Melita 1 Coffee Filters Blog

The Starbucks Coffee Company offers free WiFi in 140 coffee houses in Germany. Smartphone, netbook and notebook users can access the Internet for up to two hours without being charged for it - accept for the coffee or cake they order at Starbucks. Starbucks guests need only bring a mobile, wireless-enabled device and connect to the BT Openzone hotspot at the Starbucks coffee house. Customers of British Telecom can use the BT MobileXpress clients to establish a secure connection to their corporate network and access their e-mails, files and applications as if they were in their office. BT MobileXpress does also provide them with hassle-free access to more than 100,000 public hotspots throughout Germany, e.g. in hotels, restaurants or shops.

The service was installed by the network and IT service provider BT over the past few months in most Starbucks locations. BT has already set up WiFi services in more than 650 coffee houses in Britain and Ireland last year and will also offer the service for Starbucks coffee houses in Spain and Portugal.

“Offering WiFi Thrills Selfish Digital Cheapskates”

Once coffee shops were the retail pioneers of WiFi in order to gain more customers. In 2003 Starbucks and T-Mobile (Telekom Deutschland) offered WiFi at Starbucks coffee houses for a charge of € 7.95 per hours – today that would be rather expensive. But while Starbucks is now launching a free WiFi service in its coffee houses in Germany, other coffee shops are shutting exiting WiFi services down or are introducing official computer-use policies because they believe that WiFi is a profit killer. Earlier this month I read an article of the Los Angeles Times about coffee shops, bars and restaurants in California banning WiFi to make room for customers without laptops. “There is now a market niche for not having WiFi”, one guy is quoted in this article.

In another recent article about free and unlimited WiFi at Starbucks coffee houses in the United States Mike Elgan of Computerworld writes that offering limited free Internet access my be the wrong path. In his opinion this will result in coffee houses filled with laptop campers who jockey for outlet access and use up all the tables while people just buying coffee will not be able to find a place to sit. It would be better to either kill WiFi altogether and thereby free up some tables or to make WiFi free and unlimited, Elgan writes.

“Free WiFi Gives Advantages to Large Companies”

However, Starbucks might succeed with its free WiFi approach because it is a big company. “The ugly truth is that free WiFi gives advantages to large companies over small ones. The larger they are, the more they benefit from free WiFi”, Elgan argues. While small companies offering WiFi often struggle just to provide the service and might be better off simply shutting down their WiFi networks, Starbucks can be a media, marketing and advertising platform because it is massive, ubiquitous and global. “Its scale enables Starbucks to both efficiently provision Wi-Fi and leverage it for profit. Another benefit is that spreading the word about free Wi-Fi and free content encourages customers to visit Starbucks chain stores while traveling”, Elgan writes.

According to Elgan, Starbucks is taking advantage of a change in the economics of coffee shops and monetizing this cultural change: “That change is caused by the digital revolution. People hang out in coffee shops to socialize and read. The way we socialize and the way we read is changing. It happens over the Internet now”. All other coffee shops will only be fine when making really good coffee.

In the United States Starbucks will unveil its in-store digital network this fall with free content from iTunes, “The New York Times”, “USA Today”, “The Wall Street Journal”, Yahoo! and others for customers. For more information on the Starbucks digital network please read the Starbucks press release.

Find Free WiFi Hotspots in Berlin:

• Free WiFi Hotspots in Berlin
• List of Starbucks Coffee Houses in Berlin

Starbucks is fighting an ongoing legal battle in Asia trying to stop local coffee houses from using logos that too closely resemble the distinctive trademark of the Seattle company. But why are Asian coffee brands copying the Starbucks logo? - In Korea and China the Starbucks logo isn't very well known. Starbucks’ legal battles have not been so successful in Korea however, where a court found in favor of a local brand, against the American company. These local coffee shops are going strong and they've built their success on their coffee, not a logo. Also, Starbucks has not been able to take the majority market share in Asia. There are just too many coffee shops in Korea, Japan and China for Starbucks to compete with. It’s true, Starbucks are trying take over the world, just like any other American multi-national, but using a logo that closely resembles any company logo is digging your own grave. Especially any American companies that are as wealthy as Starbucks. When they find you, they will sue you, it’s the American way. So far, Asian copy cats haven't given up.

Starbucks franchise
Forming alliances is very important for small businesses today, and what better way to advance your current business assets, than to become affiliated with one of the best known coffee roasters in the industry. With more than 3,168 licensed locations in the United States today, there is a good possibility that you can obtain a Starbucks Coffee operating license and blend your business layering at one location. With this license, the world of more than 30 blends of coffees and merchandise and hundreds of business contact is literally just around a corner. Starbucks franchises are not handed out freely, but are actively sought after by striving entrepreneurs who prefer a proven method of doing business with a quality, well-know product base. Rather than having to undertake a blind, unproven concept, that requires years of growth to show to levels of profitability and loss, with a Starbucks franchise licensed location, there is little doubt of success. The road to success is not an easy thing to accomplish. Your Starbucks franchise license requires you to take an intense qualification route to find out if you can own and operate a Starbuck licensed store. Your assets and liabilities are taken in to consideration, as are the total non-borrowed funds you have to invest. The minimum requirement would be that you are a retail operator or a food service organization operator. Your past business practices, the success of your location as to sales volume and high-traffic volume are also considered. The questions and the answers you provide are very important and should not be taken lightly. If you are denied, you are permitted to reapply, and being approved will be worth all the effort you put into the application process. Starbucks offers a licensed business owner, with the ability to operate two separate businesses at one location with an increase in traffic and volume that will help both businesses flourish. By circumventing that long road to success with a much shorter one, obtaining a franchise license with Starbucks is more than desirable to these entrepreneurs. With a Starbucks license, you will receive a proven business platform template to use as you run your franchise day-to-day operations. With the business alliances that Starbucks already has in place, you can network with a large range of business people who are interested in helping those in their own neighborhood to prosper. From hotels, supermarkets, and other retail organizations and food service establishments in your network, the opportunities for success are limitless. A Starbucks franchise is more than just operating a business. It means that you are committed to your community and to your customers as a whole. Through your friendly service and melding of diverse cultures, you share the unique blends of your products and listen, to be able to develop more. Everyone has a choice on where they choose to do business, and with your Starbucks franchise, you can make your customers happy to know that they chose your Starbucks franchise to do business with.

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Does the aroma of brewing coffee transport you to a sensory paradise? Is a steaming latte your idea of comfort food? Do you consider coffee its own separate food group? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then a coffee franchise may be for you! When someone says “coffee shop,” the name that most often comes to mind is Starbucks. So it’s only natural that coffee connoisseurs and entrepreneurs will immediately want to know if this wildly successful java chain offers the opportunity to buy Starbucks franchises.

Despite its seemingly ubiquitous presence the Starbucks brand does not franchise or sub-franchise its operations. Rather, the company operates most North American Starbucks stores. The exception to this is situations in which Starbucks will enter into an agreement with companies that may provide physical locations that might otherwise not be available to Starbucks, such as space in airports, grocery chains, hospitals, and on college and university campuses. In addition, in certain areas, Starbucks may enter into an agreement with a group of individuals or a company in which the company or group is permitted to manage and operate Starbucks outlets within a certain region.

The unavailability of Starbucks franchises, however, should in no way dissuade the coffee lover from pursuing a coffee franchise business opportunity. There are numerous coffee companies that do, indeed, franchise their operations, and many even venture beyond the traditional coffee bean to provide gourmet coffees, food options, and even catering services.

The following represents a partial listing of the many coffee franchise opportunities available to java lovers everywhere.

Caffino

With its “60-second guarantee,” Caffino is a drive-through coffee bar that first opened its company doors in 1993 in Napa, California. Franchising since 2003, Caffino currently has 27 locations in 3 states, and it is actively expanding. Caffino prides itself on roasting its coffee on-site using only the world’s best coffee beans, Arabica Grade 1. The startup cost for a Caffino franchise ranges from $212,900 to $373,000.

Beaner’s Coffee

Founded in 1994 and franchising since 1999, Beaner’s Coffee offers a variety of the coffee beverages made from flavored, decaf, signature, organic, and fair trade beans. In addition, Beaner’s goes beyond coffee service and ventures into the world of sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. Beaner’s carries a startup cost of $240,000 to $300,000 and offers the option of express or kiosk franchises. Beaner’s is currently seeking franchisees nationwide, and for its franchise owners, exclusive territories are available.

Woody’s Chicago Style

Coffee and hot dogs? Not your typical combination, but Woody’s Chicago Style has no problem combining the two. Begun in Honolulu, Hawaii, Woody’s Chicago Style is a hot dog, beverage, and coffee cart business that has been franchising its operations since 1991. While franchises are not currently available in every state, Woody’s is seeking franchisees in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wyoming. And with a price tag ranging from $54,100 to $464,000, Woody’s just may be the right option for your pocketbook!

Scooter’s Coffeehouse

With franchise opportunities existing both in the United States and worldwide, Scooter’s Coffeehouse ranked #26 in Entrepreneur.com’s 2007 listing of the top new franchises. In business since 1998 and franchising since 2002, Scooter’s is a specialty coffee franchise that also serves up brewed coffees, espressos, flavored coffees including sugar-free options, teas, and a wide selection of smoothies. Startup cost ranges from $60,000 to $410,000, and, in addition to training, Scooter’s offers significant ongoing and marketing support, including regional advertising, national media, field operations/evaluations, purchasing cooperatives, newsletter, meetings, and a grand opening.

Dunkin Donuts

Who doesn’t recognize this household name in the coffee and donut industry? Established in 1950 and franchising since 1955, Dunkin Donuts now boasts more than 7,000 stores worldwide, including 1900 locations in 30 countries. In the United States, more than 5,200 Dunkin Donuts locations dot the landscape in 36 states. Based on years of operation and experience, Dunkin Donuts has a 5-phase franchising process, which begins with an application, credit check, and criminal background check, among other things, proceeds through several steps including an interview, business plan development, application approval, training, site location, and financing, and ends with restaurant construction and crew training. To ease financing costs, Dunkin Donuts has partnered with preferred lenders who offer franchisees flexible financing options, including Small Business Administration (SBA)-backed loans for certain transactions.

In addition to the five coffee franchise opportunities briefly profiled above, no fewer than twenty franchise opportunities exist for entrepreneurs seeking to turn their coffee passion into a profession.

From Café Ala Carte cappuccino catering service and Grabbajabba gourmet coffee and European sandwiches to It’s a Grind Coffee House and Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies, numerous coffee franchises ranging from low-cost to high investment are available for serving up that morning cup of Joe, mid-day sandwich on the run, or afternoon tea or smoothie.

So next time you walk into your neighborhood coffee shop to fill your latte craving, imagine providing that same satisfaction to other coffee lovers like you…and even better yet, making a living at it!