• The Wall Street Journal , Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:45 AM

In April, Starbucks made Pike Place Roast -- a new, milder brew meant to appeal to the masses -- the main drip coffee at its 11,000 or so locations across the country. The new strategy, which played down the company's more-established robust roasts, has touched off a debate about what customers think Starbucks should stand for: bold coffee for connoisseurs or a tamer brew for the hoi polloi?

Much of that debate is taking place on the company's customer-feedback Web site, which the chain launched in March. The site is littered with thumbs-down verdicts on the new roast. Some small competitors have posted messages there trying to woo disenchanted Starbucks drinkers.

But Starbucks executives say the chain's aggressive marketing of Pike Place Roast has been a success. Since its introduction, Starbucks' sales of drip coffee have risen by between 5% and 15%, depending on the part of the country, the company says. In the morning, stores also brew one of the chain's six bold flavors. And after getting thousands of pleas on its Web site, Starbucks again started brewing bold coffee in the afternoon at some locations.

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