Now that's how you full-bodied!

Good morning... What can I get for you?

Well, we've made it through our first week of business here. I'm going to need to offer you a service recovery coupon. It seems that I don't have a final number on those espresso cups but currently they sit at $30 from a bidder in Germany. I'll let you know by next week though.

So Fridays have a mixed purpose. Mostly that it'll be a grab bag.

You may have heard that when HS went to Milan back in the 80's, he was impressed by the espresso bars there and how the were a daily stop for the Italians. He came back and pitched the concept of Il Giornale to the Starbucks guys (Gordon and Jerry). After a while they said yes... Il Giornale is the original Starbucks. Espresso drinks and a bite to eat. How close is that to today's Starbucks? One of the things that has always concerned me is the addition of so many new products to the cafes, that it has blurred the purpose of the barista. If the idea was to create the "Milan" experience... then why force the customer to see everything but the coffee?

I think folks are starting to see how adding such complexity to the barista's job has put Starbucks where it is. I think in that sense... it's too late to turn back.

I'll share an interesting interaction I had with HS once. A cohort and I went to a local, lunch hot spot called Salumi. You may know of it... Mario Batali's (TV Chef) dad is the owner. A small, closet of a place for some great cured meats and other sandwich items. One or two tables and only open a few hours a day. Crammed full during those hours.

Now we waited in line and when we got about half way through, HS gets out of a big, black Mercedes and excuses himself to the front. He greets the owner and is escorted to a place where they set up a special table and such. Rushed to the head of the line. I guess he deserves it. So about a week later at an Open Forum, I took the opportunity to ask him about Salumi.

Pat: Hey, we saw you at Salumi. Do you go there a lot?

HS: Not as much as I'd like to.

Pat: Yeah... that place is great.

HS: The trouble with that place is that people know about it.

Now I'm sure he was joking... but it made me think that maybe Starbucks has experienced a different kind of success than anyone ever wanted. If the success measure was to re-create the "Milan" experience, how far did they overshoot it.

Intersting Fact(s): An issue of the Il Giornale newspaper, from the day that the first Il Giornale coffee bar opened, is framed on a historical executive's office wall. The last of the original Il Giornale coffee bars (which is a Starbucks now obviously) is on the corner of 2nd and Columbia in Seattle.

We'll see you on Monday for your usual... Have a good weekend.

Pat Nerr...

Here's a little something for you to watch...