"Romance and Theatre" of Starbucks

I look forward to my weekend mornings at my neighborhood Starbucks. I enjoy the short walk, carrying reading materials like magazines and Sunday paper, and my notebook computer. Once in the coffee bar, take a look around, secure an empty table, then order a cup of coffee or latte. Once I get settled in, I’m spending the next couple of hours on reading, writing, and reflecting on the week past and on the week ahead. It’s a ritual that I began few years ago in Tokyo and continues on after moving here to Manhattan. It is a great way to clean up my inbox, read my Sunday paper, and write down things to do for the coming week. And the whole atmosphere of the café – the aroma of freshly grounded coffee beans, other patrons enjoying their weekend morning, the noise from the baristas pulling espresso shots by hand – all of these add to the whole ambiance of an Italian neighborhood coffee bar that Starbucks has build its brand and reputation on. It’s the “romance and theatre” of the whole coffee experience.

But is Starbucks losing that “romance and theatre”? The Wall Street Journal printed an article on February 24, 2007 about an internal memo to executives written by Howard Schultz, the Chairman of Starbucks. The memo apparently talked in length about how Starbucks may be losing its “romance and theatre” of the coffee experience. Starbucks has an aggressive expansion plans to grows the number of its global location from current 13,000 to 40,000. It is offering menu items that are not traditional specialty coffee/tea drinks – such as hot breakfast sandwiches. Many Starbucks stores are opening drive-through windows. And others are switching to automatic espresso machines – taking away the sounds and sights of baristas pulling shots by hand.

So do I have to find another place that gives me the “romance and theatre” to enjoy my weekly ritual? Perhaps I may have to. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed exactly what Chairman Schultz was talking about in his memo. Instead of the usual coffee-bean aroma, I smelled something burning. I suspected that it was one of their breakfast sandwiches burning in the oven – guessed from the smell of burnt cheese. If this continues, I will definitely have to think of alternatives. Perhaps start an espresso bar in my own home – to brew my own shots. But it’s not the same – it lacks the “romance and theatre.” I do hope that Starbucks will seriously consider what its Chairman had to say and get back to its roots and keep that “romance and theatre.”