What's your favorite franchise Coffee Shop?

[MockingJay]

So much serious stuff and news out there... Thought it's time to start a casual discussion about coffee... My wife and I are very much into coffee and we also have our very own little cafe in the South of Thailand using a manual pro machine, doing our best to always get the perfect shot. We're currently trying to farm and roast our very own coffee...

However, when we are "on the road", it at times becomes a very depressing task to find a good cup of Cappuccino or Latte at one of the local roadside cafes (even though most of them are very stylish and comfy), and even some of the franchise coffees suck big time.

For example: While I love and adore their logo very much, I however find the actual hot coffee served at Cafe Amazon absolutely revolting, with an overly strong and bitter taste and horrifying aftertaste. A hot Amazon coffee, Cappucchino or Espresso is almost unbearable in my opinion. Black Canyon is a bit better, but still far from enjoyable...

We found that - at least to us - Mc Cafe and Starbucks serve the tastiest coffee. What's your favorite?

[dotpoom]

Amazon, not for it's coffee but for the decor. I'm not a coffee man but enjoy relaxing with an "Iced" one.

Edited September 23, 2015 by dotpoom

[Rinrada]

One I go for is in surprise... surprise... Makros in Hang Dong.

More of a coffee bar located adjacent to the big lift but the Cappucchino serve up by "Khun Jen" is for me the best I have tasted in CM.

Visit at least once a week and handy for hanging out for beer opening time when I can pick up my case..or 2 of Heinekin,coupleof bottles of wine as well as a stack of baguettes..avec fromage et legumes.......bien.

[Rinrada]

One I go for is in surprise... surprise... Makros in Hang Dong.

More of a coffee bar located adjacent to the big lift but the Cappucchino serve up by "Khun Jen" is for me the best I have tasted in CM.

Visit at least once a week and handy for hanging out for beer opening time when I can pick up my case..or 2 of Heinekin,couple of bottles of wine as well as a stack of baguettes..avec fromage et legumes.......bien.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Rinrada

[Rinrada]

One I go for is in surprise... surprise... Makros in Hang Dong.

More of a coffee bar located adjacent to the big lift but the Cappucchino serve up by "Khun Jen" is for me the best I have tasted in CM.

Visit at least once a week and handy for hanging out for beer opening time when I can pick up my case..or 2 of Heinekin,couple of bottles of wine as well as a stack of baguettes..avec fromage et legumes.......bien.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Rinrada

[Loptr]

WaaWee Coffee... My GF is hooked on their Ice Boom Cappuccinos...

[uksomchai]

I stopped going to these shops even though I love coffee. I have yet to walk into a single one of these shops, ask for a Large black coffee and simply get one. Every single one just asks me whether i want a Americano, espresso or rattles off some name of which I know nothing about

Just how hard is it ?

[judax]

Tea Leaves and Beans is the best. Definitely not Starbucks which has no culture by serving coffee in a paper cup.

[mesquite]

SBUX

[toenail]

Starbucks because I appreciate well trained smiling staff& efficiency.

[Ombra]

Caffe D'Oro. The branches are mostly in Bangkok, but there are some in the provinces. Their bags of beans are very good value. The company's website has a map showing the location of the coffee shops.

[Sheppo]

Starbucks, Beach Road, Pattaya Cannot wait to get back there for Christmas. Perfect coffee after a walk from hotel, then back for their great Iced Coffe in afternoon to put a lining on my guts ready for the Singha!!!

The staff always smiling and so pleasant

[robertthebruce]

i am up for any Coffee, but with no ''SUGAR CARNATION MILK OR SYRUP....

[fang37]

Black Canyon!

[JHolmesJr]

While not a coffee enthusiast I spent some time in what looked like a very nice concept….korean version of starbucks….between sukhumvit soi 15 and 19, couple of minutes walk from robinson. Nice decor, hot women, free wifi…..

[Dazinoz]

Tom n Toms

[gandalf12]

Starbucks is in my opinion hard to beat

[Minnehaha]

I live in Bangkok and have traveled this country from tip to tail starting in 1990.

My comments here are from Bangkok, where I live and spend almost all my time.

for hot coffee, there are only Starbucks, McCafe, ILLY, or Bon Cafe. Most of the Bon Cafe machines in places are not well maintained, so their coffee is not good. I only like the well maintained ones - there was one in Pattaya.

aside from that, almost any good hotel (4 or 5 stars) has good hot coffee made from a real machine by trained people, and the machines get maintained and the beans fresh. Sorry for the bad news. This does not help the OP.

I have switched my taste to iced coffee. It took a while, but I can stand it now. I have found the best freshly made nice taste iced coffee is .........

WAIT FOR IT........

7/11

YES. Machiato (special 3 shots) with only 75% of the amount of sweetened milk added (none of the regular milk). Their Machiato recipe calls for both. I have to special order it this way. It is 30 baht at my local 7/11, although some of the others charge by the shot. They get a bit freaked out with special orders. Helps if you are handsome, kind, charming, and speak Thai. These are new and sold at 7/11 sporting the ALL CAFE banner outside.

Taste is a bit sweet, but not too much. Coffee is rich, rounded, full flavored and enjoyable. Not as good as hot shot of espresso at a good restaurant, but close enough for me.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Minnehaha

[Wasa]

The Coffee Shop in Naklua and also Royal Gardens Mall. Cappuccino is superb and the staff are always smiling and happy.

[TigerandDog]

Anybody that likes Starbucks has never had a real coffee. Starbucks is the 2nd worst coffee I've ever encountered anywhere in the world. There's an Australian franchise starting to raise it's head in Bangkok, Gloria Jeans, but it's worse than Starbucks. The majority of coffee shops in Thailand do not know how to make a proper cappuccino. To them it's espresso with a bit of froth on top. YUK. The best cappuccino's I've had in Thailand are from Black Canyon. If you're ever in Sydney you have to try the coffee from a franchise called Coffee Emporium. Their blend of coffee beans is sensational, their baristas are well trained, and the coffee is awesome. At the moment though Black Canyon is the best in Thailand.

[bazza40]

Tom n Toms

You are kidding, right? Large quantity, so weak it could qualify as dishwater. Ditto Starbucks - yecch.

Doi Chang and Doi Wawee can produce excellent coffees, although the quality seems to vary from shop to shop. Amazon is adequate, when nothing else is around.

If you are serious about Tom n Toms, I suspect you consider McDonalds or KFC to be fine cuisine.

[stereolab]

Starbucks because I appreciate well trained smiling staff& efficiency.

Agree that staff are well trained and polite, however the actual coffee I find to be very weak.m

McCafe does make a good coffee. Most outside these 2 make very strong, bitter coffee, made I guess from only one type of bean, a mix is always tastier. I seldom buy outside because of price, 1 cup 90 baht at Starbucks, and a 250g pack of coffee 115baht ish.

[fang37]

No franchise coffee shops for this little black duck.

Nescafe iced coffee - Latee - with straw please.

Not too strong - not too weak - consistently prefect.

Served by my sometimes obedient wife.

[uksomchai]

Starbucks because I appreciate well trained smiling staff& efficiency.

Yes they do smile a lot. They just cannot simply give a customer a large black coffee as there doesn't seem to be anything in their training that prepares them for this order

[unclueng]

I'm an American living on a retirement visa. I can't afford Starbucks.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Dean & Deluca probably make the best (and most expensive) coffee in Thailand, but Black Canyon come in as my second among the brand names.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Double post, due to the stupidity of Mr. S

Edited September 23, 2015 by ExpatOilWorker

[CapeCobra]

Starbucks & Co offer fattening coffees suitable to American "taste". Unacceptable to peoples with more sophisticated coffee palates, like Dutch or Austrians, among others. The best coffee, I found at a small place called Benjamit at Soi Buakhao Market. They make their own coffees that I buy for my Boncafe machine.

[CapeCobra]

Further "education" available at http://ineedcoffee.com/why-we-hate-starbucks/

Steve Martin: “I’ll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon”

[Colabamumbai]

Why support a franchise that charges three times the price? Keep mum and pop in business, buy from independent people.