For the sake of everyone reading along from other parts of the country, it bears mentioning that the street containing the first non-Starbucks Starbucks ('Cryptobucks') is jam-packed with coffee shops: http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...
I'm a little perplexed by the report that the 15th Ave Coffee and Tea is doing so poorly since their store is constantly packed with people. The only thing I can imagine is that your typical Starbucks does the lion's share of its business on the strength of 'to go' orders, which the new Cryptobucks locations are expressly designed to minimize.
The coffee at the new places is definitely better than your average Starbucks, in any case. It's also better than a fair number of independent coffee shops in the same vicinity.
I'm a little perplexed by the report that the 15th Ave Coffee and Tea is doing so poorly since their store is constantly packed with people. The only thing I can imagine is that your typical Starbucks does the lion's share of its business on the strength of 'to go' orders, which the new Cryptobucks locations are expressly designed to minimize.
The coffee at the new places is definitely better than your average Starbucks, in any case. It's also better than a fair number of independent coffee shops in the same vicinity.