Starbucks is one of my favorite places for casual and relaxing pickup, and it's hard to go too far wrong. Here are the reasons:

  • The girls who go to Starbucks probably don't smoke.
  • They don't mind paying a few bucks for a coffee. This means they're either fairly well off (no gold-diggers, thanks), or at least 'semi-cultured'
  • The chicks are of generally higher calibre.

  • They are waiting to be approached, with time on their hands.
  • Many girls come to Starbucks to study English. Just. Too. Easy.

I want to give some practical guidance on how to talk to chicks in Starbucks. I've gotten some great successes in Starbucks. At the very least I get some numbers and great friends and conversation. I want to share this with all of you guys. However if you use these techniques and you see me in Starbucks, I get first dibs. Or at the very least, come and wing me. :)

Firstly, get your logistics down. Just the same as nightgame. Stake out a good seat. I recommend sitting smack bang in the middle of a crowded Starbucks. Bring a book, or a laptop. Drink your coffee. As Homer Simpson might say, "Now we play the waiting game".

I will stop to talk about the differences of mindsets here. There is active game, which much of this blog focuses on - where you walk over, approach, make a comment, start the set, etc. Of course, I've done this in Starbucks before. I've walked over and been so brazen, that in a story that is now embarrassingly infamous in the Tokyo pickup scene, I was cockblocked by a Starbucks staff member in 3 seconds flat. No exaggeration (I made up for this by # closing a hot 18 year old in front of him 5 minutes later).

Then there is the slightly more passive game, which falls under this Starbucks tutorial. Society is very big on the idea of "Things just happening". Especially for girls. Almost all love stories talk about the man and the woman, who are time and time again thrown together, against their will or expectation, until they finally realize their love for each other and get down to business. We can take advantage of this in Starbucks. You're not there to talk to girls - they just happened to sit down next to you because it's crowded, and this was the only seat. And you just happened to notice something about them. Very romantic and exciting. Also, no Starbucks "protectors of womens faith and innocence" can cockblock you - it looks like you're just talking to friends.

Now, follow these steps :

  • Just sit there. Do not scan. Concentrate on what you've brought to Starbucks, be it your book or your coffee, your celphone, whatever.

  • Sit there until 1 or 2 chicks sit down next to you (this should happen very quickly in a crowded Starbucks). Leave them to chat for a minute or two.

  • Then look over at them, like you notice something about them. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY SEE YOU LOOK OR NOT. Don't use their non-reaction as a reason to not approach. They will definitely notice if you do it coolly and in a relaxed way.

  • Then blank your mind, say "Excuse me," pause, then begin talking. When you jump out of a plane, your next action is to fall. Similarly, when you open like this, you will find something to say.

To make it easier for yourself, have some generic openers. Here are some that many have found very effective :

  • "Excuse me, are you guys talking about traveling? I really want to explore some more of Asia. Do you have some recommendations?"
  • "Excuse me, are you studying English? I have a friend who is trying to learn English, she is going to study in Canada soon. How did you learn?"
  • "Excuse me, what are you drinking? Is that the new cinnamon drink? What's it like?"

After a short while of talking, and after they get over the initial shock of talking to someone they do not know (+ getting over that you're a gaijin), change the subject to something else. Follow the 90/10 conversation rule (90% you, 10% them) for the first 10 minutes so they relax a bit and feel like opening up. Then you want to find some kind of common ground as quickly as possible, which you can transition into a number close.

They tend to leave right after thenumber close, so stay seated. 5-15 minutes later, contestant #2 will turn up. It's like doing Speed dating, except they don't know they're speed dating, and you don't have to pay any money, and the chicks are normal. Plus you can get real work done in the downtime. It's fantastic.

This works at any Starbucks. If you see a chick you really like, or if the Starbucks is very quiet, I suggest you find someone, and sit down next to them. Look engrossed in what you're doing for a while, then look up at them, and simply follow the steps above as normal.

I might post some Starbucks stories from start to finish if there is some interest.