Fauxbucks

I am a major fan of Starbucks. I Love it! I didn’t realize while in the states, that Starbucks became a sort of home to me. After running on Saturday mornings I would go and relax while sipping a Venti Tazo Passion Iced Tea. After work I would meet a friend and we would enjoy a drink together while catching up on life. During college I spent many hours studying for exams or writing papers. I would go by myself sometimes and have a bible study, I would go with friends before a road trip. Starbucks became something familiar, something comforting, and something always there and always enjoyable. It was dependable.

When I lived in the states I would go quite often. Though not as often as some I know- I would say I was a loyal customer. I have learned through USA today that 24% of Starbucks customers go 18 times a month. I would say I went that often, but close enough. I loved going in the mornings before work and starting the day with the friendly Barista’s. I would love it especially, while waiting in line and I recognize the other regulars or I would bump in executives from the company I worked for.

I love Starbucks water. Seriously if you have never had just an ice water from Starbucks- you should put this on your to do list. It is quite amazing and it makes perfect sense. Because Starbucks want to have the best coffee they need to have the best filtered water. The simplicity of water on ice from Starbucks is quite refreshing.



I love going to Starbucks with Friends. I love knowing what drinks my friends would order. I love that I know that Lindsay puts the amazing green straws in her daily starbucks fix. I loved stopping by Starbucks before heading to visit friends to bring them a drink as a nice surprise. I love how in the fall everyone waits in anticipation for the pumpkin spice and gingerbread latte. My personal favorite during the holiday season is the Peppermint Mocha. Yum. And the best thing about holidays was getting stocked up on Starbucks gift cards through the wonderful gifts of others.



I know more than one should know about Starbucks but I love that I know it. I know how many shots vs. how many pumps go into each drink and how to adjust the drink to my own personal preference. I love that I know when you get a cold drink at Starbucks the plastic lids are quite a nuisance and the straw always gets smashed – so before placing the straw in the cup it’s best if you stretch out the “x” marked for the straw. I actually find it annoying but there is something endearing about it being consistently obnoxious.



I love love love the quotes “the way I see it’s” on a Starbucks cup. I love reading the insights on the cups and I know that there are only two quotes per sleeve of cups. I love that my friend Denise sends me her quote when she finds a good one and I love trying to think of a cool quote of my own to submit.



When moving to Paris, I vowed I would not go to a Starbuck’s in Paris. I knew it wouldn’t be the same. It is impossible to replicate something 100%- especially across cultures. What made it even more distinguishable for me, is it would be missing the key ingredient of enjoying the experience with my friends and family from home. Those memories cannot be reproduced, unlike the foam consistency that goes into a Cappuccino. However- this weekend while touring Paris with friends, it started to rain- our only option to pass time other than standing in the rain was go to Starbucks.



I was not surprised to find the same wall décor and chair furnishings. Yet still there were very many subtle differences that a normal person wouldn’t recognize but for me threw me completely off base. The following is a list of what made a Starbucks in Paris a Fauxbucks.

1. No music- now maybe this was just a fluke of the location we were in, but starbucks has a mix that they play throughout all their stores according to the season and often sell it on display. I could hear no background music playing. I would at least expect a bit of French harmonies coming from a few speakers in the background.



2. The barristas had complete 100% confusion over what an iced coffee was. They had iced lattes, but when I ordered a Venti Iced Coffee- complete mayhem occurred. They did not understand the concept or how to make the drink. In the states there is chilled coffee on hand that they pour over ice. In Paris, they took the hot coffee of the week and poured it over ice making it completely watered down. They are forgiven but I still thought it was odd that a simple request created such a confusion.



3. The pastries were different- which actually isn’t a big deal just something I found to be quite interesting. I should have taste tested to compare. This is one area I imagine the Paris Fauxbucks would win.

4. My iced coffee was not in a typical Starbucks Iced Coffee cup. Yes the logo for Starbucks was there but the back side of the cup which generally has the 6 square boxes for ordering options- this was missing, along with the green rim around the cup- and the cup was much flimsier, as it would be in a Fauxbucks.

a. Also earlier I mentioned the difficulty of the lids on cold cups. Well thanks to the flimsier lid- there was no problem inserting the straw.



5. No half and half!




6. No sugar in the raw.



7. And my final point on how you know Starbucks in Paris is a Fauxbucks are the hot coffee cups. There is a generic cup that starbucks gives out to organizations and churches when they would like to use “Starbucks” cups because they are serving starbucks coffee- but they are not an actual Starbucks. To the average eye, it would like a Starbucks cup. It would be your basic cup with the Starbucks logo. But who you know the cup did not come from Starbucks is the missing “the way I see it” placed on the back of the cup. Thus my final reason and difference on why in Paris it is not actually a starbucks but a Fauxbucks is because of the cup.



Now you may not agree with me on my points and that’s okay, it’s just “the way I see it.” Have a great day and stop in to your local store and enjoy a drink for me.