Starbucks Opens in Wawel Castle

When the first Starbucks in Poland opened its doors on Warsaw’s Nowy Świat Street, Cracovians thought that their turn would come at any moment. However, it took almost a year for the former royal capital to finally get its own incarnation of the successful American coffee chain. And appropriately enough, the first location, which opened today, 1 April 2010, is within the walls of the city’s historic Wawel Castle.

The deal was struck between the Krakow City Council and Starbucks Coffee Company in November 2009, but final negotiations over the location of the first Starbucks in Krakow lagged on until mid-February. Finally, the Council was satisfied with an agreement that guaranteed that the American coffee chain would provide the funds for a new elevator to the Sigismund Bell, which will be called the “Double Blended Liftuccino”.

The Krakow Post talked to Krakow City Council member Basia Ostrowska, who was clearly excited about the deal: “We are so excited about this deal! At the beginning, there were many naysayers telling us that we shouldn’t allow historical monuments to be sold to foreign corporations for the sake of an immediate profit. But this is a new post-1989 Poland, where we have to embrace such opportunities. It’s capitalism, baby!”

Starbucks spokesperson Lee Smith agreed: “In Krakow, everything is for sale – historical monuments, natural parks, public transportation. It’s wonderful that the city is so open to foreign businesses, and doesn’t let petty hindrances, such as the will of its citizens, get in the way.”

The company is so confident that the coffee chain will succeed in Krakow that several future locations are already being negotiated. A source within the Polish division of the company revealed to the Post that four new locations are “nearly 100 percent guaranteed to open”, including spots on the Market Square, in the former Forum Hotel, within the newly-constructed Cracovia Stadium, and in the basket of the Krakow balloon.

4 thoughts on “Starbucks Opens in Wawel Castle

  • March 22, 2012 at 12:24 pm
    Permalink

    A complete eyesore in such beautiful surroundings – how could one of the most amazing places in Poland succumb to corporate pressure.
    I guess the church is no longer the institution it once was.

    Reply
    • March 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm
      Permalink

      Absolutely disgusting!!!

      Reply
  • March 22, 2012 at 5:21 pm
    Permalink

    Please note: this was an April Fools article from 2 years ago.

    Reply
  • February 13, 2013 at 3:47 pm
    Permalink

    As should have been evident by the last sentence.
    Happily for caffeine addicts and mug collectors, there is a Starbucks in a more appropriate location – inside the Bahnhof Promenade Shopping Center (adjacent the Main Train Station)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *