Starbucks! - Yeongtong

I have plenty of things to blog about, but first, breaking news for the Yeongtong area (well, maybe not). Yeongtong has finally rated a Starbucks. Sometime while I was gone on vacation at the end of May/beginning of June, a Starbucks opened a block from my apartment building.

It’s located across from the Worldmark building on the Grandmart side of the main street through Yeongtong. A worse map than usual in Paint - I blame being all sniffly and having sinus problems.
I’m here early (8 am), so it’s not too busy. The hours listed on the door are 7 am – 11 pm. The inside is quite spacious as far as storefronts in Korea go with seating for plenty of people. They don’t have Wi-Fi yet, but I’m told they will soon (I’m typing this in Word while drinking my coffee – I’ll go somewhere else to post it soon).
There’s an upstairs, too, which is quite a bit smaller, but more importantly, there are bathrooms upstairs. If you’ve been in Korea for any length of time, you know that finding a decent bathroom while out and about is akin to striking gold.
The décor strikes me as being modern with a bit of antiquity thrown in when I look at the table legs. I think it works well and adds a nice element to the look.
You can get your typical Starbucks fare here: mugs, coffee, Via, etc. I don’t see Bearistas yet, but I’m hopeful.
The barista also gave me some weird sticker thing with numbers on it that I really have no clue what it’s for.
The food and drink offerings are also standard Starbucks items: espresso, frappuccino, bagels, sandwiches, desserts, etc. One of the best things about Starbucks in Korea is that I know I can get soy milk in my coffee. I’m having my typical Starbucks drink today: venti iced soy caramel macchiato.
I’m also hungry since I’ve been up half the night due to my sleep schedule not being evened out yet due to travel and sinus issues, so I’m having a chicken burrito. I don’t know if I’d have it again, though. It would taste great except for the sauce that’s in it. I don’t really care for it but I can’t quite place the flavor. It’s almost a bit sweet…kind of like the Korean bulgogi sauce but not as strong if that makes sense.
The music isn’t too overpowering (yet) so you can still hear your companions without having to yell. As I’m sitting here right now, the song Everyday by Buddy Holly is playing, which makes me smile for some reason. I think it reminds me of listening to the Stand By Me soundtrack with my best friend when we were kids.
,br/> At any rate, the opening of a Starbucks gives me hope that a sandwich shop will re-open in the area (like a Subway or a Quizno's).

Until then, happy exploring!