Patch Blog: Starbucks in Montrose - Does it Fit the Brand?

I actually don't think and here is my argument.

When you think of the Montrose Shopping Park, you have to think of it like a company. There is a brand to it, a vibe and a reason why people patron the area. Essentially, there is a marketing component to the street. Therefore, you have to approach this with a marketing mindset. Which, keep in mind, is 100 percent subjective. As with any company, the brand and marketing campaigns that Montrose Shopping Park uses are created by a group of people only following the general rules of a good marketing campaign. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

To use some relevant examples with two Glendale public areas, compare The Americana at Brand to The Exchange. The Americana goes to great lengths to make sure that their stores are diverse and fit with their brand. And what is The Exchange? Oh yeah ... the abandoned brick part of Maryland Avenue.

So instead of paying a marketing firm oogles of money, let’s take a page out of the Americana book. Would they ever let two competing coffee shops sit across the street from each other? Does Starbucks fit the brand of the Montrose Shopping Park? From a business perspective, it is not the wisest move. There are four corners in that intersection, the center point of The Montrose Shopping Park, and we want two mainstream coffee shops, and as the focal point of the street. Forget the foot traffic argument, forget the parking argument, bottom line is that in order to make The Montrose Shopping Park a successful area, they need to consider the brand. When people shop at The Montrose Shopping Park they are there for the experience. If they just fill open buildings to anyone who will pay, the street and its stores will not succeed. It will just end up being a hodge podge of stores and restaurants that are not attractive to the consumer when competing with other shopping areas.

In a perfect world, I would have a reasonably priced trendy clothing store, a nice restaurant (maybe gourmet level), and the yogurt place. I would also tell the stores that complain about lack of foot traffic, that maybe if you didn’t close before the dinner rush … you would get more foot traffic! But that is another topic for another time ….

P.S. I frequent the on a regular basis. There is plenty of parking, plenty of space to sit. Let's just keep that one!