Coffee Wars

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For years, the closest Starbucks to Greencastle has been the one located in Plainfield, over 37 miles away. Starting Monday, one of the Seattle-based coffee shops will be open on the courthouse square, within walking distance of the DePauw campus.
The Starbucks café, adjacent to the university's new bookstore, is the result of the Stellar Communities grant received by the city of Greencastle last year. The grant allotted approximately $19 million dollars for community improvements.
Seniors Amanda Feller and Emily Wilson, who have both been hired to work at the new Starbucks, think there's no way business owners with preexisting coffee shops in the Greencastle area will suffer. Instead, they think the arrival of the chain could be beneficial for other downtown shops.
"Starbucks itself as a big corporation does a lot to give back to the community," Feller said. "We had to learn about 'the history of Starbucks' as new employees, and I was really impressed."
Both students noted that the corporation contacted other downtown businesses asking them to be a part of the store's grand opening celebration. The week-long celebration will begin on Monday, Sept. 24 and will continue through Sunday, Sept. 30 to include Parent's Weekend at DePauw. Twenty employees have been hired to work at the café, including five DePauw students. According to Wilson, the new Starbucks will be open from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weeknights and from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Debbie Gould, the manager of the new Starbucks, has been a Greencastle resident since high school. Feller is excited to work with Gould because she "really knows how this town runs."
While Gould may be focused on Greencastle coffee consumers, Steve Santo, the general manager of DePauw dining services, is focused on maintaining the campus dining facilities.
"You always lose some business when somebody comes to town," Santo said. "But I'm just not worried."
To ensure campus coffee can stand up to the competition, Santo has reviewed what both Café Allegro and Café Roy are doing to stay on top of their game. As a result, Café Allegro has extended its hours to be open for dinnertime during the week. The café is now open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays.
"Starbucks definitely has a following, but some people don't like their coffee," Santo said. He believes that Green Mountain, the Sodexo brand of coffee sold on campus, has developed loyal customers of its own.
While the on-campus coffee shops have more convenient locations for students on-the-go, Santo said he's "a little worried" about night business. According to Santo, the lounge-like setting of the new Starbucks may be an excellent hangout area for students, especially in the evening when they're studying in between classes.
Lisa Peacock, supervisor at Café Roy, echoes some of Santo's feelings. She said the Starbucks will be somewhere new for people to go study in the evening. This could pose a potential problem for the on-campus cafes, whose evening sales account for a little less than 30 percent of their revenue.
While any on-campus coffee purchases made with ID OneCards are deducted from students' DPU meal points, this is not the case at Starbucks. Students hoping to use their ID OneCard at Starbucks will be limited by the $50 worth of DPU Plus Points, unless they deposit additional funds to their account.
While Wilson loves Starbucks coffee, she admits it will be a special treat for her.
"I have four cups of coffee a day, so the buck fifty I pay at Roy O. sounds pretty good to me," Wilson said. "It's not like oh, I'm going to run and get Starbucks between classes - it's just too far out."
Freshman Grace Quinn also thinks Starbucks will be an "every once in a while" treat.
"I've got to have my coffee fix," Quinn said. "I love Starbucks, but it will be kind of a walk from campus - and expensive."
Overall, Quinn is content with the campus coffee and thinks she'll continue drinking it on a daily basis.
Junior Mackenzie Cremeans, another coffee enthusiast, is also concerned about the new Starbucks' relatively distant location.
"I suppose just getting people off campus would be a big obstacle for them because students generally stay inside the confines of campus and don't go to the square," Cremeans said.
Even though the bookstore's new location may not be as convenient for students, Santo believes the Starbucks could be a great way to get more people walking the streets of downtown Greencastle.
"I think it's going to draw people here," Santo said. "It could definitely create some foot traffic."
Feller also believes that some of the citizens of Crawfordsville, a town located 30 miles north of Greencastle, are "super jealous" of the Starbucks.
With people coming in from a distance to get their coffee fix from a brand they already know and love, Santo said other downtown businesses could do nothing but benefit.
Seven years ago, Lynda Dunbar opened her own gift shop and restaurant called Treasures on the Square. The shop, which is still located at 2 West Washington St., was recently renamed the Downtown Deli in anticipation of the new Starbucks. Dunbar said the change was made to ensure that people knew what they were getting since she's no longer selling gift items.
Dunbar said she is "thrilled to death about Starbucks" and wants people to know they can grab a coffee from Starbucks and head next door for a meal. She has also changed her hours to make certain that the coffee chain moving in next door doesn't hurt business.
Downtown Deli will now be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Saturday hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dunbar is considering staying open on Fridays and Saturdays 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
"If students say they'll come, we'll stay open - I'd love feedback on the idea," Dunbar said.
She agrees with Santo and believes that the popular coffee chain will be a huge help to downtown business.
"The bookstore and Starbucks will definitely increase traffic downtown," Dunbar said.
Dunbar believes that the bookstore will be a draw, especially for prospective DePauw students.
"Prospective students always end up at the college bookstore," she said. "I'm hoping they're going to then see us, and stop by and see what we've got."
Leslee Brown, front house manager at Almost Home, another restaurant located on the square, is also excited for the Starbucks to move in.
"I'll be stopping in there in the mornings," she said.
She believes the coffee shop will be a boost for downtown businesses, especially for Dunbar's Downtown Deli. "I think it will get business for her," Brown said. "I wish they were moving in next to us."
While the relocated bookstore is expected to attract more traffic downtown, some individuals are nervous about the implications associated with having a Starbucks in Greencastle.
"I'm kind of sad that the commercialization of Starbucks is probably going to drive the Blue Door out of business," Cremeans said.
Cremeans said she likes Starbucks, but she prefers the atmosphere of the locally owned Blue Door Café, which has been located at 302 East Washington St. for several years.
Sue Furr, owner of the Blue Door Café, declined to comment for this story.
Despite the mixed feelings about the presence of Starbucks, Greencastle residents and DePauw students alike will be anxiously counting down to Monday. Then, it will be up to their taste buds and wallets to decide exactly what kind of role the new coffee shop will play in the downtown economy.