Starbucks' stirs up brewing coffee culture<\/p>\n
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It's an occurrence that is nothing less than heaven-sent for
\nthose of us whose kitchen counters groan under an assortment of
\nour favorite brews (a Japanese brand of Toraja, vanilla hazelnut,
\nsome Balinese and that soulful indulgence of Illy espresso
\ncurrently make up the collection of yours truly).<\/p>\n
But, for others with a high dose of cynicism toward the
\ngrasping tentacles of American corporate expansion, the opening
\nof a Starbucks here is along the same lines as the Golden Arches
\nfoisting yet another burger joint on an unsuspecting public.<\/p>\n
Whatever your take, it's yet more proof of the brewing coffee
\nculture here, even though most people still consider the drink as
\nsomething to be taken in the morning, with a smoke and while
\nbrowsing the newspaper, or at those sidewalk stalls offering a
\nglass of piping-hot coffee with its grounds.<\/p>\n
For Jakarta, at least, cafe and coffee culture have arrived.
\nFrom the Ooh La Las and Our Daily Breads (both very good at what
\nthey do), savoring one's favorite cup of the dark stuff went up a
\nlevel with Coffee Club and the newly opened Coffee Bean & Tea
\nLeaf at Plaza Senayan.<\/p>\n
Now there is the May arrival of Starbucks, the firm founded in
\n1971 that brought upscale coffee to the masses in the U.S. and
\nemploys 55,000 people at stores all around the globe, in a mall
\nalready populated with Ooh La La, La Moda, the Dome and
\nExcelsior.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian affiliate of this giant company, now firmly
\npart of popular culture as the favorite pick-me-up of Gwyneth,
\nJennifer, Brad, Nicole, Bill during his White House days and
\nother international celebrities, snapped by paparazzo bearing its
\ndistinctive brand-bearing coffee cups, has taken up residence in
\na prime ground floor corner spot of Plaza Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It is conveniently located adjacent to one of the main
\nentrances and, interestingly, is right across from the venerable
\nSegafredo, which also does a great cup of java.<\/p>\n
The new store, like its forerunners around the world, has been
\ndesigned with the vaunted "Starbucks Experience" in mind: soft
\njazz plays in the background, patrons can curl up in a comfy
\nchair in a tweedy section to the right of the open-fronted coffee
\nsection or see and be seen at tables outside.<\/p>\n
Even the selection of cakes and sandwiches has an accompanying
\nlabel indicating which beverage they go best with.<\/p>\n
The store's philosophy is most definitely not about getting
\nbums on seats, and then marching them out of the place as soon as
\nthey have taken their last slurp, said general manager Anthony
\nCottan from PT Sari Coffee Indonesia, the local licensee for
\nStarbucks Coffee International, Inc.<\/p>\n
Instead, Cottan said, the goal is for the stores to become
\npart of the daily routine, a place to stop at and unwind while
\npartaking of a cup of the good stuff.<\/p>\n
"We want Starbucks to be the third place in people's lives,
\nafter the home and office," Cottan said. "The music compliments
\nthe atmosphere, and is an attraction to bring people in. We
\nreally don't have enough chairs on the weekend, but we design
\nthem so that people want to stay.<\/p>\n
"We want people to come, stay and then come back again."<\/p>\n
Atmosphere has a lot to do with whether people want to come
\nand stay a while, but it's the coffee that will get them in the
\ndoor.<\/p>\n
Cottan said Starbucks wanted to foster a deeper appreciation
\nof coffee -- "we take our coffee seriously, and we don't want
\npeople to lose sight of that" -- and it starts with its staff.<\/p>\n
Before they can qualify to wear their green aprons and become
\npart of the store's army of barista (coffee experts), each must
\npass a period of training to get the savvy of what they are
\nserving.<\/p>\n
"Part of our daily ritual is to drink coffee, and we have a
\nmorning meeting every day," said Cottan, whose office includes
\nits own store where employees undergo some of their training.<\/p>\n
"We learn about the different subtleties of coffee, what is
\nthe difference between, say, a Kenyan and a Guatemalan Antigua,
\nand give them the confidence to explain it to customers.<\/p>\n
"We find that people may know the coffee of their own area in
\nIndonesia, but not those from other parts of the country."<\/p>\n
In some ways, Starbucks is playing catch-up, a relative
\nJohnny-come-lately to the burgeoning Jakarta coffee scene. Cottan
\nsaid there were repeated requests from committed Starbucks'
\ndrinkers to come to Jakarta, but the firm waited for the right
\ntime and a suitable partner before making its entry.<\/p>\n
As for the fear that the heavyweight of international coffee
\nwill move in and muscle out the minor players on the scene,
\nCottan was quick to state, understandably, that there is room
\nenough for all.<\/p>\n
It's all part of the company's belief that it is helping the
\npublic go from a morning caffeine fix of Nescafe to developing a
\ndeeper understanding of the coffee-tasting experience.<\/p>\n
"Other players are very important, too," Cottan said. "But, if
\nit's specialty coffee you want, then try us."<\/p>\n
And, if you don't like coffee, they have tea, too. Naturally.<\/p>\n
Starbucks, Ground floor, Plaza Indonesia. Opening hours:
\n10 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-midnight weekends.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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