The Dream of the 90s was Alive at Starbucks

There’s been a lot in the news lately about Starbucks closing traditional stores and re-focusing efforts on “convenience-led” formats like drive-thru or walk-up. While this makes perfect sense during a pandemic, I wonder if it is the right strategy for the future. Oddly enough, thinking about the future has led me to thinking about the past and my own experience with this inimitable brand. And yes, recently re-watching this hilarious Portlandia music video did stir some 90s nostalgia for me- particularly around coffeehouse culture.

There was once a time that I didn’t even balk at forking over $4 for a custom-crafted caffeine cocktail at the Starbucks on East 13th Avenue near the University of Oregon. Hot drink in hand, complete with cardboard java jacket, I’d then mosey on over to lounge in the funky armchairs with my friends. As teenagers in the mid-90s, this was our rendezvous spot- a place we could hang out for a half hour while deciding where else the evening might take us. Howard Schultz would say that we’d truly been using this as our “third place.”

Admittedly, nowadays spending $4 on any sort of non-alcoholic beverage seems incredibly silly and wasteful. I think to myself: “why are people buying this stuff? Put it into your IRA. Put it into your child’s 529 account for heaven’s sake!” And I no longer have time to dilly-dally in a big, chenille-covered chair. I recognize that I’ve reached a different life stage; when I head to Starbucks these days, it’s because they are ubiquitous and relentlessly consistent. The drip coffee is strong and virtually identical across locations. The breakfast sandwich, albeit pricey, is much tastier and probably a tad healthier than the fast food option down the road. I go there because it’s a known quantity in an unfamiliar airport when traveling for work (pre-COVID, of course) or a quick stop while running errands in the neighborhood. And while I recognize that I am a different consumer than I had been years ago, I also feel like consumers in general have changed.

In recent years, I haven’t seen teenagers or millennials hanging out at Starbucks like we once did. While I could be wrong, I hope it’s because they’re a little savvier with their money. More likely, with social media as a way to communicate so freely and even hang out virtually, the little tables and comfy sofas don’t serve as much purpose these days for the younger crowd. Their “third place” is Instagram or TikTok. This generation isn’t living in the hacky sack-playing, Dave Matthews-obsessed, smartphone-free world that I had lived. Yet, sometimes I feel like maybe they’re missing out on the joy of lingering in a faux-European coffee shop.

Sure, Starbucks is a huge, global corporation with a formulaic way of doing business. Nevertheless, I don’t want them to fade away into the obscurity that often follows the focus on convenience- a tan hut in a generic parking lot. They have a solid product line and they seem to treat their employees pretty darn well. I love their tuition partnership with Arizona State University. Even though $4 seems like a lot of cash to drop on a drink, I will still occasionally splurge because I know I won't be disappointed.

I’m happy to see that Starbucks is trying to evolve- even if it’s toward expediency with a concentration on drive-thru and mobile-only formats. I know we’re living in a very different world today than 7 months ago and we all need to adapt, yet I have hope that our current reality isn’t permanent. I always thought the idea of creating a “third place”—not home, not work… but somewhere else… somewhere special—was a mind-blowing consumer insight. And this singular concept perfectly supports the brand promise of Starbucks: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Can drive-thru huts really do this? I hope Starbucks finds a way to re-imagine the “third place.” There’s a lot of smart marketers who work for Starbucks and I have confidence they’ll figure it out. Hey guys- here’s a hint: those of us who loitered in the overstuffed chairs back in the 90s have kids now! Do something with that! (Kidding / not kidding.)

In a post-COVID world I'm looking forward to seeing what shape the "third place" takes on for Starbucks. They have often been a cultural barometer, so it will be interesting to see what unfolds for this company. There's a part of me that hopes they'll find a way to bring back some of the laid-back coffeehouse magic of the 1990s- just reinvented for whatever this new world has become. I'll be waiting to see what is next for my favorite 90s haunt ... but in the drive-thru (with a mask) for now.

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Linnea Stenberg has 16 years of experience in brand management and product marketing for multinational companies across diverse industries, including consumer packaged goods, food, and technology. She is currently a product marketing director in the tech industry.