Starbucks Closures. 300 Stores, 6700 Jobs - 2/3rds in the US. Business Down 69%

racheyg

I love Starbucks coffee - but I'm one of those people I'm afraid who has decided I can't afford it. It's way over priced, and the food is horrendously expensive.

If they were realistic about their pricing, then their product would keep selling. They don't even have nice coffee tables, I don't think!

ad44downey

I'm not at all suprised. £3 for a cup of takeaway coffee is really taking the pee, I can't believe it took people so long to catch on

WTF?_2

IIRC they charged for WiFi access which is pretty short-sighted.

housesitter

Coffee and cake for two people and you might see change from a tenner.
Long time coming...

Lotus-eater

housesitter wrote: »

Coffee and cake for two people and you might see change from a tenner.
Long time coming...

It that how much it is? Blimey, no wonder I've never been in one.

fc123

I am a coffee addict and, when desperate, would give into all my principles and buy from them if no other choice BUT I hate the way they operate their business. We trade near one and they are always busy but, according to staff there, T/O dropped by 50% in Sept 08. This was mainly due to summer season ending plus relocation of thousands of council workers from area. Most of the staff are min wage/4 hr contract.

The one featured below is in a truly, charcterful St. Had protests outside it every Saturday as everyone knows that the rent they paid will push up rents on everyone else (things like fishmongers, indie coffee shops, sculpture shops (where product is made on the premises) etc.

They abuse the planning laws and will force the council to divert funds from useful things we need to fighting them in the courts. Outrageous.

They did this in Blackheath, many years ago and Lewisham council lost 100's of thousands, I believe...and lost in the end. The Starbucks still sits there in the village.

I always tell people that a wippy, dippy, soyamuckichino has about 800cals in it ( same as a large roast dinner)..that usually puts them off.

Staff told me they had to put sachets of white powder (sugar/flavouring/corn starch probably) into the fluro 'Juice' drink and make sure customers didn't notice....was told by staff member...true or not? Don't know.


http://www.planningresource.co.uk/bulletins/Planning-Resource-Daily-Bulletin/News/867753/Brighton-council-takes-Starbucks/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin

Brighton & Hove City Council is taking on the might of multi-national coffee giant Starbucks over a recently opened outlet in the city.
The council launched enforcement action last night against Starbucks for breaching planning regulations at the company's outlet in St James' Street, Brighton.
Starbucks opened on the street earlier this year, despite being refused planning permission for a change of use of the property from retail (A1) to a mixed use (Al/A3 retail and cafe/restaurant).

The enforcement notice requires Starbucks to:

- Remove all customer seating from the public areas.

- Remove all customer tables from the public areas.

- Stop selling food and drink for consumption on the premises

- Restore the use of the property back to a retail use, ie selling food and drink for consumption off the premises

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of Brighton & Hove City Council's planning committee, said: "We are responding to local concerns and making it clear we will not tolerate planning regulations being flouted in this way.

"Our planning team has been monitoring the operation since and it is clear that sales of food and drink for consumption on the premises form a considerable part of the business, in breach of planning consent."

The enforcement notice takes effect on January 9 and Starbucks has been given six weeks to comply from that date.

Starbucks has already appealed against the planning refusal for A1/A3 use. The council has not yet been notified of a date by the government's Planning Inspectorate of when this appeal will be held.

Snooze

I've got to admit, the one and only time I used them was to get a strong black coffee when I was in the Oracle (?) centre in Basingstoke and it was a superb coffee - quite possibly one of the best I've ever had (and I can tell a good coffee from a bad one as I drink about a gallon of the stuff every day). That said, it wasn't worth anywhere near the £4 ish I was charged (for a large one). :rolleyes:

Rob

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

If Starbucks are suffering, then I think Subway will be a bit dodgy for the same reason. I think Subway is a Franchise, I don't know about Starbucks, but whether it's a Franchise or not, it still looks very expensive for a sandwich and you can get a full pub or cafe meal for the same price in many areas.

mower5

On the grapevine, i have heard that 60 starbucks have shut in NSW recently, people over their have similar reactions to the concensus on this thread. Schadenfreude that the business practices they used are biting them in the @ss.

iB1

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax wrote: »

If Starbucks are suffering, then I think Subway will be a bit dodgy for the same reason. I think Subway is a Franchise, I don't know about Starbucks, but whether it's a Franchise or not, it still looks very expensive for a sandwich and you can get a full pub or cafe meal for the same price in many areas.

I think Subway started off well, as they started to expand and advertise heavily just at the point when people were starting to lay into Maccy Ds and the rest for unhealthy meals. However, I think they've started to over-expand. For instance, in Portsmouth there are 4 Subways within about a 1.5m radius! Completely unnecessary! :rolleyes: