[Dixielandjazz] Coffee and Jazz

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Oct 19, 2009, at 6:12 PM, Marek Boym wrote:

>> Starbucks, it seems, is expanding all over the world and millions  
>> of people,
>> it seems, buy their product.
>
> Not in Israel!
> They opened with a bang and Hollywood stars (can't remember who),
> announce that it would teach the Israelis about coffee, and closed
> down within a short time, as most potential customers (I haven't even
> tried - could it have been prejudice, perish the thought?) refused to
> drink muddy water.
> Cheers

Surprisingly enough Starbuck's has almost 300 stores in the Middle  
East including 14 in Turkey where coffee is very different from the  
USA and the rest of the world. I think they learned a marketing lesson  
in Australia, ie. offer what the people want, not what we make in the  
USA. They offer Turkish style coffee on Ankara, Istanbul etc.

What sunk the Israeli operation was very likely that they were over  
priced, did not offer anything different to the Israeli market, and  
some problems with their Israeli licensees. As you might know,  
Starbuck's are not company owned stores overseas like they are in the  
USA. They are owned and operated by local businessmen. Starbuck's  
Corporate claims "operating problems" with its Israeli partners for  
the partnership dissolution and closing of the stores in 2003.

Presently Starbucks has about 16,000 outlets worldwide, about 5000 of  
which are outside the USA.

MUSICAL CONTENT: Offer the public what they want at a reasonable price  
and they will buy your product. Works for Dixieland Jazz too, as many  
of the "working Dixieland bands" will attest to. Those of us who do  
not try and force King Oliver clone music down the kid's throats find  
that they become fans and dancers to our music.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband