City's Starbucks is roomier, cheaper than expected

Siddharth Sawhney, a 22-year-old assistant manager at a hotel, waited outside Mumbai's new Starbucks Café for 20 minutes before it opened at 8am on Saturday, to be the first customer to walk through its doors.

Siddharth Sawhney, a 22-year-old assistant manager at a hotel, waited outside Mumbai's new Starbucks Café for 20 minutes before it opened at 8am on Saturday, to be the first customer to walk through its doors.

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"At Rs 80 for an espresso shot, I'm pleasantly surprised that the coffee isn't as expensive as was initially rumoured," he says.

This new outlet, at 4,500 square feet, is roomier than most of the city's existing cafés.

"The tables are spread out, so it doesn't feel like people are eavesdropping on you," says Kiran Lakhi, a 32-year-old marketing professional.

While most customers appreciated the Indian touches to the décor, which includes treasure chest-shaped tables, stools with elephant figures and intricate wood carvings, some hope for a more eclectic menu.

"What they serve is a very basic list of flavours. I'd like to be able to order some of Starbucks' finest concoctions, such as the pumpkin spice latte or the dark cherry mocha," says Bijal Lakhotia, a 38-year-old software engineer.

Next week, Starbucks will open outlets at Colaba's Taj Mahal Palace Hotel at Goregaon's Oberoi Mall.