While in Japan I visited Starbucks more times than I have in probably the previous six months. Of course, that doesn’t take much as I am not much of a coffee drinker.

I am more of a social coffee drinker. If my friends or colleagues are having coffee, I will have it with them.

I was working with two colleagues who needed their morning coffee, so we would stop at Starbucks on our way to the convention center.

Here is the Starbucks that we would stop at. You can see that it has an upper level. Many restaurants and shops are multi-level in Tokyo. I once saw a McDonalds that had four or five levels.

One of the interesting things to look for when you travel is unusual items at global chains. Have you ever seen pancakes at a Starbucks in the US? How about a Bacon Spinach Quiche?

One of my colleagues tried the pancakes, but I wanted something more substantial. How about a nice piece of Caramel Macchiato bread? This was very delicious. Of course I also had a nice Caramel Macchiato to go along with it.

In this picture the barista is putting the lid on my Caramel Macchiato. This is my drink of choice when I go to Starbucks. I love the delicious caramel taste and then finishing off the leftover foam when I am done with my drink. Yum!

While writing this post I am thinking of friends who work for Starbucks now, or have in the past. One of my friends who works at a Starbucks in Alabama is getting married in less than a month, and I was in the wedding of the parents of another friend who works at a Starbucks in Oregon. Other memories are wandering back as well.

On my last full day in Tokyo I spotted this large Starbucks in Ueno Park. We did not go in as the lines were really long, but I have seen pictures of the interior and it is one of the most beautiful in Japan.

What is your drink of choice at Starbucks?

Steven