Starbucks

Sometimes I need somewhere to work that isn’t home or my office. That place must have the following: free WiFi, plug sockets, coffee. So, I know it’s a cliché but I’m quite happy to be one of those people who sits in Starbucks with a maaaaasive coffee and their laptop. Knowing that Starbucks almost actively encourages this behaviour, I had been in four different ones in the city centre before I finally found one with any spare seats — this one. Say what you like about Starbucks but there must be some reason why it’s popular.
This is far from my favourite branch, I must admit. Had the original independent coffee shop I visited had working WiFi I would cheerfully have stayed their all day. By comparison this location was slightly depressing. The store is an odd shape — it’s strangely long and thin so it feels a bit like drinking coffee in a wide corridor.
The staff are good enough, pretty friendly, pretty helpful, pretty efficient. Although they called out when my pannini was ready so I would go get it and, being at the other end of the corridor, I’m pretty sure it took them a few shouts before I heard them. Maybe, given that the store was quiet that day, they could have just brought it over to me? I wasn’t hiding.
Also, given that this branch is inside the Buchanan Galleries and thus, by my logic, is double inside, it was kind of cold. I wasn’t sitting in a draft from the door or for a vent or anything, the temperature of the store was just naturally surprisingly low. Given that their main function is to sell hot drinks I would have expected it to be warmer. I needed my hoodie.
So this is kind of a last resort for a work space. To be fair, it did meet my criteria: I got my free WiFi, my plug socket and my coffee. My coffee and pannini were both fine. Really though, that isn’t a tall order (see what I did there) and I don’t think I’ll be back. Perhaps it’s a lesson that independents are just nicer, or perhaps it’s just not the best Starbucks in town. I’m not abandoning Starbucks or anything, but I think I’ll give this branch a miss in future.

This was smudge’s choice and coming here reminded me why I’d rather walk past several Starbucks to a wee independent café.
I ordered a cinnamon swirl and a filter coffee. Both were awful. The cinnamon swirl was so stale it could have been used as a brick to build a very prettily iced ornamental wall, I returned it and got my money back but no apology. The filter coffee tasted like it had been brewed last century and kept warm until some eejit wanted a taste of the coffee they serve in hell’s canteen.
Smudge was happier with her choices of a smoothie box and a slice of rocky road although I think she just judges these things by sugar content alone!
We couldn’t get a seat either inside the café or in the seating area outside in the main galleries so perched on the wooden bench by the escalators — such a charming vista!
Needless to say I won’t be rushing back, unless I want to pick up a filter coffee for someone I really, really dislike. Actually, I don’t think I hate anyone with quite enough vitriol to justify the spend.