Is the Seminole Heights Starbucks closing?
July 8th, 2008 by Alex Pickett in Urban ExplorationsPure terror. That’s what’s on the minds of some Seminole Heights residents about their beloved neighborhood Starbucks and recent news that the coffee giant will close 600 stores this year. Residents fear their coffeeshop on Hillsborough and Central will be one of the unlucky ones.
Never have I seen such a love for a single Starbucks, or any chain store for that matter. I guess it’s deserved. To many residents, that Starbucks represents more than a place to get lemon loaf and burnt coffee — it’s a symbol of a neighborhood reborn. The residents fought like hell to get that Starbucks to come to their neighborhood in the first place (well, most of them). If it did close, where would all the city officials and neighborhood activists go to meet?
Anywho, Starbucks never returns my calls for stories, but I imagine that the Seminole Heights Starbucks is safe. The place is packed every time I drive by, and the baristas always look rushed. And frankly, you couldn’t pay a PR flack enough to get the kind of brand exposure that this Starbucks has created. So don’t worry, folks.
July 8th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Not a chance they’ll close that one. They are either the #1 or #2 busiest in Florida (as verified by Tiffancy Cox — the location manager) and one of the busiest in the Southeast. Yeah, I know I didn’t say profitable, but I would have to assume the two go hand-in-hand. Read more about Seminole Heights at http://www.NewHeightsMag.com
July 8th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Uhm… this is kind of sad… wouldn’t an independent neighborhood coffee house be a better symbol of neighborhood resurgence? This sounds more like the whining of yokels when they done shut down the local KMart after it done killed the downtown merchants.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Sad, but have you ever tried parking there?
If you park in one of the regular spots, then you get blocked in by the cars in line for the drive-through.
It’s really a nightmare getting in and out of that place. If they can’t fix the parking situation, then they do need to shut it down.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I work from home and love having Starbucks nearby to get me out in the neighborhood during the day. BUT, i am wondering why there is all of this frenzy over Starbucks closing when I’m sure there are entreprenurial people in the neighborhood who would love to open a unique neighborhood coffe shop – MAYBE WITH FEE WI FI!
I heard that there have been a few coffee shops on Osborne and Florida that closed down because they didn’t make it. I’m relatively new to the neighborhood so if anyone else has some insight on why a local coffee shop/lounge can not survive (unless it’s a chain) I would love to learn more.
I’m from Brooklyb NY where you walk a few blocks in almost any direction and find a neighborhood coffee shop with people reading, kids playing and FREE Wi Fi- I would think this neighborhood can support that??
Thoughts?
July 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I work from home and love having a coffee shop nearby where i can get out and relieve my cabin fevor. BUT, I’m a bit perplexed at all the Starbucks frenzie. I’m sure that there are entrprenurial people in the neighborhood who could open a neighborhood coffee shop / lounge where people can congregate. I have heard that there were a few on Osborne and Florida that closed down because they couldn’t make it. I’m relatively new to the neighborhood, so if anyone else has any insight into this, i would love to learn.
I’m from Brooklyn, NY where you can walk a few blocks in almost any direction and find a coffee shop with people reading, surfing the net and kids playing on an outdoor deck. I would think that this neighborhood could and would love to support such a local place.
Any thoughts?