Caffe Nero - The decision is in!

[karter]

how about green and blue?

[above the shops]

Immediate neighbours are indeed please. The issue with the air-conditioning units has been going on for 18 months for us. And assuming that they do actually remove them we will be delighted! Thanks to the 3 local councillors who have been supportive over the entire issue from the start!

[clive3300]

I have noticed the Nero / All chains hatred by many ED residents with interest.

I have no particular liking for chains over the local coffee shops, but go to Nero largely because they serve a takeaway cup larger than a thimble. In fact you might note that every major successful chain offers cups of this volume, because of the important observation that most people are not midgets.

However this fact has not generally sunk in with our intrepid local entrepreneurs, and large cups are (or certainly were) just not available from any of the non corporate coffee shops - yet these are what person after person orders in the queue at Nero/Starbucks etc. I have bought coffee at Blue Mountain, Drum Petit Chou and all look at me like I am nuts when I ask for a takeaway cup bigger than 200ml.

I also go to Nero because there is a (slim) chance of sitting in a comfy, clean sofa chair instead of a tiny cramped chair. And they have newspapers which might encourage me to linger and buy another coffee - smart idea eh? Also the music is more appropriate to the time of day. I remember being forced to some hairy barista's Best Heavy Metal Guitar Solo album while in Drum on a sunday. The place was empty except me - I wonder why. Nero played Bach and was rammed.

I once turned away an ice coffee from Blue Mountain as they hadnt crushed the ice and and it was in a 200ml cup or something (ie 2/3 the size of a can of coke). I mean WTF?

Conclusion: There is just a small chance that corporates are successful in the first place because they are somewhat more aware of what people want.

[macroban]

Music?

I can't remember seeing a PRS licence displayed.

[wee quinnie]

clive3300 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have noticed the Nero / All chains hatred by

> many ED residents with interest.

>

> I have no particular liking for chains over the

> local coffee shops, but go to Nero largely because

> they serve a takeaway cup larger than a thimble.

> In fact you might note that every major successful

> chain offers cups of this volume, because of the

> important observation that most people are not

> midgets.

>

> However this fact has not generally sunk in with

> our intrepid local entrepreneurs, and large cups

> are (or certainly were) just not available from

> any of the non corporate coffee shops - yet these

> are what person after person orders in the queue

> at Nero/Starbucks etc. I have bought coffee at

> Blue Mountain, Drum Petit Chou and all look at me

> like I am nuts when I ask for a takeaway cup

> bigger than 200ml.

>

> I also go to Nero because there is a (slim) chance

> of sitting in a comfy, clean sofa chair instead of

> a tiny cramped chair. And they have newspapers

> which might encourage me to linger and buy another

> coffee - smart idea eh? Also the music is more

> appropriate to the time of day. I remember being

> forced to some hairy barista's Best Heavy Metal

> Guitar Solo album while in Drum on a sunday. The

> place was empty except me - I wonder why. Nero

> played Bach and was rammed.

>

> I once turned away an ice coffee from Blue

> Mountain as they hadnt crushed the ice and and it

> was in a 200ml cup or something (ie 2/3 the size

> of a can of coke). I mean WTF?

>

> Conclusion: There is just a small chance that

> corporates are successful in the first place

> because they are somewhat more aware of what

> people want.

Regarding Starbucks - there is no choice in the matter - the smallest one you can get is about the size of a bloody bucket. I'd have to say, my preferred size would be one about half the size of the smallest they do in Sbucks. Sorry I realise I am a bit off thread topic here. Apologies!

[dc]

above the shops Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Immediate neighbours are indeed please. The issue

> with the air-conditioning units has been going on

> for 18 months for us. And assuming that they do

> actually remove them we will be delighted! Thanks

> to the 3 local councillors who have been

> supportive over the entire issue from the start!

When you say 'the start' do you mean they actively supported you before the community council made its decision?

[The Australian]

I agree with clive3300. I dont like giant take away coffee cups. Coffee is not soup. The 'small' at Caffe Nero and Starbucks is too big. The cups might be larger at chain coffee shops but they also charge you more for the priviledge. I'm not for or against the corporates by any means, I wish everyone success in their line of business. When it comes to coffee though, I find chain stores cheapen it and sweeten it beyond what I would reasonably call coffee. They're like the McDonalds of the coffee world... supersize me.

I used to work as a Barista in Sydney and I can tell you that Sydneysiders take their coffee very seriously! When I order a cup of coffee, it has to be just right. A true Barista knows that coffee is an artform. Temperature, size, bean quality, milk, presentation... it's not simply a case of making a cup of coffee. Independent cafes generally do not offer varying sizes for their coffee because the glass sizes are suited to the particular type of coffee you order. For example, an espresso shot is in a very small glass, while a latte is served in a tall glass because of the amount of milk added to it. The size of the glass also helps to ensure that you don't overdo it by adding too much milk to a latte for example.

Obviously tastes vary from person to person so its a very subjective matter. Yes I have tried coffee at Starbucks and Caffe Nero and it's just not for me. I do like the Egg Nogg Latte that Starbucks do around Christmas time though. Especially if I happen to be in Edinburgh at the time and it's freezing cold out... which is pretty much a certainty. At the end of the day, I'd say it's a case of each to their own.

As for me, well, I think I'm going to get off the coffee bandwagon for a while and get down to some serious tea drinking at Le Chandelier. They must have one of the most impressive tea menu's I have ever seen!

Cheers,

Glen