AWESOME Or AWFUL: Is A SWANK Cadillac Coffee Joint Going To Help Change Consumer's Opinions?

One of the biggest problem with General Motors' luxury division, Cadillac, is its brand equity. While certain products in its portfolio have a following with the elite (cough, cough, the Escalade, cough, cough) others are struggling to find their home.

To me, the Cadillac vehicles are better than ever. Hell, I even named the ATS-V and CTS-V as my top two for 2015. But would I ever consider or tell someone to check out one of the company's standard vehicles.

No.

The ATS, CTS, CT6, XT5 all sort of lose me. Could it be the Art & Science design language? Most likely. The interiors have become quite nice and even the CUE system has gotten its act together. But, aside from the Vs, I don't think I'd ever want to be caught dead in a Caddy.

Others share this sentiment too. In an effort to help boost the company's perception, the automaker formerly from Detroit has uprooted to New York's Manhattan island and has hired some of the best to help turn this ship around. Another initiative is the VIP fleet that's a move from Audi's playbook. So far it doesn't appear to have moved the needle. But that hasn't stopped the company.

The latest move is to open up a coffee shop on the ground floor of its new Big Apple location. While I admit that this is a fun little endeavor I don't think it will have New Yorkers clamoring for Caddys.

What say you, Spies? Do you think people will go kooky for Caddy coffee or is this simply an awful attempt at better public relations?

...Called Cadillac House, the café/gallery/dealership fills out the spacious ground floor of the brand’s 330 Hudson Street offices, and is due to open on June 2. Mark you calendars.

Nestled between Soho and Greenwich Village, the coffee shop is a ploy to lure well-heeled urban types into a space inspired by Cadillac, but not in the same way that certain small-town diners are inspired by Cadillac. It’s all part of an initiative started in 2014 to foist the brand onto those who traditionally shun domestic luxury.

“We have tried to tell people what you’re supposed to feel from the Cadillac brand,” said Melody Lee, Cadillac’s brand director, in an interview with Bloomberg. “But what we hadn’t quite fully established was an environment that you could walk into..."

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TheSteve - 5/15/2016 10:38:34 PM

0 Boost

Not mine.

valhallakey - 5/16/2016 12:23:59 AM

+1 Boost

Not a bad idea really. Go to major European cities and you see similar things. In Paris just on the Champs-Elysee you can see multiple car companies with restaurants mixed in with show cars and production cars. I think it is a good idea as it turned me on to some of the interesting cars they have. I remember one car that caught my attention in Paris and was a learning experience was the Citroen DS3. They had a quite well equipped one out there, and I found out it could be had with some interesting options and the one I was looking at had a Mini Cooper S engine in it. Was a nice car and could have been a good alternative option if I was looking at a Mini. Cadillac has a long way to go still and abandoning the El Miraj was probably their biggest mistake in gaining credibility. Now it will just take longer, but the road to get there will take some creative ideas like this and many other small things. If GM can tough it out and the execs can take a few more years with a couple million less in bonuses they can get there.

Agent00R - 5/16/2016 12:54:30 AM

+5 Boost

Imagine if the Elmiraj made it!

Or, how about a sedan version of the gorgeous Ciel. Wow...

TomM - 5/16/2016 7:43:59 AM

+3 Boost

The basic problem with Cadillac is that they are NOT Cadillacs. DeNysschen has turned into german sports sedan also-rans - while the people who actually would buy an El-Miraj - A REAL Cadillac - sit on the sidelines waiting for the Lincoln Continental to come out.

The fact is - the TWO largest car markets - China and USA (Europe has already shown that it does not want these cars - why play to that market) - don't have a problem with the identity of the Cadillac - Cadillac does not make any cars the meet its "identity". Cadillac was the AMERICAN man's Rolls Royce - unshakably Big, smooth, quiet Luxury cars with HUGE engines with "adequate" power with the room that China gets in their LONG versions (That we don't get because DeNysschen is an Idiot and Mary Barra is just as responsible for this nonsense.) THe El Miraj and Ciel are proof that arts and science can actually look good too.

Their biggest MISTAKE was to make their cars "smaller and more nimble" - REAL Americans want MORE room not more "excuses". The packaging of these cars is simply delinquent. I have said before - that if Cadillac moved each of their cars DOWN a class in price - With the ATS going after the CLA - and the CTS went after the 3 - Series - and the CT6 in the E/5 class - AND made the long wheelbase version available in the USA - who really WANTS them over what they sell now - they could actually sell some of the existing cars. THey would need to produce that CT8 too. That their LARGEST vehicle - one that DeNysschen is not involved in and doesn't want - IS their biggest and only money maker is Telling. Unfortunately - Mary Barra must be in Love with DeNysschen or something - and until they are gone Cadillac is a goner