S Business Buy Names Juan's Watch Movie Starbucks

Sometimes, when Americans say they are going to a place, such as a friend's house or a restaurant, they will attach an " 's ", like this:

-"I'm going to Juan's to watch a movie."

-"Let's go to Starbucks' to buy some coffee." (There is no pronunciation difference between "Starbucks" and "Starbucks' ".)

When the " 's " is used without a noun after it, we are implying that what follows should be "house," "place," "store," "business," or some other place. So in the examples above, what we really mean to say are:

-"I'm going to Juan's [home/house/apartment] to watch a movie."

-"Let's go to Starbucks' [cafe/coffee house/restaurant] to buy some coffee."

Because of this "convention" (way of doing things), many American businesses, especially stores, restaurants, and bars have names with an apostrophe "s," such as "Tony's" (the name of several restaurants around the country) or "Molly Malone's" (a bar in Los Angeles). Because we use this convention mainly in conversation, naming a business this way gives the business a friendly and informal "tone" (atmosphere; feeling).

Keep in mind that while this is very common, it is fine not to use the " 's " convention, too. Both of these mean the same thing and you will hear both versions in daily conversation:

-"Did you buy that sweater at Kmart's?"

-"Did you buy that sweater at Kmart?"