, I don't get the antipathy towards Starbucks. Yes, the coffee is expensive, but nobody forces people to go there. Insofar is having too many places go, eventually the market will decide whether or not that is smart or not. Moreover, they are one of the few American companies that provide health insurance to part-time employees and their CEO, Howard Schultz, grew up a hardscrabble New Yorker (not in Manhattan) and is more progressive than 90% of American CEOs. In short, if I'm going to turn my wrath on a corporation, there are many more target rich companies.


If it's not evident, this is a general comment and not directed to any specific post. It's just my personal opinion, as most of my opinions are.

[actran]

Starbucks in Mexico. Probably 5 years ago I would have shuddered at the thought. Then 4 1/2 years ago I was at the Iberostar Lindo, on a family vacation with our kids (16-22). After day 2 my husband had a heart attack. Ambulance ride to Hospiten Cancun. Heart catheterization. Six days in the hospital.
A WTF is happening moment, or ten.
There was a Starbucks two blocks away. I can't tell you how comforting it was to go in there and sit for a few minutes and feel the familiarity of it.
Starbucks, more or less they are the same everywhere. This time, that was such a good thing.
(My husband is fine, thanks to a brilliant cardiologist at Hospiten Cancun).

[Lorraine D]

COFFEE STOP ... I go there daily, sometimes twice. The coffee is amazing and you won't get more friendly, personal service in Playa. Paul is a genuine nice guy who is always ready to have a chat and is full of information for your personal needs. He goes out of his way, if he doesn't have the best info for you he will find it. Go to COFFEE STOP, meet Paul and enjoy the best cup of coffee you will get in Playa, for half the price of Starbucks.

Originally Posted by sannie65

I just found that place, too! Paul is a great guy and would love to be serving more locals. The Coffee Stop is the name, I think?
GREAT coffee and delicious desserts, too!