Starbucks

I’ve been back here and the experience was far better. There are less lineups and crowds… so up one star Starbucks!

The new renovation may have made some space but not much. There are more outlets for laptops and it looks like people have noticed (there is usually a half dozen laptops at any one time). The end result is that is hard to find a spot to sit.
They do their best to keep up with all the traffic but there is still a 4 – 5 person wait in line on average. There is a Starbucks kiosk in the Safeway if you just want a quick in-​and-​out and their line up is maybe a couple of people at the most and only on occasion.
A drive-​thru might be better for this location, especially with the population density to increase in a few years with the University City condos coming in. In the interim, the mall could make more accommodations for their demand by adding more tables in the mall. Someone could easily take over the old Hula Juice shop across the way and make some money.
Parking is terrible. It should really be parallel parking in front instead of perpendicular parking on a major laneway. Maybe in the next version …

I have REAL high expectations of coffee joints because for me, a coffee joint is as much about the ambiance, the vibe and the crowd, as it is about the coffee itself.
I not only want to be sipping on fantastic coffee, but I want to WANT to stick around for hours on end, writing, working and relaxing.
Although this location of Starbucks attracts a diverse crowd (students, seniors and business folk alike), it’s congested and small. There aren’t any comfortable seats, and all the chairs and tables are normally taken.
I’ve sat on their patio in the summer before and the view is just as dissapointing as the inside experience; It just looks onto a parking lot and surrounding stores.
Nothing about this Starbucks would keep me in it for longer than 5 minutes.
You may see me walk by, but you wont catch me pondering life’s mysteries in this place. Hell to the No.