And to SbuxDrama, Starbucks Coffee Company began selling only whole bean, dark roasted coffee! It’s evolved into “frilly” dessert drinks. In my perspective, its sad that this company is known for its “extra caramel drizzle java chip frappuccinos” when their drip coffee is delish!

There’s a whole world of coffees to taste!!! Just like wine, you start picking up on subtle flavors… Guatemala Antigua will taste like a nutty cashew, while the Ethiopia Sidamo has a lemony quality. The Clover coffee brings out a lot of these subtleties and makes them intense with flavors! I had a Clover coffee when I visited Austin earlier this year. It wasn’t Starbucks, but it was one of those cups of coffees that you just have to yell out “MAN! THIS IS A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE!”

At the Starbucks I work at, probably 25-33% of our sales come from drip coffees. Mostly middle aged men in my experience.

There is definitely a customer base out there who will do anything for the best cup of coffee. In Melody’s words “Their placement though should be judicious”. (Ha, I laugh ’cause the words you choose show your profession!) Not every location is going to be able to support the Clover. It’ll probably have to be at a busy store where coffee passion from the baristas and customers are present. From there, the passion will spread through the community.

So, Starbucks has to convince customers that A) their coffee is special and B) this machine makes it even more special and C) it is worth waiting for special coffee.

I get that – and I think they have the brand power to do it.

Here’s my question – and I have never seen this answered anywhere.

What percentage of drinks sold at Starbucks are just plain old cups of coffee?

As opposed to espressos, white chocolate mochas, frappuccinos, etc? I’ve never ordered a “cup of coffee” at a Starbucks – and neither do 90 percent of my twenty-something and thirty-something social circle. We order the “frilly” $4 espresso drinks that have enough sugar to keep a dentist busy for eight years, and don’t bat an eye paying for it. We talk about “going to Starbucks” like it is a religious experience. But we look down our nose at “plain coffee,” simply because Starbucks trained us that coffee was supposed to taste like dessert.

I guess my question is this “What’s the payoff if most of the customer base isn’t buying what the Clover is producing?” Or am I wrong?