http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2006/02/starbucks-295-california/ Rants and Raves on Espresso Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:31:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2006/02/starbucks-295-california/#comment-2839 Espresso News and Reviews - TheShot.coffeeratings.com » Trip Report: Emporio Rulli Il Caffé @ Union Square Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:12:47 +0000 http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/?p=66#comment-2839 [...] Owner and pastry chef extraordinaire, Gary Rulli, sent me e-mail a couple months ago to revisit their cafés — and in this location’s case, I hope he is glad that he did. If you’re listening, Signore Rulli: please clean up this café’s act before you fall to the level of just another mediocre chain ready to be bought up and assimilated by Starbucks. Remember: worse things have happened recently to Torrefazione Italia. [...] [...] Owner and pastry chef extraordinaire, Gary Rulli, sent me e-mail a couple months ago to revisit their cafés — and in this location’s case, I hope he is glad that he did. If you’re listening, Signore Rulli: please clean up this café’s act before you fall to the level of just another mediocre chain ready to be bought up and assimilated by Starbucks. Remember: worse things have happened recently to Torrefazione Italia. [...]

]]> http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2006/02/starbucks-295-california/#comment-2823 Espresso News and Reviews - TheShot.coffeeratings.com » Trip Report: Caffè Amici Espresso @ Montgomery St. Wed, 06 Jun 2007 01:45:41 +0000 http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/?p=66#comment-2823 [...] the replacements at former Torrefazione Italia locations have been a mixed bag of both good and bad. But this is a surprisingly good newcomer to the downtown [...] [...] the replacements at former Torrefazione Italia locations have been a mixed bag of both good and bad. But this is a surprisingly good newcomer to the downtown [...]

]]> http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2006/02/starbucks-295-california/#comment-308 TheShot.coffeeratings.com » Once feisty Coffee People whipped into Starbucks Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:57:26 +0000 http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/?p=66#comment-308 [...] This is a nearly identical fate that befell the once-grand Torrefazione Italia chain. In 1998, it too was acquired by a larger conglomerate, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and then proceeded to go down the tubes in terms of coffee quality, the skill level of staff, and even the amenities for customers. Then Starbucks bought the lot, dropping the quality even further into the gutter. Torrefazione Italia was almost unrecognizable before Starbucks finally rebranded them with the green mermaid and Pottery Barn CD collections (or closed them down entirely). [...] [...] This is a nearly identical fate that befell the once-grand Torrefazione Italia chain. In 1998, it too was acquired by a larger conglomerate, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and then proceeded to go down the tubes in terms of coffee quality, the skill level of staff, and even the amenities for customers. Then Starbucks bought the lot, dropping the quality even further into the gutter. Torrefazione Italia was almost unrecognizable before Starbucks finally rebranded them with the green mermaid and Pottery Barn CD collections (or closed them down entirely). [...]

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