Starbucks are everywhere. It’s like the McDonalds of fast food. If you’re going to a cafe, it’s always Starbucks, though with many people either revolting against a huge chain or because it doesn’t taste as good as smaller owner-operated cafes.

Despite liking Blenz, I end up going to Starbucks more often. Why? Well, for several reasons:

• Starbucks is located almost everywhere around the globe. If you’ve been there several times, you know what you’re getting, no matter where you are in the world.
• when you give giftcards to people, you know that they wont have much trouble finding a location
• rewards from the giftcard program like free drinks on your birthday, promos etc is a good incentive
• the prices/portions seems better at Starbucks than say Blenz or JJ Beans – however, the quality is another story

I once had a blueberry scone $1.95 from the Starbucks on Davie. It was crumbly and with those sugar cubes sprinkled on top. Definitely not a healthy choice and wasn’t the greatest…The store is narrow and often crowded. It’s not the most pleasant Starbucks that I’ve been to.

Most other locations offer a comfy, cozy atmosphere. Some with tables and chairs, others with sofas. No matter where you go, the branding look is kept the same. I sometimes find it’s more common to find Starbucks than McDonald’s. How many McDonald’s are there in Vancouver downtown alone? 8. Starbucks? I counted 29 on Google maps…

Starbucks is Nutty
For those of you who are allergic to peanuts and nuts in general, it’s tough eating out since you really never know what’s in the food the they make. I know I’m allergic to peanuts and while hazelnuts and almonds are less allergic, I tend to avoid all nuts as possible. I knew that the bakery at Starbucks were all made at the same place, so that they do say that there could be cross contamination. I recently bought a muffin that had nut chunks in it, even though from the outside, you couldn’t tell. I wish they indicated on which one they actually had nuts. Luckily, I haven’t been severely allergic to the point that if they’re placed in the same area or brush off one another, I’d have a reaction.

I never knew until today that there was hazelnut syrup in Vanilla Latte which I use to always drink. Since I like my drinks unsweet, I always ask for only one pump of Vanilla syrup. Today was the very first time that the barista told me that all Vanilla Lattes are made with both vanilla and hazelnut syrup. Maybe the type of hazelnut syrup isn’t as strong. Or the way they process it, my body is able to handle it.
But what about those who are severely allergic? I found no indication anywhere in the store nor online where it lists the ingredients that anything nutty was in it. So I guess you have to be more cautious if you’re severely allergic.

Ok, so now onto some design talk. What do you think of the new logo? An IDEA student mentioned that this one feels more ‘appropriate’ then it’s previous one.

Although I do agree with that to a certain point, I still like their old logo better. I like the combination of green and black, the classiness of the band of their name, and the added touch of the stars. It’s got more impact and find it eye-catching. Unfortunately, I don’t have the original cup anymore except a cut out from a sleeve I had kept. I do realize that companies and design trends are pushing brands to be more simple in terms of colours and shape. With logos needing to be viewed on small devices such as tablets and phones these days, it makes sense to have them simplified. I’ve gotten use to the new one, but still like the old for classic sake.

Starbucks always has friendly, helpful staff. The cafes are kept clean. If they make a mistake with their drink, they’ll make a completely new one for free without hesitation.

 Taste:      Price for Value:

Atmosphere:      Service:
Location: