Starbucks Ireland

[Updated 8 Nov 07: I like the Dame Street Starbucks for a lot of reasons but wish it had comfy seating like you find in the States. That said, it's hard to find comfy seating in High Street coffee shops in Ireland.]

STARBUCKS DILUTED its marque when it set up shop in Ireland. Those expecting comfort, space, ambience and coffee at Starbucks Ireland won't find those brand qualities in the Republic because the chain has opted for a elbows-wide footprint for its guests. That's understandable in the bowels of Grand Central Station where the proprietors want to minimise comfort for the street people who try to camp out all day but for Irish business customers, Starbucks has no space. The company wants a takeaway crowd--how else can you rationalise the puny tabletop allotments in Starbucks Ireland?

Dublin had a cafe culture for years, led by the Bewley's flagship. Think tables big enough for two high chairs and a wall of upholstered seats for the comfort-minded. Bewley's flushed out of the market because of running costs and property rates. Starbucks has those problems covered because it's hiring casual labour, bolting on accessories for the coffee moments (wifi, mugs, beans) and keeping the shops smaller than the Bewley cruise ship model that plyed 19th century Dublin. However, Starbucks Ireland has squeezed its setup too tightly and now risks becoming a commodity stopover for hapless American tourists who don't know they've been cheated in their coffee moment.

If Starbucks Ireland uses its Dublin setup as a national model, those in the know will never recommend it as a meeting place. Dublin now has discerning coffee drinkers who know the business and that business comes with customer elbow room. You need to be able to read a broadsheet without rubbing against the bubble of the customer next to you. Your table needs to be large enough to open an iBook next to an A5 copybook. I get those things from Starbucks Lancaster, Starbucks Santa Monica and Starbucks Scottsdale. I deserve them in Starbucks Ireland.

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Steve McCormack and Adrian Weckler agree. Culture Sluts should podcast from those cramped quarters and hit home the point every 10 minutes.

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Comments

[Daragh Mc Grath]

Bernie,

I hear what you are saying, I work around the corner from the Starbucks on College Green, and spend quite a bit of time up there! I have to say though, despite your reservations, I have never queued for less than 5 minutes to get a coffee (not down to shoddy service 90% of the time) and would give my right arm to have a Starbucks franchise, it is so far turning out to be a money-printing exercise, I have never seen such a busy coffee shop (as a very regular coffee-shop visitor) anywhere in the City Centre.

If you want a real coffee shop treat however, Cafe de Napoli on Westland Row (and it's sister shop around the corner on Fenian St) are the best coffee shops in the City Centre!!

Oh, and this post would have looked good over on the metblog too (hint hint!)

[Antoin O Lachtnain]

You guys must be joking. Starbucks is losing money every day in its operations in Dublin. Have you priced shop leases in Dublin lately? The capital costs for this operation were high and the overheads are high. The rent is high and the staffing is extremely high. Everything is high except the average sale, which is only about average, maybe a little more. If Starbucks were to space out the seats any further, they would be as well to just shut down and go home. The plan appears to be to increase the number of seats in the stores as the business develops.

[Joemomma]

"Bewley's flushed out of the market because of running costs and property rates. "

Don't forget "undrinkable coffee"!

[Kevn O'Brien]

Please people, how can we complain about prices and space in a city that is too damned greedy. Landlords, Rates, High Taxes and a Government that dont seem to care about its electorate. Starbuck's is an American Institution at this stage due to the costs being far less in the States. Its about time we wake up to the fact we a re a small country fuelled by greed and the love of all things "foreign" rather than local. Why don't we just open up or gates completely and let all international stores and franchises in to close the Irish native commercial enterprises down, and work for the British and Americans. OH SORRY.. that has already happened!!!..;)

[Damian Keating]

I have only once had a worse cup of tasteless coffee and that was at the Irvine Shopping Centre outside Prestwick. Rubbish service by staff paid no doubt as a reflection of their manner and customer service. There was no point in complaining over hot water, which is exactly what we got.Pity we didn´t buy some oven mits, we actually might have left the premises before we realised how bad it was. (Dundrum) we went down to the Butlers Coffee shop for something much, much better.
How can you complain to somebody who can always proclaims not to understand.

[CS]

I have to say that Starbucks sucks in Ireland. We were there for a couple of weeks and tried two shops and was very disappointed. The lines were long and slow and the drinks were awful. Fraps were watery, iced vente latte had only 2 shots and I argued with the barrista that they have 3 in US. He insisted they don't, but gave me an extra anyway. In my opinion, Ireland doesn't need Starbucks. There are too many other great places to get coffee and the Starbucks shops just don't belong there. I was happy to get home to my local Starbucks where they do it right, with a smile, and quickly.

[Bernie Goldbach]

Try as I might, I have not had a poorly brewed coffee creation at Starbucks in Ireland. And although my main roasting ground is the highly-trafficed Dame Street venue, I've never queued for more than six minutes. Recommended.

[Simon McGarr]

Better coffee and nicer surroundings are to be found just upriver on from parliament bridge in the small, but not too cramped glass walled Bar Italia.

Better coffee and an interesting mix of clients may also be found on Leon in Trinity Street. They also have entertaining backround music.

[Bernie Goldbach]

On the run-up to Christmas, I will buy you a Starbucks if you buy me a cup of Leon. We'll compare notes over a mic and share with listeners.

[Simon McGarr]

Agreed. I may buttonhole you on an education/ curriculum topic which has been buzzing around my head since attending the Mediaforum Symposium on Critical Media Literacy. You can get a hint of some of those thoughts on the tuppenceworth blog.

Though, as an experiment I stopped outside Starbucks last night with my Nokia N800 and checked if they have wi-fi. They seem to only have the Eircom pay-as-you-go version. A dilution of their brand on a par with uncomfortable seating, I'd say.

[Suzy Byrne]

The seats seem far more comfortable at the new IFSC location. I do agree on the discomfort of coffee shops in Ireland generally. SB are not the worst in this regard. In fact we should run a poll.

[Bernie Goldbach]

I'm very interested in a review of coffee shops from the point of view of wheelchair accessibility and that perspective is directly linked to a venue's spaciousness.

[Glenn Ong]

Hi, I'm collecting starbucks city mugs all over the world. If someone can help me get the city mug from Ireland, I will be very happy to be contacted at glennong82@yahoo.com

Thank you very much!

[TravelMan]

Hi All,

I have been in many Starbucks in some countries... this one sucks. Sorry but it's true.