Starbucks is a well-known coffee company, but is Starbucks good coffee? Keep reading to find out.
Are you wondering why Starbucks coffee tastes so good? You’re not alone! Before trying Starbucks, I couldn’t wrap my head around the hype or the never-ending Instagram posts.
Starbucks’ magic is not just down to their quality coffee and expert brewing techniques. What actually makes Starbucks coffee so good is that it truly understands coffee, their customers, the employees, and how to run a successful coffee shop.
5 Reasons Why Starbucks Coffee Is So Good
The question “Why is Starbucks coffee so good?” is very controversial among coffee drinkers. Many coffee connoisseurs and baristas would strongly disagree, describing Starbucks coffee as burnt, bitter, or far too “soulless,” “sterile,” and “commercial” for their liking.
Regardless of where you stand, there’s no disputing that Starbucks is one of the most successful coffee shops in the United States and abroad. Yet, if other coffee shops can and do brew “better” coffee, why are they not as popular and successful as Starbucks?
Aside from the taste of the coffee that they make, other factors contribute to Starbucks’ popularity and success.
1. The Experience
Before Starbucks became well-known, coffee shops focused on just one thing — coffee. What else could a coffee shop prioritize?
Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Ziv Siegl founded Starbucks in Seattle in 1971, knowing that creating great coffee was not enough to distinguish itself from competitors.
Indeed, Starbucks was a coffee trailblazer and a pioneer. If you visit a Starbucks coffee shop, you will see their luxurious architectural design, along with their leather furniture.
More importantly, the products they offer not only taste so good, but the alluring aroma of coffee permeates the air in the coffee shop. In addition, with Starbucks’ coffee looking really good, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok can’t simply get enough.
There is also a reason why people choose to work or study with their laptops at a nearby Starbucks. Anyone can feel more productive than ever in an air-conditioned, welcoming, and eye-catching coffee shop.
The Millenials, a demographic that heavily relies on coffee, have helped them refine and curate their experience. Every area of the coffee shop, every drink, and every dessert just looks too good not to share on social media.
As more people are taking on freelance work or opting to work from home, Starbucks tries hard to meet the demands of this demographic, constantly looking for new places to be productive.
2. The Treats
Many baristas hate Starbucks and wonder why such “terrible” coffee is regarded with such reverence. What they don’t know is Starbucks is highly tined in to the needs of the general public, nevertheless.
Starbucks does not target critical coffee experts who are very particular about the acidity level, bean quality, brewing time, and other factors. They want people to simply enjoy coffee without worrying about jargon – just like Apple doesn’t expect it’s customers to be experts.
Like Apple, Starbucks does not expect you to consider how they brew their coffee, or other coffee-related terms that an ordinary coffee drinker would not know. All they care about is providing you with a great drink – with no shortage of options, there really is something for everyone one.
Starbucks does not need critical coffee specialists to approve or make sales since they are rarely the ones who frequent Starbucks. Everything will be fine if their customers like what they offer.
The way they test their products shows how much they really value their customers. For example, before releasing a new product, Starbucks will seek out a group of average coffee drinkers to provide feedback on how it tastes.
3. The Consistency
As a franchise, if you go to any Starbucks branch your drink should be the exact same regardless of location. Whether you order a Frappuccino in Los Angeles or Seattle, it will not matter because they will both be the same. So, if you’re hesitant to try new things, you always know Starbucks won’t let you down.
4. The Employees
You may have heard the saying “made with love” — this couldn’t be truer with Starbucks.
Employees of any Starbucks branch still perform better and remain with the company longer, as Starbucks offers many benefits to its employees. In fact, being a Starbucks barista is one of the most sought-after food industry jobs.
If a college student works at a Starbucks branch for more than 160 hours or for more than two months, the company will give them a scholarship, which covers the entire cost of their tuition fee. Other benefits and perks include health coverage, savings, stock, paid time off, parental leave, commuter benefit, and partner assistance — not bad at all, right?
So how is this relevant for the customers? Happy staff are productive staff who care about the quality of their work.
Giving your employees a lot of benefits will also lead to reduced training costs. Baristas will be less likely to consider resigning; thus, the company will not constantly find themselves replacing and training new employees.
5. The Personalized Experience
Starbucks is arguably best known for writing their customer’s names on the drinks – and occasionally, misspelling them. This custom is a part of the company’s marketing strategy, which involves advertising their cafes as gathering places for people to socialize and find comfort.
Significantly, Starbucks offers its coffee shops as a place to hang out instead of town squares, parks, and plazas to fill the void created by the declining number of social spaces.
Unlike other coffee shops, Starbucks gives their customers the freedom to customize their drinks without judgment. Starbucks claims their baristas can create almost 87,000 different drink combinations while remaining cool as a cucumber, thanks to their training and past experiences.
Top 3 Cold Starbucks Coffee You Must Try
1. Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso
Power up your morning with this Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso, which combines Starbucks’ blonde espresso with cocoa and hints of malt, topped with almond milk and ice to create a revitalizing treat!
This drink is smooth and sweet. Here are some ways to customize this drink:
- Ask for a ristretto shot instead of a regular espresso shot so you can enjoy more of the coffee’s contribution
- Add some chai syrup
- Ask for caramel sauce for more sweetness
- Opt for toffee nut or vanilla syrup for a more complex flavor
2. Iced White Chocolate Mocha
Start your day right with this Iced White Chocolate Mocha, which combines Starbucks’ signature espresso with milk, white chocolate sauce, and ice, finished with sweetened cream on top to create a delightful drink! This drink is for for those who like the coffee to shine through their drinks.
Here are some ways to customize this drink:
- Add a dash of cinnamon powder on top
- Add a drizzle of mocha sauce
- Add a drop of coconut milk
- Request both white chocolate sauce and chocolate sauce for a twist
3. Iced Starbucks Blonde Caffè Americano
An Americano is an espresso shot with hot water, to create a larger, more fulfilling drink. To shake things up, the blonde espresso roast is used to brew the Iced Starbucks Blonde Caffè Americano for a more complex flavor.
Here are some ways to customize this drink:
- Make it stronger with a ristretto shot
- Ask for white chocolate mocha sauce for sweetness
- Add some brown sugar syrup
- Add one dark caramel sauce pump and top with cold foam
- Add a drop of coconut milk
You can also try this drink with lemonade. You may also be interested in reading our guides on the best Starbucks coffee and the best Starbucks snacks.
FAQs About Starbucks
What Coffee Beans Does Starbucks Use?
Starbucks uses carefully selected Arabica coffee beans. This specialization gives Starbucks control over the quality of the coffee.
Does Starbucks Localize Its Drinks?
If you try to visit Starbucks branches aboard, they may offer you extra menu items that unavailable in the US. However, some menu items that are offered in the US may not be available in that Starbucks branch. They curate their drinks to suit the tastes of local customers to increase sales.
How Many Starbucks Stores Are There?
As of January 2, 2022, Starbucks had 34,317 open stores worldwide, with under 17,000 in the US.
You may also be interested in reading our guide on Starbucks coffee vs. other coffee.
