In early autumn 2008 I took my first NOHA course in Warsaw University, and I could hardly survive without coffee given the long class hours each day. However, even though Warsaw University was located adjacent to the Ulica Nowy Świat,where cafés could be found in every corner, there's no Starbucks. I am no fan of Starbucks but this green logo does always make me rest assured that in there I can have my drinks customized, with reasonable prices similar to all other Starbucks in the world, and there'd be English speaking baristas at the counter. Anyway, after several unsuccessful experiences with local café brands I found w biegu café (right), who has similar quality to Starbucks and take away coffee in grande size costs only 5 złoty (about $2.5 at that time)! It soon became my fav store and I also recommended it to my friends. 
April 8th 2009, Poland's first Starbucks opened in Warsaw at Nowy Świat 62. According to news report, the customer lines "twisted around inside the shop and out the door" and people carried the cups with pride, "the famous green label facing outward." This year, in February, Starbucks opened its first store in Sweden, at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, inside the customs. Similarly, its first store in all Northern Europe was opened in Copenhagen, in the Kastrup Airport (one inside and one outside the customs), instead of downtown. I sensed something interesting here. First of all, Starbucks would definitely run a good business in downtown Copenhagen and Stockholm, but over the years they are still performing such conservative development strategy. Secondly, people seem to discuss more about Starbucks opening stores in Warsaw than in Stockholm. Why? In comparison to opening another chain coffee house in Scandinavia, where people are already able to afford coffee of any brands, I guess people naturally feel more intrigued by the advent of Capitalism in the former communist Eastern European countries. So do I. (Warsaw Starbucks picture from MinnPost)2008年秋在華沙大學修了門課，全日課時長，我不得不靠咖啡提神。華沙大學位於主要街道Ulica Nowy Świat 旁，遊人如織，咖啡店林立卻獨無星巴克；本地咖啡店價格不斐卻品質不一，店員也不諳英文，讓我很是困擾，直到找到一家咖啡店，品質和星巴克差不多，外帶大杯咖啡卻只要5波蘭幣(當時匯率1波蘭幣約17台幣，現約10台幣)，想當然耳我就變成死忠顧客，還介紹同學去。我不偏愛星巴克，但它能給我一種安心的感覺，我知道怎麼點才合自己口味、店員一定會說英文、價格一定不會太貴。
2009年4月8日，波蘭第一家星巴克在Ulica Nowy Świat 開張，根據報導，顧客一路排到店外，整條路上處處能見到行人拿著印有巴星克綠色女神logo的咖啡。今年2月瑞典也開了星巴克，不過地點不在旅遊區，而是Arlanda機場管制區內，同樣的，星巴克在北歐的第一個據點哥本哈根，分店也並非開在市區，而是Kastrup機場(一在海關外，一在管制區內)。這中間有些微妙差異。首先，不論瑞典還丹麥的連鎖咖啡店我都覺得不太好喝，而且也沒有系統性的客製化規範，但那些咖啡店的概念、顧客與功能，皆和星巴克所差無幾，如果星巴克也在一般市區開張，生意想必不會差，但發展策略卻是如此保守；其次，比起星巴克開在北歐，人們對於星巴克開在華沙顯然有更多想法，google關鍵字可以發現，關於星巴克2009年開在華沙的討論絕對的多於2010年開在瑞典的討論。為什麼? 我想，比起星巴克到北歐錦上添花，人們大概不自覺的對資本主義進軍前共產東歐國家這件事更感吸引(是吧?)。
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