Here is a Starbucks in Beijing. Pretty similar to the ones we have in America right? It was really interesting to be in Beijing, to be in China, a country known for its strict authoritarian control over its citizens...and to step into a Starbucks and feel like I was back in Los Angeles.
The Beijing-ers inside the Starbucks could have passed for everyday Americans getting their cup of joe. They were on laptops, sitting and chatting, reading the newspaper. It seems like the culture of Starbucks gets carried wherever the chain goes. Though things on the outside may be one thing, stepping into a Starbucks seems to make those things disappear and people can just enjoy the Starbucks feeling.
Does that mean that transplanted American companies can help people forget about their country and escape into American culture? Or could this be a sign that people would rather be American?
I thought the whole situation was interesting because I know that when McDonalds entered China, lots of things about the way the company was run and how it interacted with its customers changed. There was more focus on family-style meals, it had closer relationships with its customers, and it was less about fast food and more about slow eating.
But for Starbucks, it was like America in Beijing. Almost like how an embassy feels in a foreign country.
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