In recent years the coffee culture in America has exploded, no doubt encouraged by TV programs such as Friends, where the coffee house is the central location for the characters to meet up. Whoever had the initial concept for coffee shop franchises such as Starbucks were onto an immediate winner. The coffee makers in these places are constantly in use and the queues that build up during the lunch break dont seem to put anybody off. Coffee houses have become the new places to be seen, oh and to have a cup of coffee while you are there.
Starbucks, you either love it or you hate it, and if you love it you cant possibly imagine any other reaction. Where else can you get such a selection of coffee and general hot drink varieties, along with a delectable range of sandwiches and sticky desserts at such reasonable prices? All in ultimate comfort too as Starbucks outlets are filled with comfy sofas and armchairs. Almost every town centre, shopping mall, highway service area or train station now has a handy Starbucks outlet, not just in the US, but all over Europe and a number of other parts of the world.
Perhaps herein lays the problem. The widespread success of...