I like the matching outfits…..

We went to a private school named Islas Malvinas. The school is now a convent.

You know, this is just further proof that the classic Onion article about Starbucks’ “Sinister Phase 2″ just never gets old.

link: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28657

Fase Siniestra Dos is well on its way.

I worked for Starbucks years ago. Your fears are well-founded. First they come for the coffee drinkers, then the souls.

I think the top four steps in the company handbook are:

1. Coffee drinkers
2. Their money
3. Souls
4. Repeat

My South Korean half-bretheren have fought and won at least a over Starbucks before, though they haven’t been able to keep them out completely. We don’t need no stinkin DMZ.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Starbucks, legally speaking, lose anything. I offer you half congratulations.

Starbucks doesn’t always catch on. For example, in Israel, they tried and failed (I think there are a couple of stores in the entire country). There are two or three “local” coffee shop chains that play the Starbucks role there! The most popular (?), is called “Aroma” and the chain haters hate it as much as Starbucks.

Did you get any pictures of Aroma while you were there?

I spent a couple weeks in Cairo several years ago, and while I was there I saw (and photo’d) one of the strangest chain locations I could even imagine:

Little Ceasar’s Pizza. In Egypt.

Makes you wonder whether they bother to teach history there at all.

Something about Starbucks in South America strikes me the same way.

That’s incredible and worthy of photographic evidence. Send it to me and I’ll post it here.

Was the pizza square there, too?

Hmph. I know the feeling. And not only do they eat up smaller cafés, but they do it by charging twice or thrice as much as them.

And Starbucks is not the only one spreading. I almost fainted when I saw a McDonalds open in the middle of the Zócalo (main plaza) in Mexico City.
Disgusting.

And people buy it! That’s what I don’t get. I hope it fails in Buenos Aires because the city has to maintain its culture.

P.S. At least I feel good knowing that Taco Hell, er, Bell, which is also spreading, will never succeed in Mexico!

I think Del Taco could. Mmmmm, Del Taco.

I think McD’s is the gold standard for culinary imperialism. Weren’t they the first ones to open a location in places like Russia?

They also set some kind of standard for pandering: just down the block from the Little Ceasar’s, the McDonalds there was about a week from debuting their new McFalafel sandwich. Similarly, in Lima the McDs was advertising a new regionally-oriented sandwich, although I forget what it was. I can’t figure out who that stuff is for; the tourists just want familiar fare, and the locals prob have the same opinion of the quasi-local cuisine that we do of the quality of their burgers. It’s just weird.

Arj, I’ll send the pic when I can get home and find the CD. I don’t know about the square pizza, though; when we ate pizza we went to Pizza Hut.

When I was in Argentina with my best friend 5 years ago, we got so tired of not having American food that we actually broke down and went to Mickey D’s. I’m kind of ashamed to admit it, but it was pretty fucking great. The McDonald’s food in Argentina is way better than its counterpart here in the U.S.

Starbucks in Japan was the only place that had decent coffee. The other coffee shops were awful and smoky. There was also a rumor that there was a Taco Bell on the military base near Tokyo, and we would always plot how to get in. We needed a Nachos Bell Grande, damn it!

But in general, yes, down with culinary imperialism!

Japan doesn’t know hot to make coffee, so I’ll give you that. But when we go to Argentina next year you’ll see why one is unnecessary in BA.

I had a friend from Peru who said that Burger King was the place he took his dates. And it was acceptable.

When I was little, living in La Paz, we were v. excited when a “fast food restaurant” (no chain) opened up next to the SuperSol, and it had skinny, McD’s-type french fries, very rare. It was not open long, and though I haven’t been back in years, I heard that McD’s came, and then left Bolivia in the early 2000’s leaving Burger King to give it to the people their way. sigh.

How do you say BK’s slogan in Spanish?

in japan the mc donalds also have terriyaki burgers and a few other food options that were totally aimed at being japanese-like. whenever i had a bad day i would go to starbucks, wendy’s, or mc donalds for something american.

I would totally go to a McD’s for a teriyaki burger. And then espouse unintelligently about their evil ways.

Part of McDs “appeal” is that the food should be the same at every location, so it could very well be better than the average local fare. In Lima it wasn’t bad, but it did seem a bit off in Cairo. We joked at the time that they must put camel in it.

On the way to the airport to head home a week later, we passed about two dozen head of camel ambling along next to the road, heading into Cairo. We asked our driver where they were going; without turning his head, he simply replied, “Butcher.”

We were glad to learn that at the end of the trip, rather than the beginning.

I’ve always thought that Starbucks tastes like someone has tipped cigarette ash in the cup. So I never get it. Sadly, it has arrived in Australia but never become really big here. WOOT!

After our SHOCKING performance against Wales on Saturday, I think that (maybe) a slight Starbucks invasion would put the country (and rugby team) on it’s toes enough to fight back.

Fear not…I just got back to LA from Madrid and Paris and Starbucks is in both cities.

In Madrid, it’s sort of a curiosity and “hip” place to go for young Spanish college students who don’t have a clue.

There was a line out the door in Paris, like you would find at Ben and Jerry’s in Dupont on a hot day to get Frappacinos (or however the fuck you spell it…disgusting…). It’s like a curious, decadent American desert there…unfortunately for the American waistband, we drink them like water on a hot day.

Sidewalk cafe culture in countries where it is a bedrock of society will never die because of Starbucks. In lame-o places like the U.S. and DC specifically where there is nothing but faux, disney-esque sidewalk cafe culture…it will pervade.

PS. - you look like nice in that dress…

I think they say “como tú quieras”….

Del Taco? What is Del Taco? Is this a real chain store or are you tomándome el pelo?

To sooz… Yes. McD went to Bolivia and failed in La Paz (somehow I think it stays open in Santa Cruz). Apparently, it failed because of expensive prices and because after the novelty passed, people realized it was disgusting. The only thing that was good was the beef, because it was real beef. People in La Paz seemed to get pissed that they were eating fake potato chips, when they are -after all- in the country that has more than 238 varieties of potato.

There are already many stores of chain named “Aroma” in Buenos Aires. I do not suppose they are the same ones that in Israel, but I was about to write that they are going for the Starbucks role, when I ran into Jamy’s comment. In BA, however, Aroma (and a similar idea named the Coffee Store) did catch on. Arjewtino, I am sure you must have seen an Aroma during your last stay here (they are mostly yellow and blue coloured). There is one in Santa Fe y Uruguay, another one in Corrientes y Callao, just to name a couple… Unfortunately, I think Starbucks will catch on here and young people would be excited about it. The fact that Dunkin’ Donuts and Pizza Hut tried but didn’t make it gives me hope, though.