Academic Writing "Peet's Coffee and Tea"

With time the small industry of coffee has modernized into a multibillion dollar industry that surrounds the world. With the growth of the industry there has been many world wide changes. Over the past 30 years coffee shops have jumped to the front of the public culture. New coffee shops have changes the face of American cities along with British, German, Colombian, Kenyan and Indonesia towns to name few. (Coffee a comprehensive guide to the bean, the beverage, and the industry) Around the world coffee has become part of the daily culture and coffee shops have grown to accommodate the massive demand that people ask for. Without the growth of the industry there would be a shortage of the product and many would have to go without their beloved beverage. In the United States alone there has been a massive increase in the number of coffee shops. In 1980 the number of coffee shops was a year 2,000 and by 2008 there was an astonishing 27,715. (Coffee a comprehensive guide to the bean, the beverage, and the industry) This was an increase of over ten times in the short time. 11,000 of those stores, almost half, were Starbucks one of the biggest coffee brands in the worlds. The growth of Starbucks is due to the work of Howard Schultz a worker for the company before they became as massive as they are today. Starbucks started very small in Seattle, Washington in the mid 1970’s. Howard bought out the owners and then went on to turn the small company into a massive corporation. (Coffee a

Coffee quickly became the drink of intellect and industry being known to sharpen the mind. Taverns were replaced with a more sophisticated meeting place, the coffeehouse. These “led to the establishment of scientific societies and financial institutions, the founding of newspapers, and provided fertile ground for revolutionary thought.” [4]

The caffeine in coffee become an ethical increase over alcohol and have become a fashionable social beverage. It was interesting to see how it started off as this very exotic drink only for the upper class and then turned into what it is now. Coffee is a very fashionable drink that does not cost much that many have led their days with in today’s society.

I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a very popular chain of coffee vendors that describe their product as more about quality than what Americans are used to in typical coffee joints.

Despite Peet’s Coffee and Tea being a corporate company, and the amount of stores it has produced, the goals and ambitions have not changed much. Coffee beans and tea’s are still the main focus of Peet’s and where they get most their revenue from. Bill Lilla, Peet’s executive vice president, said his company ensures quality through long-term relationships with growers, and by paying them more than the going rate. On the other hand, Starbucks Coffee insists their size has not affected quality, but it is hard to believe when their size is above and beyond the thousands. As the saying goes, too many cooks ruin the stew, and in this case, Starbucks would be the cooks, and its coffee and early aspirations are the

Coffee brews under a drip of scalding water, beans grind in the gears of a metal mechanism set atop the bar, and the chatter of patrons syncs with the sound of steaming milk in each Starbucks cafe chain. Like most cafes, the aroma of Arabica overwhelms all others, natural light shines in through the windows to touch the wooden tables, and the murmurs of conversations can be heard throughout the edifice. However, whereas the plebeian palate that feigns good taste finds pleasure in drinking coffee in its most basic form so that the true flavors of the drink might be relished, the rising youth of our post-modern society realize that coffee is best prepared when the taste of the bean is overwhelmed by various artificial flavors and sugars—undoubtedly cancerous but utterly unimportant. These developing connoisseurs of high society, with all their charm and intelligence, make it clear that Starbucks is the only cafe from which anyone who is anyone must buy one’s coffee. Starbucks, truly a place for the cultural and coffee elite, consistently attracts three intriguingly eccentric and completely loyal customers of both sharp wit and fine intellect: the female Women’s Studies major, the flagrant homosexual male, and the out-of-place conservative.

Evidently this café exemplifies globalisation and its influence on developing nations. The results of this ethnography will be analysed to determine whether a first world coffee culture habit can be ingrained in a developing society where coffee bars are not popular. Before this analysis, the various cultural tangents imposed by the globalisation process will be discussed.

Coffee is considered as being the most favorite hot beverage that is consumed within the United States. Coffee is consumed by over 60% of the U.S. population. The accessibility and expenses of coffee substitutes such as tea, cocoa, and coffee complements (sugar or creamer) in addition plays a major role in which sets the coffee prices. During the 1957-87 era, the cost of coffee had beyond tripled, the per capita of US consumption of coffee declined to 44.3%, and actual disposable personal earning expanded to 246%. With the reduction of per capita US coffee demand could have possibly been associated with the increasing expenses of coffee, modifications within the taste changes that were made due to dietary concerns and the variety of transformations

Coffee has played a major role in the lives of many people around the world. “Yet, poetic as its taste may be, coffee’s history is rife with controversy and politics…[becoming a] creator of revolutionary sedition in Arab countries and in Europe” (Pendergrast xvi). After reading Uncommon Grounds, it is apparent that the history of coffee is intertwined with the aspects of the globalization process, the role of Multi-National Corporations, and global economic issues.

Battery acid, brain juice, cup of Joe, java, liquid energy, caffeine fix, morning brew, and day starter are all nicknames for that wonderful hot liquid that many people around the world call coffee. I am one of those many people. Whether it is brewed in my coffee pot in the morning or someone does a run to a coffee shop for me; coffee is one of those things I just can’t live without in the morning. The origins of coffee are still a perplexity. While nobody knows the true origin of coffee there are three main stories that are said to explain how this remarkable indulgence came to be.

For the last 20 years, a familiar feature of the American life has been the coffee house; every day over 60% of the American population stops for their favorite form of coffee beverage and can easily spend between three and five dollars a cup.

Starbucks advertises two essential mission statements. First and foremost, it strives to “establish [ourselves] as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while [we] grow(s).” (Starbucks) Reflective of its mission, Starbucks bases its strategic campaign and communications on six indispensable philosophies; structuring a pleasant work environment in which employees are treated with “respect and dignity,” incorporating diversity in all business aspects, purchasing, roasting and delivering fresh coffee, retaining satisfied customers, giving back to the community and environment, and developing

The second major flaw in the coffee taste studies is the existence of external variables. It is evident that the first and third studies had underlying variables that may have significantly affected their outcomes. The first study notes that “the author of this study personally purchased coffee to go at four places, took them to his office, tasted them, made notes and drew conclusions” (pg. 63). This indicates a major flaw of this particular study because the time frames for which each cup of coffee was obtained and then consumed are inconsistent.

Just like American’s the British love their coffee. In fact coffee is the most popular drink worldwide.According to the National British Coffee association, the café culture is rising in popularity with 80% of people who go to coffee shops doing so at least once a week. According to the Short List, a popular UK magazine, you can not even walk four strides without coming to a new coffee shop. Daily Mail, a popular online newspaper, states that coffee is quickly gaining popularity even over the nations iconic drink, hot tea. Due to the rising popularity of chain coffee shops, the nation is drinking almost two and a half cup of coffee for ever one cup of tea. The market is also being dominated with the sales of specialty drinks. For these reason, it is not surprising that coffee retailers are flourishing.

When Schultz returned to the States he presented his new-found discoveries, of what he believes a coffee shop should be like. However, his bosses didn’t share the same belief, that creating a coffee shop with “artistic and joyful experiences” was less as important as making coffee that sells well. So, Schultz quit and he went on to raise money to fund his own coffee shop establishment , “Il Giornale.” The store started very small, with only two, or three employees, to keep labor costs down. Only sixteen months into his new founded company, Schultz found himself in the position to buy his former employers’ small scale coffee shop. To Schultz it was a no brainer to buy the company which first sparked his love for coffee, so he did. And at only thirty-four years old Schultz had one-hundred employees, several locations throughout the city of Seattle, and a dream to create a nationally recognized brand of “Starbucks Coffee.”