My heart sank when I saw the new Subway in rue d’Italie. This week it had a big ad on the pavement telling us, ‘Succombez à la Tentation. Steak & Cheese Sandwich!’
I’ve nothing against the shop – just where it is. Rue d’Italie has always felt like a perfect microcosm of lovely Frenchness with its bustling artisanal shops and cafés. But the quincaillerie has just closed and I guess this is a sign of things to come.
The Apple Store is under construction at la Rotonde and it will be interesting to see how that fits in architecturally. I’m sure in such a sensitive spot, the plans have been mega-scrutinised. But meanwhile, other brands arrive.
Now Starbucks are interested in opening in town. They have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pour-louverture-dun-Starbuck-%C3%A0-Aix-en-Provence/144586658885870 and a web-page which says that the town is very beautiful and all it lacks is….you guessed! http://www.starbucks.aix.sitew.com/
In fact I’m as partial to a Starbucks as the next person and I do understand the pull of these attractive cleverly-branded shops on young people. They probably don’t want to hang around a fusty old café that their grandparents went to – just the kind of place we visiting Aixois like to photograph!
Meanwhile, I’m still shopping in rue d’Italie especially at ‘La Jardiniere’ which has great fruit and veg and is morphing into apéro-central with all manner of local dips and hand-made chips. They have also started to sell a Marseille-branded beer, La Cagole.
I love the sunny label for ‘La Biere du Cabanon’ with the cartoony Marseillaise serving the drinks. The beer and the brand was invented apparently in 2003 by two childhood friends over an apéro in Sormiou. I believe some is brewed in the Panier but is mostly made in the Czech Republic. Background here: http://www.lacagole.com/content/10-histoire
So I plan to try some this week but, sorry, not with a Steak & Cheese sandwich from the shop across the street!
aixcentric 
“a sign of things to come” Very good.
Unintended pun!
Starbucks! At last – I mean I ordered a caffe latte at a service station when we drove down to Aix and I was served a funny little paper cup with a dribble of foam in it. The invasion has begun. They’ll be selling cigarettes in the Boulangerie next…
But was it coffee? M. aixcentric and I went into a service station in Italy and asked for 2 lattes, drove off, and realised we had two cups of milk!
My heart is sinking too…
Aix is such a special place….
I’d been away for almost a year and was shocked at the transformation of Aix coming back. Feels like its soul is drifting away little by little. Starbucks, please no!
In that it is more commercialised? Or the traffic? Or both?