My first visit to a Starbucks was many years ago, at the original store near Seattle’s Pike Place Market. My friend Tony and I had stopped by during a morning of watching flying fish in the Market. I pulled my camera out to take a picture of him standing in line because he was making funny faces at me, as he sometimes likes to do. But suddenly, a loud voice thundered across the room: “NO CAMERAS! NO CAMERAS!” An irate barista in the now-familiar dark green Starbucks apron pointed at me and my evil camera. Despite protests that I was only taking an innocent shot of Tony and not engaged in corporate espionage, he was visibly upset.

Today’s corporate Starbucks seems far less concerned about protecting the mysteries of that corporate branding, and more about slumping revenues, aggressive competitors, and declining market share.  In fact, Starbucks has recently, quietly and without fanfare opened another coffee shop.  Not unusual for Starbucks, you may think, who now have about 16,000 locations in 43 countries worldwide.

Well, this one is unusual.  No carbon copy urban-chic decor that tells you instantly you’ve just walked into Starbucks. Instead, 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea in Seattle’s leafy Capitol Hill neighbourhood looks and feels like one of those comfy, independently-owned neighbourhood cafés, nothing like your average signature Starbucks. They’re also serving wine and beer there, and offering lots of live music and book signings and other community events to draw their neighbours in. There is no signage, no logo, nothing at all to remind you that this little shop is wholly-owned by the world’s biggest coffee vendor. As one reviewer describes it:

“Ethically speaking, it’s a ‘Mom & Pop’ designed to snuff out other ’Mom & Pops’. I find it ironic to see a store designed like all of the small shops that Starbucks has put out of business.”  Continue reading →