Outsporters, Starbucks will open today (Fri.Jan. 16)in Paris. The Grand Opening of the new Paris Starbucks will be in the 8th District of Paris, near the Champs Elysees.

Many naysayers have said that unlike Americans, the French will never drink coffee out of paper cups and take coffee to go. But retailers say otherwise, and believe that Starbucks will be a hit with French teenagers and tourists alike.

I like Paris and have been there a few times. I have always liked the diffrent cafes, brasseries, coffee shops and French bakeries in Paris. Of course my favorite cafe in Paris is La Coupole in the Montparnasse district of Paris. A Starbucks would seem out of place in Paris, but they have every right to open one there. However, as an American tourist in Paris, I don't plan to patronize their business.

This past Oct when I was in Paris I noticed a take away coffee shop in the Marais section, on the main gay drag there. I forget the name of the shop but it was very American sounding. My beau didn't notice it. A Starbucks on the Champs Elysees is fine because is frequented by mostly tourists anyway. As for me, I'll always have coffee in my room in the mornings, and at a favorite cafe later in the day.

The funny thing was Starbuck's claim to "ease the transition" for parisiens by also offering criossants, pain au chocolats etc.
(NYTimes today)

Let me just say that if they use the same recipe for pastries they use in the states, they're not gonna sell a single thing in Paris.

The Seattle-ization of Paris is underway. wink

Enjoy your "Freedom Lattes"

I think the only reason it will be successful is because it's in a hardcore tourist area. And where are many of those tourists from? The United Starbucks of America.

And if you're an American and you're going over there to get drinks from Starbucks, eat at Pizza Hut, etc..........I don't know what to say.

[ January 17, 2004, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: illini n milwaukee ]

Funny anecdote I read today about British journalists in a Paris bistro complaining about French toilets.

Eventually the waiter can keep quiet no longer and shouts at them, "Eh bien, en Angleterre on chie bien; ici en France on mange bien!"

"In England you shit well; here in France you eat well!" N'est pas?

And you can take away a coffee from one of those Tabac stores that are all over the arrondissements.

France is part of the global economy, has McDonalds, etc., and the only Disneyworld in Europe, so I'm only surprised it took Starbucks so long.

American tourists--the few that still go to France--will be even happier--and the French and all the other millions who seek out the top tourist spot in the world will go on taking their coffee à la française, n'est pas?

The few that still go to France? I'm not sure where you got that 'fact' or why you have that reasoning, but I highly doubt it's accurate. I was just there this past summer and it was pretty packed with Americans.

If you're thinking it's the people that 'boycotted' France and it's products, I think you're overestimating those people. 95% of those people probably haven't been out of the United States (and that's not to say that's a bad thing, but I highly doubt these people are world travellers for whatever reason).

I think a Starbucks in the heart of Franceland is a good thing. After tasting some of the coffee-crack that Starbucks serves, the Frenchies might start to understand we American's just a bit more.

Doesn't Starbucks try to hire smiley happy people? Won't this be a problem in Franceland?

Each Starbucks gets there pastries from a local bakery. Maybe there is not a good bakery for that area? Starbucks in Seattle has great pastries.

I know Starbucks has been very careful and strategic in the opening of all stores in Europe, as they are trying to not piss off the locals too much.

You obviously haven't been to my Starbucks at Columbus circle in Manhattan. Smiley happy people it definitely isn't.

and \"Franceland\"???? huh? :confused:

ok... I see that you're from Seattle and saying the above statement. .. sooo... do you work for the PR dept of Starbucks?

If they were very careful and not wanting to piss off the locals, they should not have expanded to France to begin with. I mean.. the local french news has been buzzing about this "invasion" by american coffee into paris.

Think of the situation like this.... a French company comes in to the USA and says that they can make hamburgers better than any american company. Think about it. That's how the french feel.

[ January 20, 2004, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: ung ]

[quote]ung:
[QUOTE] ok... I see that you're from Seattle and saying the above statement. .. sooo... do you work for the PR dept of Starbucks?

If they were very careful and not wanting to piss off the locals, they should not have expanded to France to begin with. I mean.. the local french news has been buzzing about this \"invasion\" by american coffee into paris. [/quote]No I do not work for Starbucks, I am an investment principal. I doubt a company like Starbucks would go blindly into a new market without having done its homework. If the French are truly threatened by it, they are free to not patronize Starbucks. I imagine part of this French media hype is still tied to the recent tensions between the U.S. and France.

They're free to try , of course. I wouldn't give a rat's ass. I'd try the French company's burger, and if it truly was a superior product, I'd buy it. That's what I do with cars. We built 'em here first, but I'd only own an American car if you gave it to me -- and even then, I'd probably sell it and use the cash to buy something reliable.

There's a name for this remarkable system where people are free to buy what they like and not buy what they don't. It's called capitalism. I'm a big fan of it. If you don't care for it, I hear that Havana and Pyongyang are lovely this time of year.

If the French are offended because Starbucks opened there, f**k 'em -- they don't have to patronize the joint, and it will go out of business.

To suggest that Starbucks shouldn't have opened there because some French might be upset is really addled thinking.

And on the question of Starbuck's pastries discussed above, it depends where you are. There's no national Starbucks pastry kitchen. They buy from local vendors in each market. For example, bagels in Chicagoland Starbucks -- not fit for dogs. Bagels in LA area Starbucks (At least when I used ot hang there five years ago) -- more than adequate for a breakfast on the go.

SO I'm sure that the criossants and pains au chocolat at Le Starbucks will be magnifique.

[ January 20, 2004, 07:43 PM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

well. no. you'd be wrong. French tension and resistance to american invasion was in existence long before Bush's unsubstantiated search for WMDs.

That's why McDo and other american companies have ben picketed and ransacked. These are manifestations of french frustration with american cultural exports. Many would also call it xenophobia.

and for those of you think this is a uniquely french problem, may I suggest that americans know a thing or two about xenophobia. There also are many americans who become angered when they see signs in spanish while in the US of A. These people also report feeling like their culture is being overrun by mexicans or whatnot.

now on to skiguys post....

Girl! your powers of assumption are simply astounding. you wanna lecture me about the virtues of capitalism? and then suggest that La Habana would be a better fit for me? Puh-leeze. I doubt many are as devoted t capitalism as I am.

second.. cars were not built in the US first... as you assert. Read up on a source from europe.

and Pyongyang is not lovely this time of year. You confusing N.Korea with Melbourne?

and I never suggested that Starbucks should NOT open in Paris. Read my posts again girl.
I simply think that Starbucks trying to develop a french audience for its products (when the french are the ones who brought us the idea of a "cafe") is somewhat like an american trying to teach koreans how to make Kimchee.