Louisa Coffee is a local coffee brand established in 2006. It has been expanding over the past few years, with a total of 462 branches in Taiwan. It now has more branches than Starbucks has in Taiwan.

Starbucks has been in Taiwan for years now. It is well known for its luxurious drinks and desserts. Taiwanese people often associate Starbucks with being rich because of its high price. But still, it attracts many young consumers to buy its products every day.

Starbucks has been in the market for years while Louisa is still relatively new. Apparently, Starbucks has more operating experience, but Louisa has been working its way up to one of the best coffee shops in Taiwan. Many people think that it will soon surpass Starbucks in Taiwan. However, other netizens strongly disagree.

Louisa coffee more affordable

Most coffees at Louisa costs around $75NTD while Starbucks can cost up to 100 dollars with the same kind of coffee and amount. As for desserts, Starbucks offers a wide range of foods like croissants, cakes, salads, and so on. However, they are comparatively pricey – sandwiches and bread at Louisa cost only around 65 dollars.

Customers don’t need to wait so long for drinks at Louisa coffee

It often bothers me having to wait a long time for my drinks at Starbucks. Some Starbucks branches in Taiwan only have a few employees which makes them not very efficient. Sometimes, the cashier has to do two jobs at the same time: help make drinks and take orders. Meanwhile, employees at Louisa coffee are more productive because they usually have more people working. This means customers don’t need to wait as long at Louisa Coffee.

Starbucks has better matcha

Matcha is a form of tea made from ground up green tea leaves. It contains about 70mg of caffeine in every 8 fl. oz. Since you’re basically drinking the whole leaf of green tea, it can be bitter sometimes, so people add flavorings, like milk, to lessen the bitterness.

Matcha in Starbucks is a lot richer than the one in Louisa coffee. Starbucks also offers a matcha frappuccino and sometimes offers unique matcha drinks. Even though you are able to control the sweetness of your matcha at Louisa coffee, it is much more bitter. Plus, you can’t taste any milk. While at Starbucks, you can taste thick milk that totally covers the bitterness of the drink.

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I prefer having a cheaper cup of coffee at Louisa, which has a certain quality. As a matcha lover though, I do not recommend having matcha at Louisa. If you prefer richer coffee or thicker matcha, Starbucks is the place to visit. Also, if you aren’t in a hurry, and want to enjoy your afternoon with a delicate dessert, Starbucks is obviously a better choice. If you purely just want to have coffee and a light snack, or are in a hurry, Louisa is definitely the choice.