Patch Blog: Starbucks May Not Be Bad for Montrose

I have been following all the bustle of late about the . Some merchants don't care for it, some residents are crying out that its unneeded competition while still others feel it will take away the small town feel.

I have come to know and love the neat little hideaway that is the Montrose Shopping Park.  The diversity of cuisine, the friendly people, it's exactly what a small community should be.

Some arguments against a neighborhood Starbucks include that it is not a small local business since it is an international chain. So you may not realize this but there are two restaurants on Honolulu Avenue that belong to a small chain owned by the same family. The chain makes up four or five restaurants total. Should we keep that business owner from opening more restaurants because they already have two in the park and could create unwelcome competition for other restaurants? How about the pizzeria that opened last year that is part of a large franchise chain? We already had at least two restaurants in the Park that made pizza. How about them?

Other arguments include the fact that we already have a coffee shop on Honolulu Avenue. I would argue that when opened we already had coffee shops as well. Many, if not all, family-owned and operated for many years prior to The Bean's arrival.

Still other arguments propose that Starbucks will bring foot traffic but the wrong kind. Meaning, people grab and go, not spending enough time in the Park to patron neighboring businesses.  Sometimes, when I don't feel like being around noisy kids, I'll drive over to (our neighborhood frozen yogurt vendor) and grab and go home to enjoy in peace with my wife. Froyo just doesn't have the space to seat every one of its customers. So people are forced to move on, some choose to sit on the sidewalk, others walk around and, like us on occasion, go home. How will Starbucks be any different? 

Another overlooked fact, there is a Starbucks on Verdugo Road at the Glendale (2) Freeway. Just five blocks (and walking distance) from the proposed site. Has anyone accounted for the possibility that this Starbucks may lose some of its business the new location? Therefore not necessarily taking away business from nearby businesses in the Park.

Some merchants are for the proposed Starbucks saying that it will bring needed foot traffic to the Park. First, what happened to healthy competition? Just because a Starbucks comes to town doesn't mean everyone will automatically go there. If you've had good coffee you might know that Starbucks coffee doesn't always stack up (as an aside, good coffee is quite addicting and once you've had it, you won't go back). Good for you Park merchants! Its okay to acknowledge that when something good comes everyone benefits. Second, if you are so concerned about parking woes, grab and go, etc. then let's make some rules. Parking can be limited to certain areas that would promote walking to the storefront instead of creating a traffic jam at the corner of Honolulu Avenue and Oceanview Boulevard. Currently there is no parking in front of Coffee Bean yet there always seems to be plenty of patrons.

My other concern is that we are forgetting something here, plenty of businesses in the Park see very little business yet still keep there doors open. When Froyo came in it rejuvenated that corner and paved the way for new businesses nearby (, Big Mama's & Papa's, etc) by driving foot traffic throughout the day.  Some, that are hard to name since they are usually closed or have nothing of interest to me personally. They are still there and yet I would consider a blight since they are using valuable space that could be used for a business that might actually succeed.  In this case Color Me Mine is moving to a newly empty space (filling a void) while downsizing to keep their doors open, definitely a good thing! Starbucks would move into their old space filling another void.

Although arguments against are passionate, I'm not sure I agree. I like my small town and I want to keep it that way, but Starbucks is not Walmart as some may want you to believe.