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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's oppositionThe Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
-
How the woke right gained power in the USUnder the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
