Starbucks boosts downtown coffee business
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 8:38 AM AT
CBC News
Some downtown coffee shops in Charlottetown have been surprised to find this fall that business is up since the arrival of Starbucks at the end of September.
'The more things you bring downtown, the more options you give people, the more traffic there is.'— Jeff Fitzgerald, Beanz
Looking one block away in three directions from Starbucks there are five coffee shops.
Campbell Webster, owner of the local Timothy's franchise, told CBC News Tuesday he's seen sales increase about five per cent since Starbucks opened.
"It probably brought coffee consumers downtown that didn't come before, and they're just kind of in the area and they come and see us, too," said Webster.
Beanz manager Jeff Fitzgerald has also noticed an increase. Foot traffic has picked up this fall.
"The more things you bring downtown, the more options you give people, the more traffic there is," said Fitzgerald.
Leonards Café, another independent, said sales have been steady.
Tim Hortons could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The manager of Robins said business is down, but only about two per cent, which the manager said isn't a concern.
But Fitzgerald warned that while business has gone well with the opening of Starbucks, he thinks Charlottetown has reached its limit.
"I just don't think that we have the population base to support one more coffee shop," he said.
"We're at the saturation point. I don't we can go any further otherwise the market itself is oversaturated."
While there are no rumours of new coffee shops coming right in the downtown, Second Cup is advertising a franchise opportunity on University Avenue, a few blocks north of what is now coffee central.
