Starbucks aims beyond lattes to extend brand

I could name Starbucks as a current phenomenon in business. In Greece Starbucks has a presence with 40 shops, the majority of them being in Athens. They also operate one shop in Mykonos island and one in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in the country. Personally I'm not a big fan of Starbucks.

With the exception of one or maybe two of their shops in Athens, they have nothing special to offer or provide to consumers. Most of their shops are at least "boring" and if someone compares them to the so many coffee shops existing in the city, and I'm not talking only about those around the trendy neighborhoods or areas, can see the many differences. Starbucks' shops are just "too old" or "too aged" to capture the Greek mentality and trend. Most of the youth, or should I say, the young generation, prefer to enjoy their coffee in other shops. Coffee is part of the daily Greek life, especially the "frappe"!

In this article Starbucks aims beyond lattes to extend brand the author talks about the American dream of Starbucks. Chairman Schultz talks about music and pop culture. Sir Mick Jagger and his band The Rolling Stones, Bono and U2, Prince, Chris Martin are a couple of examples. Starbucks may have been in talks with them, but I know that the Starbucks' CD's currently on sale through their Greek shops, are just again part of that particular American dream. The Beach Boys and "Surfing USA" promotes that part of the American dream. Are we to follow it? Of course not! We have our own beaches and islands to hop in! Mykonos is just an example, like Santorini and Corfu and Rhodes and Crete and Cephallonia and Paros and Naxos and Milos and Chios and Zakynthos and Kithira and the list is unlimited.

There are many differences between Greek culture as opposed to the American culture and dream. But the story here is not about differences or common things in pop culture. Is about coffee and you are the ones who will judge the Greek coffee culture while you are visiting Greece.

And as we say in Greek "Stin igeia sas!" which in simple English means "Cheers!"