Affordable Coffee

By Simon Elegant | January 23, 2007 | +

A reader takes me to task for being insensitive:

Simon: Is your comment on Indians and Egyptians not being able to afford Starbucks coffee supposed to be a poor joke? I’m not from either country, but found your lame attempt at humor vicariously offensive. Have you actually traveled to either place? Perhaps you should get out of China every once in a while. There are plenty of people in both nations that could afford a cup of expensive java if they wanted to buy it. Maybe they prefer sipping their own indigenous and delicious hot drinks instead of a cup of Starbucks.

Posted by: Lynne | January 23, 2007

Well, I certainly didn’t mean to insult anybody.I simply meant that Starbucks marketing gurus evidently haven’t decided there are enough people who will pay their exorbitant prices in either country to open outlets there. And I do get out of China from time to time, BTW and make it a point to sample delicious indigenous drinks wherever I go, hot and cold. :)

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