This document compares the coffee chains Starbucks and Costa. It outlines that Starbucks was established in 1971 in Seattle, Washington and now has over 17,000 stores worldwide. Costa was established in 1971 in the UK and is the largest coffee shop chain there with over 1,800 stores in 25 countries. It discusses that both companies focus on coffee quality through careful roasting and sourcing, but that Starbucks insists on more strict principles. The document also notes that Costa has improved efficiency through implementing Epicor software and Windows Server 2008 to streamline operations and auditing. It concludes by stating that Starbucks once expanded too quickly which hurt quality, while Costa has found more steady growth.