05.03.08
Starbucks
What about a pleasant evening in a nearby coffeehouse? Pleasant informal atmosphere, a cup of tea or coffee, a piece of cake and a pleasant conversation in the evening or during your dinner time…
Where did they come from? A coffeehouse combines certain characteristics of a bar, and some of the features of a restaurant, but it surely differs from a cafeteria. Coffeehouses focus on serving coffee and tea as well as light snacks. They differ from cafés, since they do not offer a range of hot meals, and possibly alcohol. Coffeehouses largely serve as centers of social interaction. The coffeehouse provides people with a place to talk, read, write, pass the time, individually or in small groups, or entertain one another. In Middle Eastern countries the coffeehouse has served as a place for social gatherings since the 15th century. People came there to drink coffee or tea, read books, listens to music, as well as play backgammon and chess. Since the late 1950s, coffeehouses in the United States also served as a venue for entertainment, most commonly folk performers. Several famous performers like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan began their careers in coffeehouses. Coffee shops in the United States began to rise from the espresso- and pastry-centered Italian coffeehouses. They were first established in the major U.S. cities, most notably New York City’s Little Italy and Greenwich Village, San Francisco’s North Beach, and Boston’s North End. As the youth culture in the 1960s evolved, non-Italians began to copy these coffeehouses.
Before the rise of the Starbucks chain in 1971, Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest had a very poor countercultural coffeehouse scene. Starbucks mainstreamed and standardized this model.
Starbucks. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world. It operates 15,011 locations in 44 countries. Starbucks sells espresso-based hot drinks, drip brewed coffee, other hot and cold drinks, as well as snacks and items such as coffee beans and mugs. Starbucks serves a lot of different beverages including brewed coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, different kinds of tea, as well as Frappuccino. Bottled beverages are also available including Ethos water, Naked Juice, San Pellegrino, Horizon Organic Milk, and Izze soda. In addition to beverage offerings Starbucks serves pastries, sandwiches and ready-to-eat salads, at-home brewing equipment, coffee merchandise, and whole bean coffee. Starbucks also markets music, books, and film. A large number of these products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks brand ice coffee and cream is sold at grocery stores. Starbucks Corporation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.