With the increase in specialist coffee shops, cafes and bars in the Singapore market, there has been a strong competition between major franchise players to please the consumer's five senses. Younger consumers are becoming increasingly affluent and thus there is a pull from increasing competition from coffee outlets. This niche group is looking for the ambience, status and lifestyle that come with a price tag. This research examines the consumer's preference for selected specialist coffee and tea shops in Singapore. It looks the methods and explores the different forms of marketing communications that Starbucks uses to entice the consumer to purchase coffee or tea at its franchise. This study uses Starbucks as the benchmark for how other similar players in the specialist coffee and tea shops market position themselves. This study observes that the ambience and lifestyle associated with a particular brand is very important to their purchasing behavior. This study is important for us to understand how a trendsetting franchise impacts a consumers purchase.