Neighbors/Small Businesses Win Another Victory Against STARBUCKS in the Richmond District - SF

Strike up another victory against the invasion of BIG BOX and Chain Stores in SF neighborhoods!
After a month and a half of organizing and advocacy, Richmond District residents have scored another victory against STARBUCKS which had again been trying to sneak into our inner Richmond neighborhood, this time with a proposed cofee kiosk in the newly rebuilt SAFEWAY Grocery Store on 7th Avenue at Cabrillo Street.
This afternoon we learned that Safeway, after hearing concerns from neighbors and small businesses in the area has backed down and will not seek a CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT from the SF Planning Department as required by our formula retail policy in the City [Prop H].

Earlier this month Bryan McKeon, David Tornheim, Jesse Fink and others had begun gathering signatures of support [again] for our small businesses and preserving the unique and diverse character of our Richmond District. We were successful over the summer in a similar campaign to keep STARBUCKS out of the Inner Richmond at a proposed site on Geary at 5th Avenue.
Safeway will be issuing a letter stating that they will not be seeking the conditional use permit for the STARBUCKS, but they will be using the kiosk that was set up for STARBUCKS for Safeway's own coffee.

BIG Thanks again to our Richmond small independent businesses -
Velo Rouge Cafe [Arguello @ Fulton],
Toyboat [Clement @5th],
Blue Danube [Clement @4th],
Javaholics [Balboa @6th] and
Cafe Muse [8th Ave @ Fulton]
for standing up for the unique character of our community! Thanks also to our allies Steve Williams, Lisa Feldstein, Dean Preston, Katherine Roberts, Christina Olague and others also for standing with the Richmond Residents Against STARBUCKS.

Victory at 8/7 SF Board of Supervisors Meeting & Testimony from longtime activist David Tornheim

Dozens of Inner Richmond District residents and small business owners testified today to urge the SF Board of Supervisors to vote against the granting of the conditional use permit to STARBUCKS. Bryan McKeon presented some 2976 signed petitions against the STARBUCKS to the Supervisors.
And, we won our first victory when D1 Supervisor Jake McGoldrick's motion for a continuance of the vote was approved by the Board. Starbucks supporters were against the continuance but the Board voted unanimously in support of delaying the vote until 9/11.
Mark Your Calendars for the Tues, September 11th meeting [4:30 pm or after] where the Board will vote on our appeal of the Starbucks permit. We need to turn out even more community folks for that meeting. More details later.
To view the testimony from today - go to SF Board Meeting Televised0 and click on Item 51 in the Agenda for 8/7/07 - 02:30-02:59.
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Here's the testimony from one of our allies from District 5 David Tornheim -

Subject: No Starbucks on 4th and Geary
I OPPOSE the proposed Starbucks. I urge this matter will be continued. I will likely not be available to speak today and would like an opportunity to.

As for the merits of the appeal, I believe the study submitted by Appellants provides facts that support the kinds of concerns that residents like me have for opposing chain-stores like Starbucks:
* Money does not stay local
* Bad for Small independent businesses
* removes diversity from businesses
* Chain-stores are carnivorous--they try to eat the entire market share and drive out ALL other competition--e.g. Pharmacies and Gas Stations (independents are almost completely non-existent). In Washington, D.C., I believe there are far more Starbucks than ALL of the independent coffee houses combined. That's unacceptable.
* bland uniformity [chains make S.F. like every other town]
* employees are forced to act more like machines than humans, reciting well-rehearsed scripts (e.g. Safeway's "smiling policy") [See also Matt Smith's SF Weekly article about how Starbucks is more concerned with employees having burn victims fill out paperwork rather than attending to their injuries.]
* chain-stores add transportation costs and environmental impacts because they buy and distribute in bulk (from distant manufacturers) rather than purchases from smaller local producers.
David Tornheim
1890 Grove St #5
SF, CA

Thousands of Richmond District Residents Oppose Another StarBucks in our Neighborhood

[Photo: Portland Independent Media]
Petition to block Starbucks Corporation from moving into the Inner Richmond District of San Francisco

Let's keep "formula retail" (chain) stores out of our neighborhood.

Both Hayes and Cole Valley, North Beach and a section of Divisadero have in the past few years been protected by legislation (sponsored by Matt Gonzales, Aaron Peskin, and Ross Mirkarimi respectively) from formula retail establishments. All of these in an effort to preserve the uniqueness, character and personality of these neighborhoods. To protect their "San Francisconess".

Why shouldn't we do the same for our Neighborhood.

The Inner Richmond in addition to Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell and a slew of other international chains is now host to "Quickly" at Clement and 5th another "formula retail" store. Now Starbucks is planning to move into the new Toyota repair shop on Geary between 4th and 5th Avenues in order to "preserve and enhance the cultural and economic diversity of the neighborhood...". As of June, 6, 2007, there are already 80 Starbucks locations in San Francisco "preserving" and "enhancing" the neighborhoods of San Francisco.

Small independently owned businesses have historically recirculated 60% of revenues into the neighborhoods they reside in. Formula retail stores (like Starbucks) recirculate only 20% of revenues from the neighborhoods they reside in. As we plan our neighborhood of tomorrow, which type of business would you rather see?

Please help to conserve the uniqueness of your neighborhood and keep Starbucks out.

This is YOUR PETITION for us to be heard by the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. Please help send a message to chain stores that we the residents of San Francisco do not want them in our neighborhoods.

It's YOUR City!!

This Petition endorsed by the Clement Street Merchants Association and thousands of Richmond District residents.

Petition contact: Bryan Mckeon 415-379-9135

Email: Topbolt@aol.com