Starbucks needs markets like India more than India needs it. Yet Indians prostrate themselves before the Americano, in a city once famous for its Coffee House.
RJD, once a prominent representative of Mandal politics, now finds itself in a political era where welfare, good governance, and new aspirations are overshadowing old caste equations.
Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.
What a piece of shit ! Degrading kolkata and its people has been the norm these days. Bengali people going abroad , sipping starbucks coffee there and insulting their own city. Take some shame author. Your pen isn’t mightier than any sword.
Starbucks is seriously overrated and it doesn’t deserve the attention it’s getting. I have been in Mumbai all these years and I’ve visited Starbucks only once
I started reading this thinking it will be a well written humorous take in the context of Starbuck’s launch in Kolkata. The only thing I understood was that the author is very knowledgeable about what is available in Starbucks. He thinks it is very cool to make fun of the lesser mortals in Kolkata just because they are excited about the opening of a global brand in their city. And nowadays who cares about what others are wearing!
It really isn’t that deep. A few of My classmates recently opened a cafe in South Kolkata and that opening was met with similar excitement and warmth from strangers(people were dressed in gowns and suits). Yeah sure Starbucks is a big chain but its not about the inferiority of Kolkata but about their enthusiasn especially regarding food. I am not from Kolkata but living here for the last few years I got to admit, this lot is always hyper and active and its wonderful!
Amazing, although i feel the article is well written about the fact that these bands needs us more than we need them as in they shouldn’t come with an attitude of doing a favour by opening an outlet here. However, do not agree with the fact that prople here are excited only because it has arrived at last, there are many brands which has arrived in the city at the same time with rest of the big boys( as u claim them to be). Please learn that Kolkata is the 3rd richest city in India much ahead in GDP than cities like Blore/ Hyd, hence latent entries of Global brands or something else has other sociopolitical implications rather business viability.
I also loved the article very much. It shows how badly we have become mental slave of foren.I remember it’s opening in Mumbai n 2012 bang opposite my office at Horniman circle and I had visited it in Dec 2016.Nothing great except of course Wi-Fi availability and a grand building changing its use from godown to an attractive place.
Brand Managers and Event Team is there to make the opening successful and create a mind registration process in the initial days. The quality and ambience takes it automatically to the next level.
How Kolkata reacted is in line with a Good campaign.
Whether Kolkatans wear gowns to every event or not…this does seem excessive as the author notes. And Starbucks is not even a hugely famous and successful brand anymore in the US – it is just one among many.
People in Kolkata wear gowns to all sorts of places. Because it’s 2018 people pay more attention to their own business than on who is wearing what. I am assuming you were there in person for the launch and not sitting at home anticipating what maybe a suitable article heading to grab people’s attention. If you were actually there, I wish you had concentrated more on your coffee and less on what people were wearing. And what made you think “Indians prostrate themselves before the Americano”! Just because they appreciated good coffee?! And yet you say you will probably go to Strabucks in future as well. You find Trump Tower more news worthy and yet write an article on Starbucks. I started reading this thinking it’s going to be a hilarious take on the Starbucks opening. I am sorry I wasted my time. It’s for baseless criticism like these that Kolkata is looked upon as less developed than other metropolitan cities. Articles like this make me repent freedom of words and press because mindless articles like this also get published and anybody can call themselves journalist and author!
Sandip Roy, you seem really touched. You tried to balance it out but the degradation for Kolakatta and jealousy for Mumbai came out too open. Lol. I get every point you made in here.
I’m a regular at Starbucks and initially when we had studied about it in B School as “the brand”, it was like McD, a huge charm for us. Come Mumbai, and it became a very regular and nothing fancy thing for us.
Between Mad and Starbucks, Starbucks is more TATA than it is STARBUCKS.
Don’t forget the legacy of TATA taking care of people. The restrooms are therefore clean.
H&Ms in the US, surprisingly even ZARA are such cheap clothing brands that I cannot help but pause to think how they the same brands seem to be luxury for us.
Very well written. Hilarious. I think the reality is captured in the last but one paragraph. We are happy that we have at last been noticed by a global giant. Usually big brands now choose their Calcutta launch in their second or third phase of expansion in India, unless they are doing a quiet test launch.
Checked the locations, very happy Park Mansions is one of them. South City Mall and Acropolis Mall could be anywhere on the subcontinent. As someone who lived in Nizam Palace, studied at St. Xavier’s college, fell in love with a girl whose father had a contact lens clinic on Russell Street, this was the limit of our universe.
What a piece of shit ! Degrading kolkata and its people has been the norm these days. Bengali people going abroad , sipping starbucks coffee there and insulting their own city. Take some shame author. Your pen isn’t mightier than any sword.
Starbucks is seriously overrated and it doesn’t deserve the attention it’s getting. I have been in Mumbai all these years and I’ve visited Starbucks only once
I started reading this thinking it will be a well written humorous take in the context of Starbuck’s launch in Kolkata. The only thing I understood was that the author is very knowledgeable about what is available in Starbucks. He thinks it is very cool to make fun of the lesser mortals in Kolkata just because they are excited about the opening of a global brand in their city. And nowadays who cares about what others are wearing!
It really isn’t that deep. A few of My classmates recently opened a cafe in South Kolkata and that opening was met with similar excitement and warmth from strangers(people were dressed in gowns and suits). Yeah sure Starbucks is a big chain but its not about the inferiority of Kolkata but about their enthusiasn especially regarding food. I am not from Kolkata but living here for the last few years I got to admit, this lot is always hyper and active and its wonderful!
Amazing, although i feel the article is well written about the fact that these bands needs us more than we need them as in they shouldn’t come with an attitude of doing a favour by opening an outlet here. However, do not agree with the fact that prople here are excited only because it has arrived at last, there are many brands which has arrived in the city at the same time with rest of the big boys( as u claim them to be). Please learn that Kolkata is the 3rd richest city in India much ahead in GDP than cities like Blore/ Hyd, hence latent entries of Global brands or something else has other sociopolitical implications rather business viability.
I also loved the article very much. It shows how badly we have become mental slave of foren.I remember it’s opening in Mumbai n 2012 bang opposite my office at Horniman circle and I had visited it in Dec 2016.Nothing great except of course Wi-Fi availability and a grand building changing its use from godown to an attractive place.
Brand Managers and Event Team is there to make the opening successful and create a mind registration process in the initial days. The quality and ambience takes it automatically to the next level.
How Kolkata reacted is in line with a Good campaign.
Whether Kolkatans wear gowns to every event or not…this does seem excessive as the author notes. And Starbucks is not even a hugely famous and successful brand anymore in the US – it is just one among many.
People in Kolkata wear gowns to all sorts of places. Because it’s 2018 people pay more attention to their own business than on who is wearing what. I am assuming you were there in person for the launch and not sitting at home anticipating what maybe a suitable article heading to grab people’s attention. If you were actually there, I wish you had concentrated more on your coffee and less on what people were wearing. And what made you think “Indians prostrate themselves before the Americano”! Just because they appreciated good coffee?! And yet you say you will probably go to Strabucks in future as well. You find Trump Tower more news worthy and yet write an article on Starbucks. I started reading this thinking it’s going to be a hilarious take on the Starbucks opening. I am sorry I wasted my time. It’s for baseless criticism like these that Kolkata is looked upon as less developed than other metropolitan cities. Articles like this make me repent freedom of words and press because mindless articles like this also get published and anybody can call themselves journalist and author!
Sandip Roy, you seem really touched. You tried to balance it out but the degradation for Kolakatta and jealousy for Mumbai came out too open. Lol. I get every point you made in here.
I’m a regular at Starbucks and initially when we had studied about it in B School as “the brand”, it was like McD, a huge charm for us. Come Mumbai, and it became a very regular and nothing fancy thing for us.
Between Mad and Starbucks, Starbucks is more TATA than it is STARBUCKS.
Don’t forget the legacy of TATA taking care of people. The restrooms are therefore clean.
H&Ms in the US, surprisingly even ZARA are such cheap clothing brands that I cannot help but pause to think how they the same brands seem to be luxury for us.
Very well written. Hilarious. I think the reality is captured in the last but one paragraph. We are happy that we have at last been noticed by a global giant. Usually big brands now choose their Calcutta launch in their second or third phase of expansion in India, unless they are doing a quiet test launch.
Absolutely loved the piece. Agreed!! I have lived in San Francisco for 6 years and have the same feeling as you do.
Couldn’t agree more.
Checked the locations, very happy Park Mansions is one of them. South City Mall and Acropolis Mall could be anywhere on the subcontinent. As someone who lived in Nizam Palace, studied at St. Xavier’s college, fell in love with a girl whose father had a contact lens clinic on Russell Street, this was the limit of our universe.