To no longer enjoy going to starbucks, costa or cafe nero?

[slownova]

I was in town early this morning as I was at the Gym and then had to pick up on item from a shop that wasn't open until 9.30am. Years ago I used to love popping into starbucks or costa for tea and a bit of cake but I had a look in both and the cakes just looked a bit grim to me. In the end I just wondered round till the shop I wanted opened and then I went up the road to have a nice pot of tea and a homemade scone.

I still enjoy going to a nicer café with home baking and good quality tea but the appeal of places like starbucks, Nero and Costa as totally evaporated for me. I used to love getting some seasonal pumpkin loaf or ginger bread with thick buttercream icing or some kind of gingerbread / black cherry / peppermint hot chocolate but I just don't like it anymore. I also can no longer stomach hot chocolate and a cake and would have tea and cake or a hot chocolate preferably a dark chocolate one on it's own.

I do still sometimes go to costa etc if I'm meeting a friend or with my niece and there isn't anywhere else to go and sit but all the glamour it gone.

Why is that? Am I just getting old? My teenage niece still loves to go to Starbucks. I find it so expensive for what you get and the cakes aren't nice and I can make much nicer at home myself and I have better loose leaf tea which I can break out if I want a treat.

I don’t go to any of them generally. I do go to an independent coffee shop occasionally if meeting friends. I’m appalled at the cost these days. I make a lovely coffee at home for about 30p. That’s with a Nespresso compatible pod which I recycle! I decided to treat myself to a Costa coffee at a train station the other day. I was outraged when the server said when I went to pay that it was ‘just’ £4 something for a small decaf with oat milk. Sadly it was truly awful - very weak, like hot milk. Won’t be repeating.

Thankyou for this post. I also am intolerant to sweeteners. I used to love a Nero and had one for the first time in ages last week. I was unwell- it didn’t occur to me till now that it must have been their syrup.
On a general note the cakes in all these places always look really dry and unappetising to me!

Yes I agree the cakes are stale and overpriced. Used to like Costa but the lattes are never hot enough only luke warm. A Starbucks opened near us and the coffee is so much nicer in flavour and hot!

I was thinking the same just the other day! When I had my first job Starbucks was lovely - I used to love meeting my mum on my lunch break for a coffee and a cake! I used to struggle to choose what I wanted. I don’t think anything in there is “wow”. I go because I still like the idea of getting a nice coffee but I’m always disappointed. Stopped at Costa this morning after my food shop and got a coffee and a croissant, but to be honest I has a nice croissant from the Waitrose bakery last weekend with a coffee at home. Need to stop spending my money in these mediocre coffee shops.

Prices have gone up quality and service on the decline and I find them generally dirty. Independent cafes seem to try harder probably as they don’t have corporate backing so would sooner give them my money

The only time I go in is when it’s on the council’s money and not my own!
I don’t go there in my own time but if the young people I’m supporting ask to go there I’ll have a coffee and cake with them. I don’t hate them or anything, I don’t tend to go to coffee shops and cafes much anyway.

I’m exactly the same OP, and I have even asked myself the same questions! I too used to enjoy going to these places ( though never really Costa) and it felt, as you say, like a glamorous treat. If I think about it though, it was probably 10 or 15 years ago. At some point I started noticing how generally grubby these places are ( were they always, or did I not notice, or have I become neurotic?) and now never go in them. Of course, prices have risen hugely over that time, which isn’t their fault, but it does mean we perhaps get more critical? Or was there a ‘ golden age’ of coffee chains when they were exciting because they were still quite ‘new’ ? Showing my age there for sure. It is a bit sad though, as, although I much prefer an independent place, they are struggling against the big chains, so it is a shame the chains don’t appeal any more. ( and you have got me thinking about ginger cake with buttercream ) 😥

Bleurgh, they all serve shit coffee. Try Monmouth.

I don’t go to them either, never really liked their coffee though……I have cut way back on coffee in the last couple of years and went from buying 2-3 take away coffees a day to 0 as they are such a waste of money, I now only buy a takeaway coffee / coffee in a cafe about once a month……a bout 5 years ago it was trendy to walk around with a Starbucks coffee, thank god that trend has died out

I’ve never liked any of them.

I agree they arent kept very clean and for me now Costa and Starbucks are on the boycott list

I will have something if it's in a service station on a long journey but failing that, I make my own at home and use a Chilly mug. They're always filthy dirty, with sinks full of used blender jugs and as I'm dairy intolerant I'm always wary of how clean the milk jugs are so I drink it black. If you have any sort of allergies, these places are potential death traps with their hygiene.

Similar! Used to love a Costa, but I feel like the atmosphere isn’t somewhere I want to be really. I don’t know if it’s my perception of it or that it’s changed. Since Covid really (which is also when my son was born so could be either factor!)

It feels busy and chaotic and not relaxing, I agree that the food and drink offer just doesn’t appeal like it used to. Plus feels very overpriced.

If I’m in town I want to do what I need and get out quickly, part of that is the cost of parking! Spending 40 minutes sipping mediocre coffee in a non relaxing atmosphere while adding on to parking time just doesn’t appeal anymore!

Wrong post

I love a good cafe, we only end up in a chain because they are open later. Most independents around me close by 3pm.
Also like how some Costa/Starbucks have a drive thru which is really convenient for lunch on the go.
Can't beat a homemade cake and these mass produced ones looses it's quality.

The fact that Costas is up for sale suggests the bottom has dropped out of the coffee market. When the price of coffee got to £4-£5 IMHO, it was the turning point as to whether people would pay for coffee outside of the house. Can see a massive reduction of coffee shops.

I could have written this! The cakes are actually just rank now. Everything has got so mass produced and Americanised. Gets me down!

yah agree with both of you they’ve gone downhill post pandemic. It’s ridiculous how tired and dirty they look for what they charge for food and drink.

I have a coffee machine and milk frother, I will occasionally go to Gail’s (like once or twice )which is obviously a chain too but apart from that I prefer to make my own coffee and cake. Not even that keen on many independents in my town although they are way better.

Seems to be declining standards and rising prices/profits for the chains.

I agree. It used to be my affordable treat. Now it's not affordable and not a treat.
I don't understand why they're all so dirty now?

I really like Nero coffee. Their flat white is very good but I can’t cope with any of the chains sickly cakes. A good cheese scone and butter is my choice so I have to choose my coffee shops based on who does a good cheese scone if I want to eat something as well as have a coffee.

Completely agree, it's the nicest coffee out there and tbf their restaurants and toilets are usually spotless too.

And why aren't they dog-friendly yet?!

Because lots of people, me included, don’t want to be in a cafe with dogs. We like to sit and drink our coffee without someone else’s pet barking, sniffing around their feet, slobbering and pissing everywhere. There are plenty of cafes that do allow dogs, I don’t go to them by choice.

Their coffee is terrible. I used to have a twice a day Starbucks habit around 10 yrs ago and really enjoyed it. Then I bought a very good coffee machine and no coffee shop can make me a coffee as good

They are grim. The coffee, tea and cakes are horrid. Most people wouldn't go by choice if there's a nice option. I'd go at a service station. I'm also surprised Costa, Starbucks, Greggs, Nero and McDonald's are always busy.