While Starbucks didn't invent the concept, Howard Shultz, the former CEO, was heavily influenced by the idea and set out to create an experience for customers that was about more than just a cup of coffee.

Shultz was heavily influenced by espresso bars in Italy, and the way they became a gathering place for people. For Starbucks, the idea was that you spend most of your time at home or work, but Starbucks would be the third location you spend time working, studying, or just hanging out with your friends.

Starbucks was largely successful. Its coffee shops were designed to be inviting and encouraged customers to linger. The design style was copied by everything from its competitors to schools, churches, and other businesses.

Now, after being battered by the effects of the pandemic, Starbucks is trying out another idea.

On Thursday, Starbucks opened a concept store in partnership with Amazon's cashier-less Amazon Go markets.

The location, in midtown Manhattan, is designed for customers to pick up mobile orders. Starbucks says it will open at least two more locations (also in New York City) in the next year.

It also features an Amazon Go market, which uses cameras and shelf sensors to keep track of what customers put in their cart and charges them automatically when they leave.

Amazon has already opened eight such locations in Manhattan.

While the concept store does include seating, there's something very different about a store where you can order and pick up a drink without ever interacting with a person-especially when that's by design.

It's as if Starbucks has decided that instead of trying to be the place you go to spend time, it now wants to be the place you go on your way to wherever it is you spend time.

To be fair, that's less of a repudiation of its earlier strategy and more an acknowledgement that the way people spend their time has changed-especially during the pandemic.

It's also a bet that things aren't likely to go back to whatever normal looked like before March of 2020.

Last year, Starbucks said it would close 400 locations.

People are-for obvious reasons-spending less time sitting in coffee shops.

Still, that doesn't mean they don't want a latte or a cup of coffee. Continue reading

The McDonalds announcement follows a campaign by the anti-porn group Enough is Enough (EIE) and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

The Internet filtering has been activated in the majority of McDonalds's 14,000 outlets in the US.

"McDonald's is committed to providing a safe environment for our customers . . . ," a company statement noted.

"We had not heard from our customers that this was an issue, but we saw an opportunity that is consistent with our goal of providing an enjoyable experience for families," the statement continued.

McDonald's and Starbucks had already implemented pornography filtering at its locations in the UK.

Enough is Enough and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation appealed to Starbucks to follow McDonald's lead.

On Friday, Starbucks said it plans to implement filtering in its stores throughout the world, once they are sure that the filtering doesn't unintentionally block additional content.

Donna Rice Hughes, president of EIE, praised both McDonald's and Starbucks for recognising pornography as a public health crisis and as a threat to children's safety.

She said EIE will continue to strongly encourage "other businesses and venues such as hotels, airlines, shopping malls, and libraries to filter pornography and child abuse images on publically available Wi-Fi in order to protect children and families".

Sources

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Google Chrome