Corporate coffeehouse fails to impress
by Kristen Power,Outpost Staff
Deep purples and greens entice customers into this cozy coffeehouse situated conveniently in a shopping center in the heart of South Reno. Mid-morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the place was hopping. The seven or eight tables indoors were filled and customers were braving the chilly breeze, drinking their coffee at the garden tables on the patio.
The Fire Creek Crossing Starbucks is the second of three new Starbucks to open in the Reno-Sparks area in the past year.
Because Starbucks is a corporate chain, the décor is different than most coffeehouses. Each store must look the same for continuity. The corporate image that this coffeehouse displays is tidy and well thought out.
Two of the four walls are all windows; the other two are busily
A Starbucks employee hands coffee to an awaiting customer. Photo by J. Rasmussen |
The menu at Starbucks is what one might expect for a coffeehouse, with extras. Regular coffee drinks such as café mochas and espressos are offered, but the famous coffee chain has added several tea drinks to the menu. Starbucks also offers juices and a children's menu of drinks, which is important in attracting parents with their children. To complement the coffee, Starbucks sells pastries, muffins and a large selection of biscotti.
Starbucks isn't just in business to sell coffee anymore either. Much of the action inside Starbucks is concerned with the buying and selling of coffee drinks, but some visitors are there to shop. A quarter of the store is dedicated to merchandising.
Customers can purchase Starbucks coffee for home brewing, coffee mugs, coffee makers, stuffed animals, chocolates and other coffee paraphernalia. CDs featuring the music played inside Starbucks locations across the country and gift certificates also are available.
Not being a coffee drinker, I tried the café mocha, figuring the chocolate and milk would drown out much of the caffeine that makes my heart race. Café mochas I've had elsewhere were never as hard on me as the one I tried at Starbucks. I was unaware that Starbucks' trademark is especially strong coffee. The flavor was rich and heavy, and the chocolate was dark. The rest of the day was insanity as the caffeine sped up my heart and made me sweat. It was a good cup of joe, but not one for lightweights like me.
The prices at Starbucks are competitive with other coffeehouses. My grande (or large) mocha was about $3. Prices on the pastries and cookies start at about $1.50
The noise level inside was high as customers ordered, machines whirred and employees called out orders to each other and to customers. People were carrying on conversation and glancing at newspapers, but any serious reading would be futile in the hustle and bustle.
I would recommend Starbucks for strong coffee lovers, people on the go, those who are running errands or those who want to be trendy. But for people who like to savor their coffee, read or carry on quiet conversation, Starbucks isn't the place to be.
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4809 Kietzke Ave. #A, Reno 827-1192 |
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HOURS: 6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday; 5:30
a.m. - 9 p.m.Monday - Thursday; 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday; 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday |
Posted March 24, 1999
Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost