June 16th marked the opening of Hungary’s first Starbucks coffee shop and we decided we can’t miss this milestone day in B-town’s history.
So, heroically fighting with yet another torrential rainfall that greeted us on this celebratory morning, we set out to WestEnd City Center, whose ground floor provides home to this delicious haven of fair-trade coffee and American-style bakery items. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the enthusiastic members of the “opening team” (their group membership and name revealed by their shirts), a team of Hungarian and American baristas, kindly offering us free samples of their signature coffee – made from “the finest arabica beans, perfectly roasted” – as well as some passion fruit tea and cakes. I couldn’t keep the smile on my face for too long, though: at the counter, I was instantly saddened by the absence of the Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino I had been waiting for years to be able to enjoy in Magyarland!
Fortunately, I was consoled soon enough. When he saw the tears welling up in my eyes, Vladan Armus, the chain’s Brand President responsible for Central Eastern Europe, offered me some explanations on the non-presence of my fave Frappuccino on the drinks list and also agreed to answer some of our further questions about their store:
WestEnd might seem like an interesting choice for your first coffee shop in Hungary. Why did you decide on a plaza to host the first Starbucks in Budapest?
Our choice was made after some substantial research into the Hungarian coffee and real estate market. WestEnd, located in the heart of Budapest, is more than a plaza: it’s a meeting place for Budapesters. We believe our coffee shop will be an ideal spot in the building for people to take a rest and chat over a fine cup of coffee. And later on, depending on the demand, we might open other stores in the city. At this point, however, we only focus on one store, just like we always pay attention to one customer at a time.
The store looks a bit small to me, especially for the first Starbucks in Budapest. Don’t you think so?
It might be somewhat small, but this lends a cozy atmosphere to the store. Unfortunately, we couldn’t open our patio outside due to the rain today, but the seating capacity there is 40, while inside there’s room for 50 people.
You entered the Hungarian market relatively late, especially in light of the fact that some other American-style coffee shops have been around for a while now. Why is this so?
We open all our stores in the region in a joint venture with AmRest and we have always targeted 2010 as the year of our emergence in Hungary. The coffee-drinking culture has been evolving in Hungary recently and we feel there’s a place for different types of coffee shops in the country. In our Budapest store we wanted to mix the design of our very first store located in Seattle with the style of old Hungarian coffee houses.
Starbucks always actively engages in raising awareness of various issues in a given region. Is this social sensitivity going to be a part of your presence in Hungary as well?
It already is. We have institutionalized a relationship with Derkovits Gyula Primary School in the sixth district. We are also going to organize an anti-violence program in the same school in the fall. Moreover, our coffee is ethically ensured, as it is fair-trade, the floors in the store are of reclaimed wood, and we try to use as many local sources as possible. That’s why we have included Hungarian specialties in our menu, just like the kolbász sandwich (with Hungarian chorizo) or two Gerbeaud products.
And last but not least: when will I be able to drink some Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino in Hungary?
We review our selection every couple of months. I’ll make sure to include it in our next drinks list.
Phew, thank you, Mr Armus! But until then? I think I’ll just have to immerse myself in the wonders the “core menu” has to offer.
Westend Starbucks