Paris
The Seattle coffee giant Starbucks opened its first shop in Paris this week, offering huge paper cups of lattes-to-go to a people used to sipping espresso from china. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said the marketing approach would be understated. “We didn’t come here to displace any cafes,” he said, “or to teach the French people about coffee.” As it happens, the French already have their own chain, Columbus Cafe, which is doing quite well selling American-style coffee. “We were told the French would never drink coffee out of paper cups,” said Philippe Bloch of Columbus, “and certainly not coffee beverages with a high added value like cappuccino or iced coffees. And that is not true.” Starbucks plans to open 10 stores in France by the end of the year.
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