| Local Coffeehouses Fight the Starbucks/Wal-Martization of the Economy |
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From: <http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3351390)> The 23-year-old coffee aficionado does not frequent Starbucks, nor does she recommend the popular chain. In fact, Perry runs the family-owned Coffee Klatch, a competitor and neighbor to the dual Starbucks. Instead of resenting the franchises' encroachment, Perry believes the competition drives more coffee drinkers to the area who will opt for her more personalized approach to the coffee business. The store's decor, with its mismatched couches that somehow complement each other, brings to mind a cozy meeting place a la "Friends." It's not uncommon to find live bands or a free offering of chocolate espresso here. "Starbucks made it OK to pay $4 for a cappuccino and encouraged people to switch over from Folgers," Perry said. "I give them credit. We wouldn't have had this success." Independent coffee shops in the Inland Valley are banking on java junkies to choose their personable offerings despite a Starbucks expansion that seems to have no end. Some are offering live entertainment, others have high-speed Internet but all have a constant supply of brew and beans that rival the chain varieties. At Coffee Klatch, drinks like javalanche and creme brulee are served with a side of s'mores and free Wi-Fi. "It's why I stay so long," said Tina Nguyen, a Chaffey College student who was seen recently rapping on her laptop. Nguyen frequents Coffee Klatch every week, staying for three hours at a time. Last semester, she started a study group for her anthropology class here. "Starbucks is sorta impersonal," said Nguyen, but added she's a drive-thru enthusiast on days when time is valuable. And that is one thing even Perry admits she can not compete with: convenience. Starbucks drive-thrus are sprouting across this car-dependent area and they are not limited to freeway exits. A trend of opening drive-thrus in existing walk-in stores is an ironic twist to a story printed seven years ago in the satiric newspaper The Onion, headlined, "New Starbucks Opens In Rest Room of Existing Starbucks." There are 22 Starbucks drive-thrus in the Inland Valley with more slated next year. Plans for one on Mountain Avenue and Sixth Street in Ontario and another on Day Creek Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard are already under way. "Drive-thrus provide a great way to better meet the needs of our customers and will become a larger mix of our store portfolio as they are introduced in areas where our customers are not currently being served," wrote Montey Dunn, a local Starbucks spokesperson, in an e-mail. But customers not served by Starbucks are increasingly hard to find. In the quaint and hip Claremont Village, a Starbucks sits smugly on Yale Street, a stone's throw away from Some Crust, a bakery and cafe where organic and free trade coffee is served. The area is rich with socially conscious consumers, said Heather Williams, a Pomona College professor who teaches a class on the politics of food. "Some people are anti-Starbucks. There's some sense of cool in independent coffee houses where the music isn't dictated by board members," Williams said. "They want to feel ownership of their coffee shop." Some Crust made the decision to go completely organic and free trade, meaning that the beans are produced under a system insuring farmers receive a fair price. Owner Larry Feemster now purchases from Santa Cruz Roasting and offers a "brew bar" where each cup of joe is dripped to order. "I like to say there's a railroad track that runs from Santa Cruz to Berkeley to Claremont," said Feemster, who finds similarities between Claremont and the two progressive college towns. Three years ago, Berkeley voted down a measure that would require all cups of coffee served in the city to be free trade. Starbucks has also jumped on the free trade, organic and the environmentally friendly shade-grown coffee bandwagon. And despite some run-ins with unions the most recent being in New York City last November Starbucks' behemoth reputation is relatively good. The company was on Fortune's 2005 list as one of the best to work for. "Starbucks is not seen as Wal-Mart," Williams said. "Their price per pound (of beans) to their producers are probably twice the average. Starbucks is not a satanic force." Another reason why independent stores have to offer what Starbucks doesn't in order to survive, said Williams. Some Crust displays art from local artists and promotes a program that brings new shoes to needy children. At Chino's Espresso Yourself, new owner Junior Ellis is looking to bring chess tournaments and poetry reading to his venue. In addition to weekend entertainment, there is live jazz every other Tuesdays at Coffee Klatch. Their music sets racked up $10,000 for hurricane relief earlier this year. These shops form a niche in a coffee market totaling almost $9 billion in the United States. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America which tracks coffee drinking trends, 16 percent of the adult population drank specialty coffee on a daily basis in 2004, up from just 9 percent in 2000. Coffee drinkers' tastes are becoming more refined, said Perry, who describes her store as not just a place to drink coffee but to learn about the beverage. Coffee Klatch roasts its own beans in its San Dimas location and sells it wholesale to as far away as South Korea. "Coffee will be in my life for the rest of my life," Perry said. The Cal Poly Pomona graduate talks about coffee the way a French vintner praises wine. Using words like "bite," "body" and "fruity" to discern different roasts, Perry holds special pride in her beans. She was crowned the 2003 U.S. barrista champion from a competition that judges technical skills, speed and taste. Perry and her father, owner Michael Perry, travel abroad regularly bidding for lots in coffee-producing nations. Bolivia and Panama are up and coming countries, she said. Luke Johnson, a truck driver from Fontana, frequents Coffee Klatch every day, sometimes twice a day, for the ambience as much as the coffee. He predicts that independent shops will be the next generation of coffee. "I wouldn't say this is the `Cheers' of coffee," said Johnson, referring to the intimate sitcom bar. "But everyone sure knows my name." Wendy Leung can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or by phone at (909) 483-9376. |
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