For those not familiar, Starbucks Reserve is a sort of ‘Black Label’ off shoot of the universality recognized coffee brand. At a Starbucks Reserve location you can expect to find knowledgeable staff, interesting brew methods, fancy treats, exotic roasts and high prices. I stopped by the new Reserve location on Main and 14th in Vancouver, BC the other day and here is my experience.
When I first walked into the store I could immediately tell this was going to be a very different experience to a regular ‘Starbs’ run. Being the first Reserve location in Western Canada, and having only opened a few days prior, the store was packed and the energy was high. I finally made it up to the counter after a long line and was able to order my coffee. I originally intended to try a single pour over cup of the daily special (1 of 3) Malawi beans. However, I was easily persuaded to move up to a full chemex brew, suddenly my morning coffee was costing me the minimum hourly wage in BC. As I found myself a seat in the crowded cafe, a barista dressed all in black (a status symbol for Starbucks staff) came over, shook my hand and introduced himself. He offered me a glass of sparkling water, and walked me through the process my $10 coffee beans were about to go through. A few minutes later, my ‘personal’ barista returned with the freshly ground beans for me to smell, and approve. A nice touch. A chemex brew is not the most sophisticated or visually impressive brew method, especially compared to the vortexing bright colors of the siphon brewers dotting the bar, but I have to admit, the small carafe brought to me about 15 minutes after walking into the store was some of the best black coffee I have ever had. The carafe ended up providing about 5 refills of the slightly small (maybe 8-10oz) cup given to me on wooden platter.
Starbucks Reserve in Vancouver, BC
I came prepared for a long day of work at the cafe, and I settled into some video editing nursing my carafe of delicious bean water. About an hour into this work period, another staff member came around and offered me some banana bread. I, as many would assumed this was a small taster, but no, I was given a half of an entire slice of loaf that is sold at the front for about $3. I’m not making money here, but again, nice touch.
An hour or so later, and I was beginning to feel guilty about using the wifi and taking a seat for so long, so I went up to the counter to order another expensive drink. This time, I decided to try an espresso drink in order to trial the ‘extremely rare’ espresso machine at this location. A cappuccino and an old fashioned donut were ordered, and I went back to my seat to work while I waited. As I was editing video, I had my headphones on and evidently did not hear my name called, thinking something was amiss I went up to the bar to enquire. The barista informed me that he had been calling my name, and I fully expected to just receive a cold cappuccino and a donut in a bag, but no. The barista for some reason apologized to me, for my own mistake, and offered me a free drink on my next visit (a $4 credit). Nice touch once more.
So let’s wrap up.
The Good:
This feels like a legitimate foray into high end coffee. As someone who is really into coffee, but is ashamed of my habit of getting Starbucks because of its convenience, this is a great way to get me to give my hard earned money to the coffee behemoth.
The Bad:
Price and availability. There is only one reserve store in western Canada, and only a handful in North America. Yes this is part of its charm, but also deters some people and takes away the chance for familiarity. And yes, it’s damn expensive. Like really, really expensive even for Starbucks. Don’t expect to spend less than $5 for any espresso drink.
The Verdict:
I will definitely be going back. I found the location to offer a great work space, outstanding service and delicious coffee. The money to time ratio here ended up evening out. Well done Starbucks.
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