Not sure if I should get my hopes up too much, but I saw this article:

english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90860/7313382.html

<"We will open 1,500 stores in China by 2015. Kunming in Yunnan province and Hefei in Anhui province are among the cities where we have decided to open this year," Wang Jinlong, Starbucks China president, told China Daily.>

Does anyone have any confirmation?

And if Starbux does come, where would they locate? Presumably somewhere downtown like Wangfujing?

Or is Starbucks not needed? Actually we are quite blessed with decent cafes compared to other cities of our size in China. So is Starbucks an unnecessary intrusion of international consumerism into our relaxed cafe scene?

I think there is already a well developed coffee bar culture in Shanghai. My only concern is that it will encourage local business to put up prices.

I also think that a lot of people come here to escape places like Starbucks.

I've used Starbucks and I honestly think it's way overrated. One place I went to even made their 'South of the Clouds' blend taste like dishwater. There are very comfortable, quiet and even luxurious local venues selling far superior drinks of coffee around town. One such place is 'Best Coffee' a first floor venue in a newish area very near Baoshan Lu in the centre of town.

I don't think we'll be lucky enough to see Starbucks bypass Kunming and it may even be seen as an insult if they did given they're sourcing beans from Yunnan.

As for the location, well how about one of the empty new satellite cities. With a bit of luck McDonalds could be encouraged to relocate too. They could form a kind of US theme park somewhere outside the second ring road and take all those gordy coca cola tents with them......

One of my adult students went for an interview for manager of the "new Starbucks" in Kunming, so it's definitely on the way. I also heard on good authority that there's already one near Metro in the north of the city?

The one "scheduled" near Metro in the north is to be located in the Food Court at the subway entrance at intersection of Beijing Lu & Bei Chen Da Dao.

Starbucks is, IMO, horrible and revolting. And their coffee is nothing to write home about. The one thing I do like about them is how hilariously and forwardly ideological they are.

I have no idea how anyone could both want move from the west to Yunnan, and yet hope for a starbucks to come here. If it comes to wen lin jie that would be funny though.

I agree with nnoble - Starbucks has been and always will be an amazingly successful story of how hype and marketing can create a market. If starbucks REALLY purchased all those different kinds of beans worldwide:
1. they'd be a direct purchaser given the volume of storefronts they operate.
2. their purchases would/should impact the coffee commodities markets.

or

3. perhaps I'm just not a coffee connaisseur. I'm a fengshui connaisseur. Prefer places that are comfortable, relaxing.

I prefer the comfy coffee shops with quiet relaxing environments - although the starbucks in roppongi is comfy and interesting to people watch.

I just hope we don't have to listen to any drivel from this firm about human rights, tibet blah blah blah.

nnoble - did you mean "gaudy"?

Yes - gaudy. I was listening to Motown and thinking quality. Berry Gordy. Berry created quality in Motown records. Starbucks went the other way. A Saturday senior moment.

"As for the location, well how about one of the empty new satellite cities. With a bit of luck McDonalds could be encouraged to relocate too. They could form a kind of US theme park somewhere outside the second ring road and take all those gordy coca cola tents with them......"

Sarcasm detected. Please put the keyboard down and step away from the internet.

I for one think it's a sad day whenever Starbucks opens in a new city. It'd better if they stayed away.

What's wrong with making money - isn't that what Capitalism is all about?