American businesses generally can break into many countries worldwide and then do well. However, sometimes, you see some local heroes rise up and beat them back.
Jollibee beat KFC in the Philippines, VKontakte kept Facebook at bay in Russia, and now we have Luckin. This coffee chain was able to actually beat Starbucks in China, with more shops than the latter.
Luckin recently expanded overseas, first opening in Singapore in 2022. I thought it would be cool to visit it to see what made it capable of beating out Starbucks in China.
I recently visited one of Luckin Coffee’s first shops outside of China, in Singapore. As I sipped its Americano, I was surprised by its taste. I also wonder how Luckin’s Americano will taste side-by-side with popular Western coffee.
In this post, I decided to compare Luckin Coffee’s Americano side by side with Americano from Starbucks, McCafe, and Subway.
Luckin Coffee is the new darling in the world of coffee. Originating from China, it beat out Starbucks in its home market by opening more shops. It is now working on international expansion, with Singapore its first overseas market.
I recently visited Luckin Coffee in Singapore to see what made them successful. Part of the visit also has me trying out some of the signature drinks, and I thought I’d share my experience here.
Ever seen the drive through coffee shop Ellianos Coffee when you are in Florida, Alabama or Georgia and wondered what they’re all about?
I wondered too, so I looked them up to see what the story behind this small coffee chain in the southeastern US. Turns out they’ve been around for more than 20 years, because they were founded in 2002. So it’s not a new chain at all. They are a highly established business.
The Mocha Frappuccino may be one of the most popular drinks in Starbucks today. It is ice cold, slushy, and full of chocolatey-coffee goodness. Add some cream on top… oh yeah.
It sold so well that Starbucks introduced a Ready-To-Drink (RTD) version of the drink. This way, you can enjoy your Mocha Frappuccino anytime you like. Just pick one from your grocery aisles.
However, do these RTD versions taste the same as the Mocha Frappuccino your barista makes at Starbucks? To answer this, I got onto a bit of an experiment myself. I compare the RTD Mocha Frappuccino and the hand-made drink version in this post.
Perhaps you remember from more than 10 years ago when Starbucks bought Clover, a high tech coffee machine company that could make individual cups of coffee with extremely precise water and temperatures. High end independent coffee shops had been buying the machines to make extremely good drip coffee until Starbucks bought the entire company, taking them off the market to anyone but Starbucks.
The original plan was to roll out these Clover machines at Starbucks locations around the US, and perhaps around the world.
There was one at my local Starbucks in Dallas, Texas. But it was one of only two or three in the entire state! And it turns out that Starbucks never really rolled them out nationwide like they had planned.
In fact, I recently drove over to my Starbucks to take a photo of the Clover there, and they have taken it out of the store. It’s no longer there. I had to drive to a different Starbucks Reserve store in Dallas to find one. I’ve heard there’s also one in a Starbucks in Dallas on Park Lane.
I walk between the stands in the crowded market hall. From all sides come beautiful and intriguing smells: oriental spices, teas, delicious cheeses and meats… One aroma, however, stands out above the rest. It’s a smell so distinctive that any coffee lover would recognize it awake in the middle of the night. A sign in Polish appears to my eyes: “Coffee stronger than Bruce Lee’s kick.” I’m standing in front of a small stand, on whose counter two golden Aeropresses shimmer. I have reached my destination: I’m at Cafe Targowa.
Need to order a Starbucks box of coffee for work, church, a gathering or some other event? Here’s what you need to know!
The Starbucks traveler box of coffee comes with 96 ounces of coffee, which is enough for 12 separate 8 oz cups of coffee. It comes with the cups and the lids. It also comes with an array of sweetener options and stir sticks. And finally, it comes with a full cup of half and half with a lid and a stopper.
Budapest is a very unusual city, combining a complicated, difficult, and often paradoxical history, wonderful monuments, and beautiful modern developments. It is a place lying very often on the axis of historical conflicts, to which it owes its unique character. The streets of Budapest are magical, morning walks through this city give the feeling that we are in the beating heart of Europe – ubiquitous tourists and friendly locals mingle on the busy streets of the city.
Being in the city, you feel that it was here in the 1920s and 1930s that the café culture flourished and developed. Even at that time, Budapest had almost 500 cafes in constant operation, which were places for poets, artists, and politicians to meet and discuss – and staying in Budapest you can feel this rich past.
As for coffee culture, today, in the 21st century, Budapest is still the site of a clash: this time between traditional coffee culture and the third wave of coffee, introducing new methods, popularizing pour-over coffee and minimalist, aesthetic spaces. When I was first given the opportunity to taste coffee from the pioneers of the Hungarian specialty coffee scene – Casino Mocca – a few years ago, I knew that a visit to Budapest would be an unforgettable experience for me. I was not mistaken. Although I was in Budapest in transit, just one day, I managed to have a taste of what modern Budapest coffee culture is like. Here are the two coffee shops I think every coffee lover must try, when in Budapest.