Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Starbucks in Hungary

There have been rumors for a long time about Starbucks coming to Hungary. They already have Starbucks in neighboring Austria and Romania, and probably in other places I don't know about yet.

A few months ago people started getting excited about Starbucks coming to Hungary, when a sign was put up in the Westend mall in Budapest, that a Starbucks was set to open there. Additionally, according to this blog, in January there was even a job listing posted in a Budapest newspaper for a manager for this Starbucks coffee shop.

But, it looks like Starbucks is not still not coming to Hungary just quite yet... Turns out that famous sign in the Westend mall was changed a few weeks later - and no longer says that Starbucks is coming, but that just a coffee shop will open there soon.

I think that Starbucks would do really well in Hungary, especially in Budapest, with so many foreigners living there. On the other hand, I can totally live without it. I've survived until now, and I will continue to survive without Starbucks' over-roasted and over-priced coffee beans.
There are other companies in Hungary that fill Starbucks' role in the gourmet coffee market: Austrian Coffee Shop Company, British Costa Coffee and Hungarian Café Frei. All of these companies are relatively new in Hungary, which makes me think that if Starbucks had come to Hungary a few years ago, they would have had a real corner on the market - whereas now they will just be another expensive gourmet coffee chain among multiple others.
If a Starbucks does eventually open in Budapest, I'm not sure I would go out of my way to go there when I can get nearly the same thing at the same high price right here in Eger at Coffee Shop Co. and Café Frei.
But if they opened a Taco Bell... well, then I would be interested. It's funny the things you crave, when you can't have them :)

6 comments:

  1. Lidia3:44 PM

    I think Omnia beats Starbucks :D in quality, in taste and definitely in price :)

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  2. Are you kidding me??? Omnia?? That's the best of the worst, if you ask me.
    Segafredo only costs 40 ft more than Omnia.

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  3. I think the Semiramis is one of the best coffee chain. I guess is a Hungarian company with a lot of exotic beans. I like it.

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  4. Yea, Semiramis is good too. I think they could afford to improve their marketing though.

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  5. You got my hopes up with this blog! Alas, just isn't to be...yet. :)

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  6. I took a few pictures today and posted here: http://www.beepee.hu/node/147
    Sorry all the text is in Hungarian, but the pictures speak for themselves.

    Oh, and one more vote for Taco Bell from me :)

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