Starbucks Jung-gu Jeo-dong — Restaurant in Seoul

Why Is Starbucks Losing Customers? Why Is It Falling Behind?

The answer is simple: because you can no longer enjoy a good cup of coffee at any Starbucks branch.

All their coffees taste the same. Whether you order a Flat White, a Latte, or a Cappuccino — it doesn’t matter. They all taste identical. They steam some milk, pour espresso on top, and hand it to you in a cardboard cup. That’s it. No care, no character, no real flavor. It feels like a cheap coffee chain pretending to be premium. The so-called “Starbucks quality” is gone.

The root of the problem is uncontrolled expansion. They’ve opened so many stores that they can’t find enough qualified staff. So they just hire anyone they can find — and most of them have no idea what they’re doing. They don’t know what a Cappuccino is, how to make a Flat White, or what Ristretto Bianco even means. The quality has completely collapsed.

Today, people go to Starbucks just for a place to sit. The spaces are large, the chairs are comfortable — that’s it. It’s no longer about the coffee. The drinks are genuinely not worth your money anymore.

I avoid going unless I absolutely have to. And I suggest you do the same. Starbucks is no longer about coffee — it’s just surviving...

They wouldn’t let me drink from my cardboard to-go cup in the store. I just wanted to sit with my laptop for a bit and then leave with my coffee. They made me throw the cup away and use a ceramic cup. Even worse for the environment because now you have used a cardboard cup and a ceramic cup. They came over with a sign saying no cardboard cups in this store! This is a...

Great experience at Starbucks Jung-gu Jeo-dong! The staff were very helpful, especially William and Nick. They speak excellent English and took great care of me as a foreigner. Their warm and attentive service truly shows that they work with heart. Highly...