Great News! Now consumers can enjoy the familiar burnt taste of Starbucks coffee in instant form! Starbucks Via, which will be sold in packets, just like Taster’s Choice and Sanka, is a “soluble version of its brewed coffee” writes Janet Adamy in the Wall Street Journal. Adamy’s story goes on to say that Starbucks’ decision to go instant is a “bold move that illustrates how Starbucks is adapting to a quickly changing coffee environment. Instant coffee has long been associated with low quality and mediocre taste.” Correctamundo. And there is a reason for that association. Instant coffee is low quality with mediocre taste.
To be fair, I haven’t tried Starbucks Via yet, but I’d be willing to bet a Venti Toffee Nut Skim Latte that Via to mia would be low qualitia. Starbucks is trying to appeal to two customer needs. One is to people who want a more convenient form of coffee. Hey, if you really want convenience, pop a NoDoz. The other market Starbucks is aiming for is people who don’t want to brew an entire pot for just one cup. Psssst. You can already do this with a single serving French press or a small, filter-lined plastic cone that fits right over a mug. (I am deliberately omitting those single serving coffee machines, which, from my experience, aren’t much different from instant coffee.)
And the price for this convenience? A pack of three will cost $2.95, a 12-pack, $9.95. So you see, not only will you be getting that distinctive Starbucks burnt taste, you’ll also be paying those familiar Starbuck prices.