University-area coffee shops will soon have to contend with another Starbucks.
Starbucks is opening a shop at Central Avenue and Terrace Street, but no opening date has been announced, a spokesperson for Starbucks said.
The shop will be the fourth Starbucks within one mile of Main Campus and has some local coffee shop customers and employees concerned.
Sandy Timmerman, manager of Winning Coffee Co. on Harvard Drive, said Starbucks' continuous growth annoys her.
"I read an article once that said, 'New Starbucks opens in bathroom of old Starbucks,' and that's kind of the idea that I get about it," Timmerman said. "It's just so pervasive and invasive, because you can't turn around without one there."
Student Alex Tixier said it doesn't shock her that another Starbucks will open in the area.
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"I'm not surprised, because I think people pay for it," she said. "There's a market for it. I personally would rather come to a local coffee shop, but I know that the market is there for other people."
Doug Penner said he frequents Starbucks because its locations are close by.
"I like Starbucks because it's near my home," he said. "I think Starbucks is overpriced, but it becomes habit for me, because it's a huge convenience."
Jason Helm said he likes to drink coffee from Winning Coffee Co. and is not excited about another Starbucks being built in the area.
"It sucks, because there's a lot of Starbucks." Helm said. "There's too many of them. You travel around the country, and they're everywhere - in airports, Wal-Marts, everywhere."
Meg Miyajima, a barista at Satellite Coffee on Central Avenue and Harvard Drive, said local coffee shops won't lose business to the new Starbucks.
"There's a lot of really loyal customers that will come no matter what to Winning's and to Satellite," Miyajima said. "There's already one (Starbucks) on campus, so it hasn't really affected us that much."
Starbucks has two shops on campus - inside Zimmerman Library and the Bookstore.
Miyajima said she expects the allure of local coffee shops will attract customers.
"Winning's and Satellite have super fresh stuff," she said. "Our coffee is never more than seven days old after we roast it."
Timmerman said Starbucks coffee doesn't compare to the quality of local coffee shops.
"I'm sure it started out good, but now, mostly to me, it tastes burnt," she said. "Because they have to buy huge quantities, they can't really buy the best beans. Everything there is just so corporate. It's not personal. The flavors are just straight across, and it's just not very interesting."
