Comments on: Can the Coworking Movement Save Starbucks?

By: Maggie Correta

Maggie Correta — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:10:17 +0000

Well, there’s Starbucks on just about every street corner. There aren’t Caribous or Paneras on every street corner yet. Starbucks has a marked advantage among this group and they’ve done nothing to get it or nothing to keep it. Coworking is a culture, though, and I am not sure anyone offers a better fit than Starbucks. It’s sort of like Apple. Starbucks just has the coolness factor that folks love, especially the coworking demographic.

By: Rob Zeus

Rob Zeus — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:01:44 +0000

This is a cute look at the possibilities of coffee and coworking. Here’s a twist: Coworking facilities could just brew up some Starbucks coffee and drive them there instead. Yeah, coworking facilities cost money to rent, but depending how much you spend on Starbucks every month, it might be worth it.

By: Melanie Jones

Melanie Jones — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:43:16 +0000

I think Starbucks is one of the best places outside of actual coworking facilities to get together on a project. They don’t bug you about ordering more food. You don’t have the noise of the lunch hour rush. There’s not a lot of noisy kids in there. Starbucks could lose its coworking edge to some of its competitors if the likes of Caribou decide to get more aggressive about targeting them.

By: Elizabeth Sanchez

Elizabeth Sanchez — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:41:42 +0000

That’s a great column — and it’s got some truth in there. Starbucks should compete on its strengths. At some level, coffee is just a commodity. But a great coworking environment is something else. I don’t see coworking going on in McDonald’s or Dunkin Donuts, either. Starbucks won’t make millions catering to coworking audiences, but at least they could carve out a stronger niche there.

By: Bill Brookshire

Bill Brookshire — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:56:36 +0000

I love this! I love Starbucks, but the economy is really bashing its Seattle brains against the tiled floors. I think Starbucks could do something more to attract the coworking kind. Free refills on regular black coffee might do the trick. How much coffee can you drink in one day? They brew it fresh every 30 minutes anyway. It probably goes to waste during the off times.