The eccentric traveller

Winter is a traveller with a personal mission: visit every Starbucks in the world. The Houston-born traveller started his challenge in 1997, while working as a software programmer. At the moment he visited 99.70% of the Starbucks in USA and Canada, so 8547 stores. He also visited 1406 stores over the world, in the UK, Japan, France, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Czech Republic, Portugal and Chile. 

When on holiday he normally sleeps in his car, saving time and money to pursue his goal: have a coffee in every Starbucks store on earth. A documentary about his highly caffeinated journey has been made. And even if it might look like a clever marketing strategy, Winter assures that he doesn't get a penny from Starbucks. 

Winter with his Starbucks coffee - Photo: Winter

SoManyRoads- On your website you said that your original motivation was simply to accomplish something singularly unique, but why Starbucks and not, let's say for example, McDonalds? 

Winter- The answer uninteresting, I'm afraid. It is simply that Starbucks was the coffee shop that I encountered between my apartment and my first job after I graduated from university. I became used to visiting Starbucks, and when a new store opened within walking distance of my apartment, I would hang out for hours. One day, while talking with baristas about the all the new Starbucks in Dallas, I had the idea to visit them all.

What's the best and the worst of being on the road?

The best part of being on the road is the sense of freedom that I feel. So many people in the world are trapped in their lives, unable to go anywhere. I am very grateful for the freedom that I feel to travel anywhere (except outer space, I guess).

The worst part of being on the road, in America, is finding a safe place to sleep in my car where I am not going to be bothered by the police. I'm sure it is just as bad in the rest of the world, but the police in America do not respect people's rights. I have also slept in my car in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France, and I was never bothered by police there. Overseas, I sleep in hostels, and the worry there is that my things will be stolen.

What's your favourite of all the Starbucks you have seen? And in the UK? 

My favorite shop in the entire world is Boulevard des Capucines, in Paris, France. In England, this is hard, because there are so many, but from my recent visit last year, is St Martins Lane 99. This is my description from my website: "The ornate and unique storefront you can see from my photo, but you will have to visit this tore to see the reproductions of programmes from the London Coliseum as well as other historic images. Built inside a listed building, this store offers a generally historic and ornate feel."

Does the coffee taste the same in every corner of the world?

Starbucks coffee is very consistent across the world, at least the brewed coffee. To me, the biggest difference is the sugar. I usually drink the brewed coffee, filter coffee in the UK.

Have you ever had health problems caused by the caffeine?

Between 1995 and 1997 I drank more and more coffee, reaching levels of 4-8 shots of espresso on some days. I began to suffer from sleeplessness, anxiety, and heart palpitations, and my doctor said I needed to cut down on the coffee. Now, when not out starbucking, I try to drink just 1-2 short cups a day.

Do you think you'll be able to say one day "I've been to all the Starbucks on earth"?

Yes, except for the ones that I cannot get to because they have closed. I also worry about ones that are build inside places that are guarded by security, such as office buildings and universities. I also worry about whether I can get into the city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, since I am not a Muslim.

Have you had a non-Starbucks holiday in the last 13 years? 

Believe it or not, I do not drink Starbucks every day! If there is a Starbucks nearby, I do, but at some jobs it is not convenient for me to stop at Starbucks on the way into work.

Next stop?

I am currently working and saving money for a long trip to Asia next year.