Relax with a nice cup of coffee (Starbucks)

Member Name: January

Product:	Starbucks
Date:	09/11/04 (1038 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lots of choice

Disadvantages: a bit pricey

A few weeks ago a Starbucks café opened in Hereford town centre and as I had watched the shop being refitted over the previous month, I was waiting for it to open so that I could go in and try the different kinds of coffee they sell. There is only this Starbucks café in Hereford and having read reviews about how good they were and also being a real coffee lover, I had to go in and try a cup.

The first thing that caught my attention when I entered the Starbucks café was how tidy and clean it was, the tables were set out in an orderly manner with enough space between each to get yourself comfy and have room to put your shopping bags down on the floor without getting in anyone else’s way . I hate a café where it’s too packed to move and your squashed into a table without the room to move your chair incase you hit someone’s legs. I like to be able to sit comfortably with my cup of coffee and relax and enjoy it.
Some of the table tops were chequered just like a chess board, others were larger for four or five people to sit round and there were two seated tables for the cosy cup of coffee for two.

I went up to the counter where there was a huge board on display with the prices, I like this as you don’t get hit with a huge bill after ordering, you can see how much it’s going to cost before hand.
The prices are a bit expensive, a ordinary cup of filter coffee will cost you £1.75, the same as a ordinary hot chocolate and cup of tea.
Then you go onto lots of variations of coffee which range from £1.75, £2.25 and £2.99 depending on which type and size of coffee you go for. There is so much to choose from that it would probably take you a few weeks to go through the menu. Here are just a few to give you an idea of the range of choices.

Arabian Mocha Java.
This is a full bodied spicy java coffee which is one of my favourites.

Colombia Narino Supremo
This is a medium coffee which is a popular coffee and a well known brand.

French Roast.
This is a dark and strong smoky flavoured coffee which is another of my favourites.

Kenya
Another popular but strong coffee.

Italian Roast
Strong but sweet.

Caffe Verona
A smooth and nutty flavour.

There are just a few of the choices but there is so much more, the coffee is superb and that’s without getting into the hot chocolate range, which you can have with mint, cream, coffee, caramel and numerous other flavours.
I was so impressed with the choice I go there twice a week when I drop my daughter off to college just to try something different. You can even get decaff if you want.
When you order the coffee, you have to wait a couple of minutes, but the staff will bring the coffee to your table for you. The milk, sugar, sticks for stirring your coffee, tea, ect are on a section apart from the counter where you buy your coffee, you can also get straws, chocolate or vanilla sprinklers for the top of your hot chocolate and serviettes.

While drinking your coffee, you can look around the shop which is very attractive at this time of the year. There are jars of coffee beans, packets of coffee on sale, Christmas slices wrapped individually, chocolate wafers, mince pies and lots of other tempting goodies on show.
At the moment there is a competition running in the hereford starbucks to guess how many coffee beans is in one of the jars, the winner gets a 8 cup cafeteria and a packet of roasted coffee beans.

Starbucks get their coffee from Indonesia, East Africa, Latin America and they meet with the local growers to inspect the crops to strengthen their ties with the coffee growing communities. They also support the fairtrade coffee, as this helps the coffee growers to get a fair price for their harvest, which in turn helps them to afford basic healthcare, education and housing improvements.
Starbucks has also contributed $1.8m to care in the coffee growing regions. Starbucks have been working with Conservation International since 1998 and have helped local farmers in Mexico to preserve forests, streams and wildlife.

They have also helped children in Panama and Costa Rica get the education they need by providing books and school supplies and have helped out other communities to build health clinics and get medical assistance. So by going into Starbucks and buying a simple cup of coffee, you are also contributing to helping others.
When you go into a Starbucks cafe you will find a leaflet which is called, How are we doing? This is there to give you the opportunity to voice your opinion about the shop and service you have received from your trip to the café.
Inside the leaflet is a short questionnaire, which asks you about the stores environment, customer service, product quality and which store you visited.
This gives you the chance to let them know what you think and how the Starbucks café is running in your opinion, I like the idea as it gives you the chance to have your say.

I love Starbucks, even though it is a bit expensive, I think it’s worth the extra price to be able to have a huge range of choices as well as a clean comfortable friendly environment to relax and drink your chosen drink. I visit twice a week and feel it’s a special treat for me, I can drive to town and sit and drink a lovely cup of coffee, served by friendly staff who are now getting to know me as a regular customer.
If there’s a Starbucks near you, I’d recommend you pop in and taste the difference.

Summary: Nice place to relax with coffee