Starbucks - Stealing Space?
We never pretend to be fans of the chain cafes, restaurants and shops that proliferate in Britain’s modern towns and cities but neither are we ones for casually bashing them - it might be fun at times, but it’s far more challenging and satisfying to champion our favourite local places instead. Having said that, every once in a while a story crops up in the news that’s difficult to ignore.
Starbucks is making headlines again as controversy builds over its recent expansion in to a former book shop in Brighton. Planning permission for their move in to the building “was rejected on the grounds that the council wanted to preserve a healthy mix of businesses”, but they opened anyway and are apparently allowed to continue trading under a ‘grey area’ in the law.
Locals are protesting online and off, with the Stop Starbucks From Opening On St James Street Facebook group currently standing at 1,758 members. The group organises weekly demos held on Saturdays between 11am and 1pm, and make the following statement:
“For those that just have to have a ‘Frappucino’ we already have six branches of the chain in Brighton & Hove. This is not about denying consumers’ choice, but about protecting our high streets and not losing that which makes our lovely city unique. The council have spoken and so have the local community. Starbucks should listen.
This is about more than just a quaint hope for a future of lively, independent town centres - if the big chains are allowed to steamroll in to town, casting local opinion and even the British legal system aside as they open yet another branch, what hope do smaller businesses have? Well done to the Brighton protestors - only by making a fuss can us little people ever hope to be heard over the din of corporate money.
What do you think about all this? Are you one of the Brighton protestors? Do you like the product but object to the company’s methods? Or is this all just a fuss about nothing? We’re always interested in your opinion - come on, let us have it!
Photo credit: Starbucks coffee - Starbucks coffee by Man in a bowler hat (Epzibah) (CC License)
Technorati Tags: TrustedPlaces, coffee, news, starbucks, debate, brighton, london, cafe
June 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
It is an interesting question why Starbucks is so popular. Everyone I talk to says that their coffee is not very good but that they use them for convenience. Hmm. It seems it is upto the consumer to vote with our feet, otherwise Starbucks will rampage-on wiping out the independent & colourful landscape of ‘locals’ that we say we like so much. I think we need more coordination and action from consumers. We need to put some effort in and not just whinge after reading another grim Starbucks headline.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Sadly it is obvious why the big SB is so popular; it’s all about convenience and that latent social inability to ‘be bothered’ to make an considered stand against the expediency that such chains offer.
I’m aware that I am also being totally hypercritical here as on many occasion (i’m too ashamed to number) but i’ve found myself ‘just nipping into’ my local Bucks for the venti, soy latte, hold the syrup, decaf decadence. I’m all for coffee culture and sophistication, but SB isn’t it. And when such a heavy weight pushes other independent gems out of the water then that is cause for concern.
Like many others I wouldn’t be without my morning coffee related interlude, but it would be preferable to find go somewhere with soul and not burnt beans. With that in mind i’m using TP to stake out some new coffee shops that support the independent experience and will definately have improved cakes
December 27th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
STARBUCKS-BRIGHTON
the issue about St James Street Starbucks is that it is in the premises formerly occupied by a bookshop and that the local planning authority (Brighton and Hove City Council)declined the application to change use to that of a cafe.The ordinary citizen may assume that multi-national companies tend to ignore the decisions of elected representatives and that they can bring out their highly paid corporate lawyers against the limited resources of British local authorities. From a perspective, locally owned and run cafes contribute to the local economy more than branches of multi-nationals.