Starbucks is making
inroads into France, one of the two countries in the world most famous for its cafe culture, but the process
is a long and slow one. In France, operating costs are extremely high and the competition is stiff; the long standing
national past time of lounging in cafes has produced very high quality coffees and loyal patrons that are formidable
competition for the American chain. And though Starbucks is slowly gaining acceptance from its French consumers, the
mainstay of its clientele is foreign, which is why Starbucks has chosen to in tourist heavy areas and branch outwards.
Lines form out the doors at Paris locations, mostly of Asian and American tourists. The tourists are likely to order more traditional drinks, like espressos, but come for the familiar feel of the large, comfortable cafe, not to mention the smoke-free atmosphere that they maintain. More and more frequently there are French university students and young professions joining the queue, looking for something over-the-top that they can only find at the American cafe. Starbucks is finding its new niche in the country, despite the fact that there are only 23 outlets in France, compared to more than 55,000 traditional cafes there. Will Starbucks' popularity prove to be real competition for the other cafes? Unlikely, and certainly not in the near future, but it will probably be able to hold its own, even if it operates on a limited scale.
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