Starbucks is one of the many chain companies with such a great success all over the world. It’s taken Starbucks nearly half a century 
to achieve its current success. Today, it has 7,950 U.S. stores — plus 3,275 elsewhere — and an average of five opening every day worldwide. Its goal is to achieve 30,000 stores globally, with McDonald’s beings one of the largest companies with 31,000 stores globally. In contrast to McDonald’s or any other global food/ drink store, Starbucks has created its own culture, from the coffee they drink, the food they eat, the way they order, the language they use and the atmosphere of the place in general. Due to Starbucks, a lot of people think that $5 for a cup of coffee seems normal. It was Starbucks who made self ordering chic. Beverage sizes (tall, vente and grande, instead of small, medium and large) have given Starbucks a language of their own. In an effort to broaden its scope, the company now offers a variety of products, including sandwiches, bottled water and even CDs, in addition to coffee and breakfast. Recently, they have been arguing the publication sell of books in the stores. “Call it the Starbuckization of society,” says George Ritzer, sociology professor at the University of Maryland; customers have allowed Starbucks to create a popular culture. According to the article, Starbucks is just getting into the pop culture business, since it has already touched us by: Changing what we’ll pay for coffee; Changing coffee tastes; Changing what we eat; Changing how we order; Changing how people meet; Changing cities; Changing social consciousness.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-05-18-starbucks-usat_x.htm
