De branding Starbucks?

Starbucks is testing out a new marketing strategy: make their stores less like Starbucks. Of course, this is simplifying things, but it is more or less what the coffee giant appears to be trying in order to set their stores apart from the competion and return to their coffee-house roots (possibly as opposed to moving more towards a fast food operation).

The new venture is in Seattle and is now called 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. The shop shows no signs of its affiliation with Starbucks (despite having been one not too long ago), and serves beer and wine in addition to planning to host local events like open-mike nights. Baristas will use machines where the shots must be pulled by hand, not by pressing a button.

As expected, there are a lot of people who seem to be up-in-arms about the company trying to “fake” being a “local” shop, but the reality is that it isn’t all that different from any other coffee shop opening up in the neighborhood, even if there is a bit more money behind it. Most consumers will probably find it to be a upscale version of a regular Starbucks, good for a more “gourmet” experience, although many Starbucks customers will no-doubt maintain an appreciation for the speed of the traditional model.

Will Sorbetto be back at Starbucks?

Ever since the temperatures started to heat up this summer. I’ve been eyeing the unused Sorbetto machine that sits, carefully wrapped, on the counter at my local Starbucks. Sorbetto was the name of a yogurt-based slushy drink that was tart, tangy and completely refreshing. It was test-marketed in the LA area last year and the machines have gone unused since.

Anyone know if they’re bringing them back anytime soon?

Starbucks revamps pastry menu

You might have noticed a change in the pastry case at your local Starbucks over the past few weeks. In an effort to cut costs while increasing overall quality, Starbucks has completely changed the way that they do their pastries. Previously, Starbucks used a variety of regional bakeries to stock their stores. This meant that you could find different types of pastries in different areas, according to what was popular there, and that the ingredients that went into the items varied widely.

Starting today, Starbucks is using fewer bakeries, each of which will produce and ship more items. This consolidation also allowed Starbucks to tinker with its recipes and refocus on slightly healthier options with all natural ingredients. They cut out corn syrup from their Marshmallow Dream Bars, eliminated the artificial flavorings from berry muffins and real egg whites are making an appearance in a heart-healthy breakfast sandwich. Starbucks says that its new options have “15 percent fewer calories, 5 percent less fat and 8 percent less saturated fat” than previous items.

Time Out Chicago has done a taste test of the newest items on the menu, if you want to see how they stack up. Not all of these items may be available in your region, but some are nationwide.

Zagat ranks Starbucks as no. 1 coffee

The newest Zagat ratings are out, and Starbucks ended up with the Number 1 Best Coffee ranking in the Fast Food and Quick Refreshment category and the No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain overall. Its competitors included Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, just to name a few of the 28 establishments that also fill that category.

Zagat’s ratings are not done by food professionals, but are compiled from user-submitted reviews of the restaurants and eateries that they regularly (or irregularly, if they’re bad) visit. This makes the Zagat reviews significant because they offer companies some insight into how the consumers are enjoying their products.

Starbucks in Paris

When I first went to Starbucks  in Paris, I felt a little bit guilty that I was bypassing several local cafes that had a more “authentic” feel to them. When I read David Lebovitz’s comments about how bad French coffee is, any remaining guilt quickly passed. Starbucks in Paris is great because the bathrooms are usally clean and easy to access, the cafes are air conditioned and, unlike regular cafes, you aren’t charged more if you stay and linger instead of taking your cafe to-go. Plus, it’s nice to be able to order a french press or a big Americano without getting strange looks.

Price-wise, the drinks are a little bit more expensive than it is in the US (mostly because the Euro is stronger than the dollar), but the food comes out to about the same price points. I also thought that the food and pastries were better overseas. It seemed like there was a lot more variety and, while I do like the classic coffee cake here, I don’t think I can argue with things like this gorgeous chocolate-covered donut or the Starbucks Fusion desserts created by pastry chef Michalak.