Why two starbucks on Fairview?

[gweilo845]

Stuff like that happens everywhere in other cities. In Seattle, it's common to see two Starbucks on the same block - with a couple of Seattle's Best Coffee shops across the street. When I was in Boston, there seemed to be a Dunkin Donuts (or a store that sold DD pastries/coffee) about every 150 feet.

I remember when Superamerica bought out 7-11 here that it was common to see SAs right next to each other.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Globe199

The shop just south of Hwy 36 opened very recently. The one in Fairdale (north of 36) has been around 10+ years. I doubt if they're more than a quarter mile apart. In fact, I bet you could almost see them from one another.

I agree with Slig; it must be to keep competitors out. But it has to be costly, and I'd imagine one of those stores will close.

Well, neither of them have closed, so there goes that prediction!

My theory on these two Starbucks is that now there's a store on either side of the freeway. You can get your morning coffee whether you're driving north or south on Fairview. No need to go under the freeway, make a bunch of left turns, etc, etc. Faster, easier service. I just realized how utterly car-centric the design is. (It would also work better for people traveling either way on Hwy 36.)

Starbucks has taken on a much more conservative expansion the past couple years, to the point of closing thousands of stores. They must feel that this setup works.

[Chugga Chugga Choo Choo]

If they don tput one there, Caribou will. Why allow th ecompetition to come into the area? Just like Walgreens where I live, there are four of them with in a 5 mile radius.

[DannyBanany]

I've noticed those Starbucks too and I wondered the same thing. There are also two Starbucks on Grand Ave. One on Lexington and one on Snelling. I think it's a 4 block distance.

[jmlowman]

I while ago I read an article (I think) on Yahoo news that said that one reason that some locations of Starbucks were closing was that they discovered that they were competing with themselves.

Now I'm wondering if it was intentional.

When they built a larger Starbucks about a block from an existing store across the street from UC-Riverside Extension Center, I assumed that the smaller, original store would close. Didn't happen. It would stand to reason that there would be room for two locations near a major university.