Coronado's Most Read Newspaper & Community Website
Yes to Walgreens. No to Starbucks. Why?
The Coronado City Council Coronado Planning Commission just shot down Starbuck's request to open a second location at 135 Orange Avenue due to the competition it would create for two "Mom & Pop" businesses near the location. Tartine and Boney's Bayside Market both run successful coffee businesses that are not chains. Coronado seems to struggle to maintain its quaint small-town feel as bigger business threaten to take over Orange Ave.
So, why is it that a HUGE company like Walgreens was approved and will open its' doors in Coronado soon when Central Drug has been serving Coronado since 1893 as an independently owned neighborhood pharmacy. Why is Walgreens an exception? Upon opening the newest location, Walgreens will be across the street from a competing chain drug store, CVS and both will compete with Central Drug.
One argument for opening a Walgreens that was brought up to me was this: What else would fill that huge, and probably extremely expensive piece of property on Orange Ave besides a large company?
This is a very good point. However, if this is the reasoning behind it, it seems to me that eventually Orange Ave will consist solely of large chain business because that is all that will be able to survive on the expensive real-estate.
What do you think of the decision to open a Walgreens and not allow another Starbucks?
Read more on this topic:
-
Comment by Brian Smith on May 29, 2012 at 2:56pm -
I understand 135 Orange Ave to have been vacant since being built...4 yrs ago???.....why not bring in the tax $ to the city. I enjoy Tartines and shop Boneys...but I still enjoy my Starbucks along with many others. Many of us, whom visit Starbucks daily on the "other side of the island" will buy food from the surrounding businesses.... Villa Nueva, Claytons, Panera and coffee from Starbucks. This morning pleasure could transition to the bayside of the island, especially with the locals! Marriott brewing Starbucks is not the same.... My parents have always owned their own business, I believe in supporting small businesses, and do so with the one exception of Starbucks. Dissappointing, I guess I will continue to spend my $ on the "other side of the island".
The video of the City commission planning meeting may be viewed online
-
Photo Star Comment by SBGrad on May 29, 2012 at 3:15pm -
Bravo to the Council. ONE Starbucks is too many. Coronado will do fine without national chains. Marie Calendars and Wendy's left and we got 2 locally owned businesses (OK, one is a small chain) in return. I prefer that Coronado retain its own identity rather than be comprised of a bunch of cookie cutter businesses.
-
Comment by Herbert T Daugherty on May 29, 2012 at 3:24pm -
Great points Brian. I visit Boney's almost everyday for their well-priced, high-quality fruits and vegetables (this is not a plug). I also visit Starbucks, Cafe 1134, Panera, Tent City on the other end of the Island. If you are a regular patron of Tartine's (which I am not) you will go there whether or not there is a Starbucks around the corner. I am no financial expert but it seems to me that a second Starbucks would fill an empty storefront as well as add jobs and revenue that is currently lacking. In today's economy I'm not sure a high-end anything would do well in that empty space. I think the market should decide this issue, I'm sorry that Starbucks won't have a chance to test it.
As far as Walgreens goes, I am looking forward to having a bigger store with a larger variety that may save me a trip over the bridge on the weekend. Walgreens will carry a lot of practical, everyday well-priced items in one location that you might otherwise have to go to several stores for.
I also believe in supporting small business but at the end of the day let the market and the customer make the decision!
-
Comment by Dana S. Chisholm on May 29, 2012 at 4:48pm -
Amen to letting the consumer decide. The location at 135 has been empty - and that doesn't help anyone. I certainly don't want another "mom and pop" bar there! Starbucks withdrew its request to serve alcohol, stating it listened to our community. And this is how we return the favor? I live at this end of town, shop at Boney's - But, I don't get my coffee there. I like my fru-fru coffee! I am VERY disappointed with the City Council. I don't go to Tartine's (although I wish them well) so my Starbucks money would have been new revenue - as would have been all the Chinese tourists that pour off the bus every day on 1st to walk around this end of town... And the people that only have bars and breweries down here to choose from (again, love all mom and pop places) but, why keep me from a good coffee and more revenue for the city? We were all talking about it and excited! VERY sad decision. Can it go before the Council again? We need a recount!
-
Comment by Leanne Thomas on May 29, 2012 at 7:10pm -
I WOULD RATHER SEE ANOTHER STARBUCKS THAN ANOTHER BAR....JUST SAYIN...I BET THE RENT AT THAT SPACE IS PRETTY HIGH TOO...
-
Comment by Dana S. Chisholm on May 29, 2012 at 7:28pm
-
Thank you, Leanne! I totally agree. I understand the Council considered the two businesses - but what about the residents? We were robbed on Mother's Day - they broke into the underground parking, stole nearly all the bikes in our complex, broke into our car...but, we were lucky. The condos on the 100 block were also broken into the underground garage and they stole the car, too! The police tell us crime has gone up on the 100 & 200 blocks of Orange. No wonder. We have bars, a brewery, a rescue mission church (which I support wholeheartedly and volunteer for), a liquor store, and these empty spaces Starbucks applied for. I believe it would help the crime rate down at this end to bring in some wholesome businesses like Starbucks that would bring more pedestrian traffic (that wasn't drinking) to help put more eyes in the community. I wonder what kind of businesses the Council WOULD allow in those empty storefronts? What are they thinking will go in there? A dress shop? It would fail - it doesn't have the foot traffic for wandering shoppers. Maybe a dress shop NEXT DOOR TO A STARBUCKS would make it. Starbucks would draw. If the reasoning was that there should not be two Starbucks - close the other one. If the argument is "competing with Mom & Pop"... I'm pretty sure the little coffee shop right across the street from the current Starbucks does just fine. There's always a line out the door when we go for breakfast...or lunch...or ever. The Council needs to reconsider - or provide another business to fill that spot - and not let this end of Orange continue to get worse. And find my bike's and ipods while they're at it! :-)
-
Comment by Mayor Casey Tanaka on May 29, 2012 at 7:53pm -
The decisions to allow Walgreens and to decline a second Starbucks were both made at the Planning Commission level, not the City Council level.
I think it is important to remember that market forces are a much bigger factor in filling empty store fronts rather than governmental forces. The City Council cannot simply take a vote and voila, a Trader Joe's appears. Those businesses come and go based on the rents charged for those store fronts and whether or not they can make a profit while while literally paying anywhere from $10,000-$20,000 per month in rent. Petco and now Walgreens have been willing to accept the risk of paying those high rents and that is why they have moved into town. That is a big risk for a "Mom and Pop" to take and therefore, we see vacant storefronts in some cases where we would like to see something more vibrant.
As for a second Starbucks, it was reported that local business owners made a persuasive argument to the Planning Commission that this franchise would negatively affect the local businesses on the same block and elsewhere. The city has an ordinance that limits the number of formula fast-food restaurant chains in Coronado to 10 and each new application is reviewed by the Planning Commission. When your neighbors who risk their necks to operate a local business take the time to come down to a public hearing and speak out, it often carries a lot of weight with the decision makers.
-
Comment by Dana S. Chisholm on May 29, 2012 at 8:47pm
-
Thank you, Mayor. Honestly, we thought this was a no brainer - good for our end of town, increased revenue to the city, something other than a bar that had enough of a name to bring more positive business traffic and fill the empty space that has been sitting so long...if I thought for a second it would be denied, I would have gone to the meeting to speak to the issue. And, I don't think the people who own the liquor store and bars are our neighbors in this increasing crime area, I think just their businesses are ...I'm not sure, but I think they actually live elsewhere.
Again, if I knew that businesses could go to a meeting and ask that their competitors not be allowed to open their doors, I would have rallied the people who have to live (as in our homes) next to the empty spaces and bars and crime.
The City Council apparently CAN take a vote and voila, a Starbucks does NOT appear. Sounds like I need to start going to all the meetings - get a little more involved :-)
-
Comment by Dana S. Chisholm on May 29, 2012 at 8:55pm
-
Oops. Looks like the story was updated...The Planning Commission can take a vote and voila, a Starbucks does NOT appear. I guess we have to add those meetings to our calendar as well :-)
-
Comment by Brian Smith on May 29, 2012 at 9:35pm
-
Dana, I completely agree with you, would have attended the meeting if I thought the Planning commission needed a few "yes" voices. On another note, I doubt Tartines would appreciate a bunch of locals taking up table space over a cup of coffee and free wifi for a couple of hrs. Tartines is more of a cafe/bistro...whereas Starbucks is not. When I think of fast food......Starbucks is NOT on the list!
© 2013 eCoronado.com
You need to be a member to add comments. It only takes 60 seconds to join. Get breaking news alerts!
Join Coronado Island (eCoronado.com)