July 31, 2007
There goes the neighborhood!
It was a bit of shock to see what’s been added to the front corner of the little local mall out here on the Waianae Coast. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see another shop selling Automotive detailing supplies or maybe another thrift store or fast-food place. What I never anticipated was a Starbucks! It’s open for business already, so I suppose I must have been passing “coming soon” signs and other indicators for a while, but I was totally oblivious until yesterday when I drove by and spotted it. Now, I happen to like Starbucks and I like that it will now be convenient for me to spend way too much money on a very good cup of coffee so close to home. I’m the type who could become addicted to the stuff quite easily. There are probably folks who will appreciate the Jamba Juice that is soon to open next door, too.
But, see, I’m a little puzzled. I was disappointed on several levels when the Payless Shoes that had been there forever closed a while back. We wear sandals here year round, and Payless was a good place to get inexpensive ones that I could tear up on the beach if I wanted. More importantly, this is an economically depressed area. Inexpensive shoes are a necessary commodity for the folks out here, especially those with children in school. Still, our economy wasn’t brisk enough to keep them open, so now they’re gone. If our community couldn’t provide enough business to keep a cheap shoe store that was much needed, why in the world did Starbucks invest here? Yes, poor people need a little treat every now and then, but can they afford to drink enough coffee to keep a Starbucks up and running? I’m thinking it will be a short venture.
Technorati Tags: coffee, economy, poverty, Starbucks
Posted by skeet @ 10:30 pm • Just stuff, Society & culture
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