Starting in March, Starbucks customers will experience a slight alteration to their experience in the form of an updated logo. Starbucks recently unveiled the design, which while not very different omits the text from the famous emblem.
The symbol adorning cups and merchandise will now show the famous siren minus the words “Starbucks Coffee.” Companies update their logos all the time, but as insignificant as this may seem, this decision may signify a move in the wrong direction. When Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz unveiled the new image he did so with the hope to “remain relevant and poised for future growth.” Simply put, Starbucks is considering a move away from what it does best — coffee. By omitting the word “coffee” from its merchandise, the company is allowing the possibility of expansion into other markets, most likely food.
No longer tied down to caffeinated wonders, it can now convince consumers of its emergence as a food retailer. The company offers appropriate snacks, such as pastries and muffins, and there has been talk of expanding the food selection to sandwiches, salads and other, more substantial food items. Loyal crowd allowing, there is a possibility that this expansion will be a major success, but for people like me who enjoy the coffeehouse experience, I fear this may be a suicidal move on the company’s part. Coffeehouse culture is very fickle, and I don’t foresee patrons reacting well to the crowding of their cozy experience. Visiting a Starbucks and not ordering coffee seems somewhat absurd, but is this a lurking possibility? Is it to become more of a food provider? Is it possible that Starbucks has gotten too excited about its dominance and will jump the shark by converting into a restaurant? I fear so.
A coffeehouse should be just that — a place where people congregate to write, read and reflect while sipping steaming mugs of joe. The genius of Starbucks is its success in harnessing the small-coffee-bar feel while exploiting the power and possibilities of a corporate giant. Introducing a more expansive food menu will not only encourage customers to flock in large groups, causing noise and crowds (major irritations to any coffee house frequenter) but will encourage them to stay longer, hog more tables and distract from the wonderfully enticing smell of roasting coffee, steamed milk and all the trimmings.
Good old America; we are just never satisfied. It’s not enough to be the most successful coffee roaster in the world; now we have to draw a market through food as well! Perhaps this is a response to the growing competition from McDonald’s, where machine-produced, sugary coffee concoctions offer customers the benefit of morning convenience. Sure, the coffee isn’t nearly as high quality, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper and in the same location as a tasty McMuffin.
The convenience and efficiency is magnetic to a hurried America and a definite advantage for McDonald’s in the playing field, but efficiency isn’t the factor that makes Starbucks so successful. You don’t go to Outback Steakhouse for a cheap hamburger, nor do you visit Starbucks for cheap coffee. You prepare to pay for excellence, and for this reason, I feel it risks losing a large consumer base if the company incorporates food and moves toward a restaurant experience.
Its consumer base is loyal because of the quality it consistently receives, and different food items aren’t necessary to excite the fans. Starbucks already has millions of drones flocking to its stores on a daily basis. Muffins and scones go with the coffee ambiance, but sandwiches do not. While the grass certainly may seem greener, why mess with a good thing? Starbucks, I beg you: Chill out. You have struck gold, so sit back and enjoy it.
Laura Ellermeyer is a first-year finance major. Her columns appear on Tuesdays.
