April 21, 2006

Franchising Higher Education

By JOHN C. CAVANAUGH and CHRISTINE K. CAVANAUGH

What do you do if you are in Taipei, have one hour to spare before leaving for the airport, and want a cup of coffee that's guaranteed to be excellent? If you are like us (and apparently many Taiwanese), you head for the nearest Starbucks. Why? Because every Starbucks — whether in Taipei, Pensacola, or London — provides a high-quality product, served by staff members who are held to high standards of performance.

We sat in the Starbucks we found in Taipei,