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Starbucks' New Flavor: Local Shop Names

Giant rebrands one Seattle store '15th Avenue Coffee and Tea'

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 16, 2009 2:03 PM CDT

(Newser) – With traffic waning, Starbucks has a new strategy: It’s dropping “Starbucks” from store names and rebranding them to reflect their neighborhoods, the Seattle Times reports. 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea, for example, won’t feature the Starbucks logo—even bags of coffee will be labeled “15th Avenue.” The shop will also aim for a classic coffeehouse vibe, selling alcohol and featuring live music and poetry.

Seattle independents were annoyed by Starbucks workers scouting their stores. “They spent the last 12 months in our store up on 15th (Ave.) with these obnoxious folders that said, ‘Observation,’” noted one. While a Starbucks rep calls the store “definitely a little neighborhood coffee shop,” the local owner says, “Starbucks is Starbucks, and we’re different from them.” If the idea works, the chain may expand it beyond Seattle.

In this Jan. 26, 2009, file photo, a customer holds a coffee drink in front of a Starbucks coffee shop at the company's corporate headquarters in Seattle.
In this Jan. 26, 2009, file photo, a customer holds a coffee drink in front of a Starbucks coffee shop at the company's corporate headquarters in Seattle.   (AP Photo)
A Starbucks is shown in New York.
A Starbucks is shown in New York.   (AP Photo)
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaks March 18, 2009, at the annual shareholders meeting in Seattle.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaks March 18, 2009, at the annual shareholders meeting in Seattle.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
ickjui
Jul 17, 2009 4:16 AM CDT
Starbucks: undercover.
emptycalm
Jul 17, 2009 2:12 AM CDT
The wal-mart of coffee shops. They freeze their coffee. That's why it doesn't taste as good as any local place. Stop buying from corporate giants!
NxBigmouthery
Jul 16, 2009 9:08 AM CDT
They could call it 'God's Coffeehouse' and cut their price by 50%, I'd still not drink their warmed over urine.

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