legally rich # 12: coffee, ma'am?

I keep dreaming about having coffee in town each morning. Especially during the week. Ideally each morning in a different spot—my exploring side—with a few confirmed cafes as back-up. I'm not a great fan of Gregory's [RO], yet their locations are good and their coffee—several times better than that of Mc Donald's [RO]. You can't imagine how much I hated a company's rule that all trips outside Bucharest by car had to end up at McDo and nowhere else! Got to bringing my own coffee from home... Each time I come about a new Lavazza or an Illy place in Bucharest I smile—there must be people that can tell and enjoy good coffee. It may mean that Starbucks has less chances to get these people, thus less chances to suffocate us. I don't like Starbucks, and I've only had it once in order to form an opinion. Sure, their coffee also is better than that at McDo, yet far from the pleasures of countless Italian coffee recipes in town; more Columbian and Brazilian would also do. An in between solution for those like me, not necessarily running after WiFi or other benefits next to great coffee would be mobile espresso bars. Why not? To gather an idea, read about espresso to go in other cities of the world. Photo by Mark Lewin found on his photoblog.

Speaking of coffee: Costa Coffee is arriving in Bucharest, Piata Romana. I had Costa on Heathrow and liked it. Was more amazed by their logo, though, so similar to that of Starbucks.

Update, April 18th 2007: I haven't managed to try Costa in Romania; no loss, it must be ISO. Starbucks's move to open at Plaza Romania [RO] (just another dreadful mall) makes me quite hopeful about our coffee future. Though Costa has quite a location; and a better chance at proper awareness, I'd say—thus, positioning, influencing, and all the paraphernalia.