This particular cafe is the largest of nine Starbucks thriving in China's capital. Its two casual seating areas, separated by a counter, admit more than fifty customers. The same friendly, helpful staff, the same bags of coffee beans, the same funky, coffee-themed decor. And the same guys sitting hunched over laptop computers. Even though most of the beverages and desserts are locally produced, the American-style croissants, muffins, doughnuts, assorted fruit pastries and cakes are novelties to local customers.
Western paintings hang on the walls, and American cafe tables and chairs mix with Chinese antiques.
Large bronze kettles topped with glass serve as tables, and handsomely carved rosewood sideboards function as cashier counters and condiment stands. Velvet couches fill the corners, and carefully selected Western music, both classical and popular, completes the coffee house atmosphere. But despite the cost, Starbucks rarely has empty seats, especially in the evening and on weekends. The blossoming of Starbucks in Beijing is not by chance. In January 1999, many Beijingers looked curiously at the first Starbucks store that appeared in a posh downtown office building.