Yesterday, when I was cruising around town with my boss, he casually mentioned that Starbucks had finally signed a long awaited agreement to branch into South America. I was flabbergasted at best. I suppose all the gringos in South America, Buenos Aires in particular knew somewhere deep inside that it was only a matter of time before the day arrived. I guess the news just tore me up. Being on the cusp of heading out of here, I was hoping to miss the actual bomb dropping, but I've been struck by Starbucks shrapnel and now, no matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about it. For those with a particular interest and who missed the news when it arrived (as I did), you can read the release in a May issue of Clarín by clicking here.
I guess I don't know how to feel about it. I'm really torn in so many ways. In case you have too much time on your hands, let me tell you why...
- There was serious uproar when Starbucks hit hard in the beachside hamlet of Santa Barbara. There were actual protests (I don't think I need extrapolate on their effectiveness) and a dear friend of mine went so far as to pose for anti-Starbucks ads that ran weekly in the Santa Barbara Independent promoting a non-profit that formed to support local small business owners. I don't want to be anti-capitalist but Starbucks chose locations both out of budget to local coffee slangers and strategically close enough to Mom and Pop coffee to render all competition almost entirely obsolete in record time. Starbucks in Santa Barbara is a big, strong-arming, American bully that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
- When it all comes down to it... Starbucks isn't all bad. As a corporation Starbucks receives almost constant accolades for their well-above-the-norm employment standards. You can investigate more about this (my information comes from a source who spent years inside) but your typical college aged barrista struggling to pay the rent and take classes at City College makes well above minimum wage and is eligible for health benefits at about half the working hours of any other corporation. Anyone who has seen Michael Moore's latest Sicko, can agree that any American Corporation that's bending over backwards to provide healthcare to all its employees should be given a pat on the back.
- Lots of people here, porteños specifically, say that Starbucks just won't work in Latin America. Despite the ever-growing presence of McDonald's, Burger King (Which, by pure coincidence, I visited YESTERDAY for the first time since I arrived in Buenos Aires. So call me an American. I had visited McDonald's before on countless occasions to pee but that's it. I took this photo to prove it because I almost couldn't believe it myself!) and other corporate giants - which, incidentally, are NOT cheap here - the McIzation of Latin America seems to be somewhat curbed compared to say, Europe or most of developed cities in Asia. The Clarín article references the total failure of the Pizza Hut brand in Argentina. I can't really put my finger on why I believe Starbucks will take off here... I suppose I just do. I think it's difficult to build an American franchise of Americanized Italian food in a country of snooty eaters that think they're Italian, slap American prices on it, and expect people to dig it the most. Pizza Hut was doomed. But coffee is coffee. Coffee, for most, is as necessary as breathing and people will pay mildly inflated prices for it when the need arises and the solution is convenient (I stepped of a plane in Texas in December and paid about $6US for a soy latte... I kid you not). Coffee in Buenos Aires is good but not SO cheap that the market can't be competed for. Coffee in a cafe here means sitting down for a half an hour. I would put money on the idea that in less than one year, the financial district's caffeine source will have a new face. I hate to say it but I think the porteños are going to lose the battle on this one. Besides, argue as they will, the richest, most influential Argentine buyers secretly (and sometimes not-so-secretly) EAT UP American culture. I think they'll drink this aspect up too. - Summer. Like I said, aside from the occasional pee emergency, I have almost entirely avoided American corporations here but if I had to live through another summer in Buenos Aires, I would LIVE at Starbucks. I could lie to you and say I wouldn't but there are several reasons I would and why half the population of this city would too. Starbucks is sure to be an air-conditioned haven when the heat index tops 110 in this sweltering inferno. It's hell, people, make no mistake. Last summer I trawled the streets in a pool of my own persperation looking for iced coffee to no avail. I spent mornings in cafes fanning myself with the newspaper and begging confused waiters in broken Spanish for coffee with a side of ice and a side of COLD milk. The waiters were, to say the least, flummoxed. It was around this time that if a frappachino had cost 50 pesos, well, fuck it I would have bought one and think most people would have done the same. It's the small convenience that will allow the big bully to win out every time.
So to sum it up I'm torn. I don't hate Starbucks like I should, I don't want it to take over Buenos Aires and when it inevitably does, I'll probably drink their fucking coffee like a little lamb. That's all I'm trying to say. Part of me is sad that I really think that this could change the face of this city. I suppose I'm glad I saw it during the McDonald's era and won't be around to watch it all unfold once and for all. Chaucito.
