Comments on: Starbucks Overdose

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:57:29 +0000

I'm reminded of the history of coffee houses in Britain and their role in the formation of modern democracy, a free press, even the insurance industry.

Can a surfeit of coffeehouses be seen as unmitigated evil?

By: madmatt

madmatt — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:45:18 +0000

At the end of the day it is still $4 for a CUP OF COFFEE!

By: McGehee

McGehee — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:23:34 +0000

If you stand on the corner of Regent Street and Wigmore Street in central London, you are within five miles of 164 branches of Starbucks. This is a fact that is liable to provoke sudden dizziness, followed by a deep, soul-corroding fear for the future of humankind

He's having this reaction to an overabundance of coffee houses. Has he not seen a newspaper in the last six years?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:17:54 +0000

Yep, the Dutch and Germans make some fine coffee. The Dutch also tend to provide sweets to go with it.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:35:17 +0000

While I do think the Brit writer is a little over-caffeinated, DC Loser is right. There are huge numbers of Starbucks in London, all of them filled with Brits from opening to closing. What neither the original piece nor DC Loser mentioned, though, were the gazillion competing coffee shop chains--British, Canadian, American, Italian--equally densely established in the same popular locations. Brits have discovered--as did Americans not too long ago--that coffee, when made of good coffee beans and brewed properly, is wonderful to drink. It outstrips mediocre tea and the mysterious substance normally sold as 'coffee' in the UK (and, alas, in still far too many places in the US). Starbucks isn't the best in the world; it's just better than most in the world. Personally, I'm still waiting for a German, Austrian, Dutch, or Danish chain to open up in the US. Now that's real coffee!

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:42:24 +0000

I'm familiar with that area of Central London of near Oxford Circus. A few years ago on TDY, I and some co-workers walked the mile or so from our hotel near Marble Arch to SoHo. In that area near Regent Street we marveled at the number of Starbucks, in some stretches there was one every block. This density is higher than anything I've seen in the States.

By: circusaction.com

circusaction.com — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I’m familiar with that area of Central London of near Oxford Circus. A few years ago on TDY, I and some co-workers walked the mile or so from our hotel near Marble Arch to SoHo. In that area near Regent Street we marveled at the number oflink

By: Scrambled Toast

Scrambled Toast — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Matthew Stibbe on whether a company is singular or plural.) PS. This is not the first time Scrambled Toast has broached the subject of washrooms. Nor will it be the last. Scrambled Toast ... Word Sell Further reading ... Starbucks overdose? Impossible, I say. Others say Starbucks poised to destroy British culture. Starbucks in the Forbidden City. Cultures clash, reports Development Crossing. Blogging Baby on the ideal washroom. You can bet Nadine won't be treating baby to