Sunday, May 4, 2008

New Starbucks on Newfield Ave

I pulled into the Newfield Green shopping center last week and spotted a new Starbucks under construction. Uh, cool, because it's right around the corner from me, but are there really that many people driving past there on the way to the train in the AM? And are there really that many stay-at-home moms and work-at-home-people in Belltown to sustain the store? The High Ridge Starbucks, right by Borders and the Merritt on-off ramps, obviously has the better location. I like expensive lattes once in a while, but I don't want an abandoned, second-rate Starbucks in my neighborhood.

We'll have to see how it plays out, but I think a Starbucks in that location is out of place. It's right beside a laundry mat (or did it replace the laundry mat?). Laundry mat does not = Starbucks. If you are gonna buy 4 $ coffee, you are gonna have a washing machine. Maybe it reflects a diverse 'hood... but I think it reflects a lack of understanding of who shops in that area. I'm at that grocery all the time, and my fellow shoppers and I are not the 5 latte a week types.

I wonder where the next Stamford Starbucks will be... I'm predicting in the Shop Rite complex by my NYSC (border of Greenwich, West Main). The people at my gym are tooooooootally the 5 latte a week types. I'm a one latte every week or two type. I'm a socio-economic chameleon.

7 comments:

Kevin McKeever said...

1. Starbucks is evil and overpriced. Yes, during the holiday season I will imbibe a few of those gingerbread/peppermint/egg nog latte connoctions, but the rest of the year -- they are strictly on the "naughty" list.

2. You have to ask why are they opening there when Starbucks is closing underperforming stores around the country as part of its back-to-basics business model? And Bria Cafe, which operated for about a year or so in the space next to Beldotti's Bakery in the Newfield Green, used to serve Starbucks coffee and they closed down about two years ago.

3. The coffee at Beldotti's, while not Dunkin' Donuts, isn't too bad ... plus you get every 7th cup free if you get a coffee club punch card, you can buy some fresh homemade pastries to go with it, and it is a long-time, Stamford family-owned business. The Beldotti brothers are heavily involved in sponsoring and running the American Little League on Vine Road.

Just say NO to the Newfield Starbucks!

Anonymous said...

ugh. the world needs another Starbucks about as much as it needs another Paris Hilton.

Anonymous said...

Darn it - you beat me to the scoop! I was going to rant about this on Mr. Stamford's blog.

Leadhyena Inrandomtan said...

I think there may be demand for this store. I do happen to work from home 3 days out of the week, and when I take a break and walk to the Starbucks in the Ridgeway Plaza I am amazed at the number of people there just hanging out, either working or reading. I think they could pull off a store there.

Anonymous said...

I am so excited about the Starbuck's going up in Newfield Green. Yes, a latte is just the thing needed when one must face the daunting task of grocery shopping. And when one needs a place quieter than the High Ridge Starbucks to hang and work, that'd be the place.

I miss Cafe Bria (a friend of mine is the Bria who owned it). So now if we could just find someone to provide us with the gelato they used to sell, all would be right with the neighborhood of Pepper Ridge.

Anonymous said...

I miss the Coffee Tree that used to be in that location. Now that was some great coffee. I lived in Belltown at the time and was there every morning on my way to work.

Anonymous said...

FYI this Starbuck's will be closing August 5, 2009