"Pardon? I'm in Lewis at the moment."
"So am I. I'm here for the Festival."
"We don't have a Starbucks in Stornoway. Anyway it's a Sunday and only the hotels are open for coffee and meals."
"Trust me. There is a Starbucks. It opened on Thursday. Pick me up and we'll go for lunch."
So I did. And we did.
Mind
you I was threatened with men in white coats by one friend who
steadfastly refused to believe me when I told her where I was going.
Anyway we had a pleasant lunch in very spacious, airy surroundings even if the weather outside was pretty dreich.
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| The entrance across the courtyard |
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| The menu - no mention of Starbucks |
 |
| It is large, spacious, light and airy. |
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| The foyer with shop and more seating and the servery counter to the right. |
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| Exit acroos the courtyard with the newly relocated museum on the left |
So not really your typical Starbucks! My guess is that as they are aiming at Americans to occupy the apartments in the Castle the Starbucks name is being used for the coffee to make visitors feel safe and 'at home'. Actually we agreed that the coffee was good.
I won't be moving my loyalty from The Woodlands (which is a hundred or two yards away in the Castle grounds) but I will visit again.
The entrance looks very grand but I much prefer the cosy warmth of the snug little cafes we visited. Still, it's good to have options.
ReplyDeletePauline it is anything but cosy but it will serve its purpose and the large numbers of people who use the Castle grounds will doubtless enjoy the opportunity particularly on Sundays.
Delete£895 for fish & chips?!
ReplyDeleteNot a missing comma Monica but a missing point!
DeleteWere you comforted or not to know the Chancellor and Under-Treasurer of Her Majesty's Exchequer will see little of your expenditure?
ReplyDeleteMarcel it's not actually a Starbucks. They simply serve Starbucks coffee. Unfortunately I suspect it's going to become known as Starbucks simply because "I'll meet you at The Storehouse" just doesn't have a ring to it.
DeleteWhen you're out and about you just need coffee sometime, no matter the source :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Mersad and as it's the only nono-hotel open on a Sunday I think it will do well.
DeleteThat sure is a solid looking place. Sparse and solid...they need to put a few large potted plants around to soften the look and atmosphere. A great old building.
ReplyDeleteI agree Lee. It had only been open a couple of days and I hope things will get more homely as things settle down.
DeleteI've never visited a Starbucks, but that one looks pretty good.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a proper Starbucks Cro. They use their coffee to male the Americans feel at home but I think it is run by an American company called Natural Retreats.
DeleteIt certainly looks spacious, light and airy, but also (to me) a little chilly. And seeing your weather and knowing what kind of temperatures you have there most of the time, I'd rather sit in a smaller, cosier and warmer place for my coffee. But as you say, it is good to have the option, and no doubt it will be useful to larger groups visiting the castle.
ReplyDeletePS: The only time I ever had coffee at a Starbucks was in Berlin, I think; maybe there was another time in Cologne, I'm not sure. Generally, I'm no fan of the huge chains except for Prêt-à-Manger when in London.
DeleteMeike I'm very puzzled because it is huge with a very high ceiling in places and I could see no visible means of heating so I am concluding that it has underfloor heating. If I cycled into Napier in the evenings I sometimes went into Starbucks because, although you could get coffee easily at 0630, most coffee shops closed by 1600. I've also been to one in Toronto because the person I was with succumbed to the Starbucks marketing: anywhere in the world and you know what to expect (a little bit of America). Personally I'd rather find out what is 'local'. But then in Canada 'local' is Tim Hortons (enough said).
DeleteDo Starbucks actually have good coffee, I mean is it as good as Lavazza or illy ?
ReplyDeleteHeron I think most of my friends would probably prefer the two that you have mentioned but I'm not so keen on strong coffee so was happy enough.
DeleteI hope they didn't use paper cups like in most Starbucks. The best thing about Starbucks is their free WiFi.
ReplyDeleteDiane our coffee was served in paper cups but it shouldn't have been because we were sitting in having lunch not having it to take away (to go). The staff were new and busy and clearly still undergoing training so my friend, who actually bought the coffees, decided not to ask them to make it again in proper cups. When I used to have coffee in Starbucks in Napier it was served in proper mugs.
DeleteThe rise of coffee shop culture seems to have paralleled the decline in pub culture. I have never been in a "Starbucks" and have no plans to visit one any time soon. By the sound of it, I am not missing anything.
ReplyDeleteYP Starbucks is somewhere the Americans head for and the rest of us tolerate for the wifi and comfy seats and long opening hours when everything else is closed. The overpriced coffee is the price we pay (occasionally).
DeleteI think I have been to Starbucks just once. Years ago I worked with a girl who went to work in their finance division when they were just entering the Australian market. But even in the absence of Starbucks here in Cairns there are plenty of other coffee shop chains to choose from if you want that experience. I tend to find their food is overpriced and besides I don't drink coffee these days, so don't crave the whole coffee shop experience.
ReplyDeleteCarol I much prefer more intimate coffee shops than the chain ones and I frequent them not for the coffee so much as for the fact that they are often great places to meet friends. I can't recall seeing a Starbucks in Australia but then I wouldn't have been looking for one.
DeleteWhat an amazing castle, and slightly out of place for a Starbucks I would have thought.... not that I have any real authority or knowledge in this area at all.
ReplyDeleteLynda it is an amazing castle particularly given its remote Island situation. It's certainly not a typical Starbucks but the name gives comfort to the American visitors.
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