Starbucks has announced that it plans to open four shops A DAY throughout 2005. Londonist nearly collapsed in horror before realising that this was worldwide, not in London.
We spent a number of years working outside central London in the early 1990s and the return to central London in 1996 was a shock to the system. What were all these Pret a Mangers? And in those days it was the Seattle Coffee Company rather than Starbucks. Where had THEY come from?
Another question has to be asked. Given the proliferation of Prets, Starbucks, Caffe Neros, Carphone Warehouses, Phones 4Us and other such outlets since 1991, what on earth was there before them? Fishmongers? Butchers?
By the way, the staff of Starbucks, Regent Street, were wearing their Santa hats today. Surely the hats will get pretty dirty within six weeks?
Meanwhile, Londonist awaits the arrival of a decent cup of coffee and a decent pastry in the guise of a properly franchised Cinnabon — to be found in any decent US airport, but hardly anywhere else.
