Re: Interesting take on the Starbucks "issue" by the Hartmann Group

On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 13:46:32 -0500, "Jack Denver"
<nunuvyer@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I think you and Steve are sort of talking past each other and you're both
right. If you say "Starbucks coffee is good" the operative question is
"compared to what?" You are comparing it to watery lunch counter coffeee,
he is comparing it to artisanal coffee.

While artisan coffee is appreciated and can be a big hit in certain big
cities (as you point to Intelligentsia in LA) in other places it is like
casting pearls before swine. I don't get the feeling that most locals in
Belleville, IL really understand that Barry is a national treasure in their
midst. In Philly, John Hornall's place won the local magazine award....
for the "most kid friendly cafe". Etc. For a lot of people, the coffee at
Starbucks is some ultimate pinnacle to be aimed at - they'd like to make
coffee at home "as good as Starbuck" - you've seen threads here where people
have that aspiration and are confused when we laugh at them. Most people
don't even have a clue as to what "artisanal coffee" is.

I'm not saying that quality isn't important. But if you have a local cafe
and are producing quality artisan coffee, it's foolish to think that this
alone is the key to competing with Starbucks. "If you build it they will
come" only happens in the movies. In real life it's like any other
business and you have to have the right mix of marketing, location, customer
service, etc. to get people in your doors and have them coming back.

Without a doubt. Both Intelly and LaMill had very effective advance
p.r. before their shops opened. LaMill wound up being reviewed by the
Times' sr. restaurant critic:
http://www.calendarlive.com/dining/virbila/cl-gd-rest24jan24,0,3279081.story

Intelly L.A. made the NY Times Travel section:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/travel/20dayout.html?ref=travel

But, public relations only gets you one visit. You have to deliver to
the customer, or they won't return.

Just out of curiosity, Jack, what's up with Philly? It's a
well-educated, sophisticated city. Why isn't it more of a coffee
scene? Even D.C. has Murky.

Marshall
.

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