Starbucks coming to Sweden

Oh mine oh mine that is the best news ever! Frappuccino coming up! Welcome to Sverige!

Gross. I hope they never make it further out than the airport.

Magnanimous.

Good luck. They've tried before and failed. I don't see what can have changed now. I guess they're marketing towards international customers at the airport instead of Swedes familiar with local brands. Makes sense, in that case.

Do I sense some sour grapes? You guys are not seeing the big picture. It will create jobs. Not only for the coffee jerks but also cleaning jobs, the coffee importers with hire new people, coffee growers in Ethiopian, Brazil, Colombia , the paper cup manufactures, milk producers, sugar producer, stir-stick manufacturing will increase, transportation companies will employ more delivery people. Unless you are a donkey, I think I would pay 60Kronor for a cup of brown water if it means providing work for all these people.

Now, I am waiting to see when KFC will come to Sweden. Any idea why there aren't around?

Nora - KFC was here for several years in the 80's. I don't remember if there were many, but I know of one on Wasagatan and one on Söder.

Welcome white choca mocha! :)

Beynch, When Starbucks was a newer company they made everything by hand. I remember their coffee drinks then and they were actually very good. Ever since they started expanding so quickly they began using automated espresso machines (so they could serve more customers). This gave their coffee an artificial taste. There are great local chains in the US too, or individual cafes. It is good they dont expand overseas because companies often their original taste with such rapid expansion.

HoooooooooooooooRaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

Very happy right now!

LOL - Good Grief Charlie Brown!

Well, say what you will about Mickey Dees and Starbucks but the fact is that it's usually a sancuary when I travel abroad. My tastes are for Swedish coffee but outside of Sweden good coffee is hard to get. Starbucks is actully the best alternative.

I can imagine ppl from Italy or some random place trying to get a good Esspresso somewhere else. They'd probable settle for Starbuck too.

As for Swedes not going there because it represents "capitalism" which seems to be some ppls attitudes. Then I'd say quite unlikely that they could resist the buisness model. Everything here is centeralized and swedes almost always do as everyone else does. All they need is a strong push and then magic takeover of the market

This is great! I'm tired of Wayne's. Starbucks Sumatra is out of this world!

I'm a big fan of Loftbergs Lila and Gevalia, but this is a welcome takeaway addition!

They have great cakes, especially the gluten free lemon drizzle cake, which is fantastic!

the blenders are really loud, probably louder than the airplanes. take earplugs with you.

Give it a break! Any swedish home made coffee is better than all Starbucks together. Americans just doesn't know how to make coffee.

Who gives a damn about the coffee? I love Starbucks for its shakes!

Peropaco's logic doesn't totally hold up... Starbucks' business model maximizes profits to go from your pocket directly to Seattle whilst paying all those workers inbetween piddly wages. Plus, they're not building a new annex at the airport to build Starbucks... something else could easily be put in there instead of Starbucks. Using that logic, ANY store, no matter their wares or business model or country of origin (AKA country where the vast majority of the money you pay for the goods with ends up in). If it's only about creating jobs, I'd say open up a men's high fashion underwear shop to attract the discerning male business traveler. Male g-strings, thongs, bikini bottoms, jocks, etc. That is what Arlanda really needs.

I live in Washington state - Halfway between Seattle, WA & Portland, OR - so, naturally, I know that Starbucks is everywhere. I do not think that Starbucks should be worldwide, but it already is, and unfortunately, the coffee is nowhere near what it used to be when it was still just another local coffee shop. However, it is a reality that a lot of travelers will see this Starbucks, and feel a bit at home (wherever it may be). I agree with "Gwrhyr" ... you don't need a Starbucks in Sverige. Swedish coffee is AMAZING. I think that chain stores are a waste of time. Chains are all about profit, and turning out as cheap of a product as possible, without people complaining too much. So if you really don't like Starbucks, stay away from it, and show the unknowing what real SVENSK kaffe tastes like! =D

their going to make a fortune in sweden .

Every Swede I have met, has been overjoyed with the opportunity to grab a Starbucks. Whether it is at the airport in Copenhagen, in London, or when they go stateside.

The marketing of Starbucks including it's massive presence in pop culture, movies, television, etc... will solidify their presence in Sweden. Sweden is the biggest coffee consuming nation in the world, per capita and I think Starbucks will do just fine. in fact if I were Espresso House, I'd be quite worried about further expansion in the country.

In fact, I've worked at Starbucks and i can make everything, maybe I'll apply for a part time gig or something :)

Has the typical Swedish prejudgement of all American coffee rubbed off on many of you? I come from a family of coffee lovers, and can say that the best coffee to be had is in USA. You can get it how you want it at a number of nice shops. Starbucks may not be the greatest of all places, but it is definitely MUCH BETTER than Swedish coffee. Swedish coffee done at home is good, however, every time Ive been to Coffeehouse by George, Waynes Coffee, etc. I am left dissapointed with mediocre coffee and a BORING Panini (same everywhere). Hopefully the American chain can bring in some "change."

Moreover, the best coffee to be had is at Espresso House. None of the other chains measure up. Go to you local (small) coffee shop too. There are many throughout Stockholm and Göteborg which are brilliant!

pfft.

I doubt the whingers could take the Pepsi challenge and tell the Starbucks from their favorite Swedish shop's cuppa joe.

beans grown in the same 3rd world countries, similarly roasted, packaged, handled, ground and processed in shiny Italian devices of similar construction, using the same water and Arla milk. It's 99% water, anyway.

I don't like Starbucks as well, it just water with colour of coffee haha. But I am wondering why I havent seen a single KFC here in Malmo. I like KFC :)

American coffee is just rubbish. In many coffee shops you can get an Americano. - half a cup of normal good coffee with half a cup of water to make in insipid enough for Americans to drink.

Years ago I had some Swedish colleagues that where sent to San Antonio to work. The main thing that they asked visitors from Sweden to bring was Zoega Skäna roast coffee. They though that with the large Mexican population they might be able to get a good cup of coffee. Wrong just the usual dish water. The arrival of a supply was the basis of a Swedish Coffee Party!

SEATTLE rocks! starbucks sucks!

Rick, you know not of what you write, and good coffee has only recently become more easily found in Mexico. Historically, the standard has been a cup of warm water and a jar of Nescafe.

I'm not a coffee geek (but I know a few who are), but I'm told that if Starbucks move into Sweden they'll have to make a stronger product to suit local tastes (but that shouldn't be a problem as as most brands change to local tastes - McDonalds in Malaysia serves mostly very spicy chicken based offerings).

@Beynch: you haven't a clue when you ridicule McDonalds. Not only does their coffee score better than most brands in a blind tasting. But in a country like Sweden where the local definition of fast food is a hot dog containing no more 35% mechanically recovered meat or a tasteless dough masquerading as pizza, they are a welcome addition to my food landscape.

@Beynch: While I concede that typical American coffee is horrendously bad, and that typical Swedish coffee is usually quite good, saying that Sweden has a "supreme coffee culture" and that Sweden has the "world's best coffee," is a complete joke.

Gwrhyr, they do not pay the worker's in between piddly wages. They pay more than the competition pays for similar abilities. They are consistently on the top 100 companies to work for. They offer many perks to part time employees that most companies dont offer. They also purchase much of their coffee through fair trade channels in an attempt to help the growers in third world countries that export coffee. I do not work for Starbucks and have never worked there, but I dont know why you assume because they are an American company they treat their employees and suppliers poorly. (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/snapshots/1267.html)

As my username so eloquently explains, I am English., and as an Englishman I feel horrified that Sweden shall be submitted to yet another attempt by an American globalising brand trying to destroy the local culture, such has happened to the country I formely lived in.

The negative effects of multinational chains outweigh the benefits of a supposedly faster, more efficient service a thousand fold. Local difference and diverisity of life is one of the more engaging aspects of humanity and something Sweden excels in.

It is not simply a matter of taste that needs to be debated here, it is the homogenising of our planet into a single American accented organism that buys coffee at Starbucks, eats in McDonalds and shops at Walmart.

A feat that has already , I am ashamed to say, been accomplished in the UK.

I hope the population here contniue to keep its head level, buy Swedish branded products and maintain the independance that i for one respect this country for.

Keep Sweden Beautiful.

no matter if swedes like or not, starbucks is gonna be in sweden as a fact.

i might have agreed that Swedish home made coffee is good, but think about this: any coffee store around the street corner in Italy or France makes the best coffer in the world, but Starbucks still can make a fortune in those countries.

this has nothing to do with coffee, it's a cultural thing, my personal opionion is too weak to judge the positive or negative of the american culture, but i see it influencing the world, and if swedish culture has it's core value that is accepted by the world's population, it should be able to influence the world as well.......

When can someone legitimately say a company does not have a right to open up shop in its borders if the company abides by all laws? They also make serious efforts to better the communities of their suppliers. I think governments should not be able to keep law abiding companies outside their borders. The local population has every right to not patronize these establishments, but any WTO country should not be able to legally keep them out. IKEA uses much more questionable labor tactics than Starbucks, and yet they are all over the US and the globe. People who are concerned about these practices will avoid purchasing from them. As far as the "US Culture" I would say it is becoming a more homogeneous global culture. For instance, McDonalds is headquartered in a suburb of Chicago, but its most profitable store is in Paris. The Japanese buy tons of Nike.

Plus, even in one of the most saturated Starbucks markets in the world I still have the option to go to countless other individual cafes and very small local chains (5 stores or less). Because the standard is Starbucks, they offer specialized products that Starbucks does have not to compete. This drives up the quality and drives down the price. There are a couple local chains that brew an incredible cup of coffee. They are always busy (and I'm assuming profitable) regardless of the fact that there are so many Starbucks near by.

i would normally be the first to throw a fit over a starbucks or wallmart and not to even mention MCmurder cuz globalization is for monoculture loving pukes but if you folks are willing to let moscs be built i dont see what the fuss is over a starbucks, at least starbucks aint gonna TRY to make my wife wear a rag on her head in public!

A lot of animosity towards American culture, where's the tolerance? Starbucks may do well, may not, only time will tell. In one important aspect Starbucks is atypical of successful American brands, they are expensive compared to the competition. Walmart, McDonald's, etc. made their mark by providing good, consistent product at low prices. The American way of business is based on small margins of profit, obscenely huge volume of transactions. One more thing, for all the whining you hear when these stores open, hundreds of people will be trying to get hired. The pay and job are not at all shabby.

I like Starbucks and as someone said... it'll create more jobs. But well yeah, it's not really the best. + I don't fond it very cheap.

Rank store, rank coffee, rank decor, rank patrons, rank morals, rank news allround.

Starbucks= STAR + BUCKS; or in other words bucks for star If you see what i mean...

I am so tired of all Americans being lumped together as a homogeneous population that all thinks the same, looks the same and acts the same, that is the antithesis of what Americans are like. We are vastly different and varied in our tastes and attitudes. Not all Americans love Starbucks, in fact many Starbucks have packed up and closed here in America in the face of people turning to smaller companies and homemade coffee. I and most of the people I know go to Starbucks only as a last resort even though their coffee is usually okay, we drink good, strong, flavorful coffee from smaller companies or that we make ourselves. Love 'em or hate 'em Starbucks is what it is. Go or don't go, if enough Swedes don't like them then they will pack up and leave, if they do like them then just deal with it as everyone else has, quit bashing America, it is Swedes who will make or break the Starbucks experience in Sverige.

C'mon Swedes!

You live in the most Americanized country in Europe! Why not give Starbucks a chance? JEEZ! You have Kellogs cornflakes and now Kleenix that you can buy at ICA for heaven sakes. Should I list the other American stuff here? The other week I just bought Maine lobster! You can even buy doughnuts at ICA although they aren't anything near the doughnuts at Dunkin Doghnuts. And those of you who have actually eaten Dunkin Doughnute know what I mean :-).

I for one am DYING for Walmart to come to Sweden. Its the first place I went to when i visited my family back home. It was like going to Disneyland! Wow! I could buy plates with water and glitter built into them in red white and blue, fabric in so many styles and colors and a portable sewing machine running on batteries and clothing for next to nothing. I regret that I didn't have more money to ship everything back. I packed my suitcases full of stuff from Walmart mainly. Stuff at Swedish stores is boring in comparison!

INVITE WALMART TO SWEDEN!!! :-) YES!!! DUNKIN DOUGHNUTS TOO!

Anyway there must be something to this Frappuccino at Starbucks because just the other week a "Swedish" girl YES, she was very typically Swedish working at the Coffee House in a certain mall here in the north of Stockholm admitted to me that she thought that the Frappuccino at Starbucks were MUCH better then their Frappachino Mocha. I was shocked! Now I have to find an easy way to get to Starbucks at the airport. I might go to the airport JUST to have a Starbucks coffee now. Yummy!

Englishman!

We kicked your arse in 1776 and now your our colony! Get over it! :-P

I am so happy to live in Americanized Sweden! Its like having the best of both worlds, the best of Europe and the best of America all combined into a country called Sweden.

I live in the UK and do drink Starbucks however when in Sweden would not tuch the place. I have never yet had a bad latte served to me in Sweden either in Waynes or indepenedent places - Starbucks quality control just doesn't do it.

I don't see any bigger difference between Starbucks and Wayne's (Swedish chain). Both of them serve mediocre style coffee and muffins etc that looks amazing but doesn't taste a lot.

On my travels, I tend to look for the smaller coffee shops who put pride in making great coffee. They tend to be less dissapointing!

In Stockholm I go to Sosta (Sveavägen or Jakobsbergsgatan), Kaffebar (St Paulsgatan) or Pino's (in one of the small passes between Slöjdgatan and Sergelgatan, I think).

In London i go to Monmouth Coffee (on Monmouth St or at Borough Market).

I choose Costa or Nero over Starbucks any day.

I think Starbucks will make a decent profit at the airport, due to all the International travelers passing through. However, in my opinion, that is not down to the sublime quality of the products provided, but recognition of the brand. So - well done in creating a well known brand, but don't pat yourself on the shoulder for making great products.

My two cents...