Living here makes one an expert on coffee. I so miss my Nespresso machine but having one here is a luxury which I can't quite run to - rather like jet skiing. Starbucks is ever-present, however, which is some small crumb of comfort, not least because if you're in Starbucks, by definition you have absolutely nothing better to do. I read yesterday that they are changing their logo, stripping away the outer green layer with the company name on. Perhaps a slight improvement on the original brown, splay-finned mermaid.
CEO Howard Schultz talked about the decision to update its emblematic logo on the 40th anniversary of the company in March.
"This new evolution of the logo does two things that are very important," Schultz said. "It embraces and respects our heritage and at the same time evolves us to a point where we feel it's more suitable to the future."
Put another way, it’ll also sell more coffee in China.
I think the new version looks more like a logo for a hair conditioning product and emphasises the sea nymph as apparently naked with a sultry look in her eyes. What this has to do with Starbuck, first mate on the ‘Pequod’, the doomed Captain Ahab’s vessel in Moby Dick escapes me at the moment.
Why am I bothering to blog about this? What a trivial, vapid, irreflective life I lead…
Oh, yes. I'm in Starbucks.
"When American go to Paris, they all rush to Starbucks", mostly for 2 reasons :
ReplyDelete1)The urban legend says Paris waiters are the ruddest and the most arrogant in the world, which is not completely true anymore. They are still the most efficient, waiting alone 5 to 10 times more tables than their american conterparts. Of course, they have no time to welcome you with : "Hello, my name is Laurent, I'm gonna be your waiter today, may I recommend my favourite, the fatfreemocchalatte with caramel foam" but shout : "un express, un, pour la deux!" while fiercely wiping your table and grabbing next table's empty dishes at the same time. Ask them a glass of water and you are very likely to get a stink eye.
2) They believe they get more for their money In Starbucks when what they get is just more water. The prices are the highest in Paris without service, so are the fancy cappuccino and likes. But first, they have to stand on line an average 20 minutes to get their order, the armchairs are occupied for hours by chatting girls or people with computers who'll never been asked to renew their drink. Just like at home, they'll drink coffee from a carboard bassin, yekkk...
And when they go to Italy they get 1/2 inch high espresso which gives them instant palpitations. And if they dare ask for "americano"they are then given the super dupper stink eye...
If one follows the logic of the logo getting closer and closer, next time it should focus on the mermaid's bosom.
I rather think it has already. Focused on the, er, northern hemisphere, shall we say...
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