Cleveland museum's deal with Starbucks irks local coffee chains

The Cleveland Museum of Art announced an agreement with Starbucks to display posters of artworks and to hold educational programs at 10 Starbucks stores around Cleveland. "I think they missed the boat," says Edward Frygier of Arabica, a local franchise company with 35 Cleveland-area coffee stores. "Why wouldn't you use a local chain? To be bypassed for an opportunity like this is disappointing." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Comments

[Chris Tingom]

I would agree, in Arizona our local Phoenix university bypassed all of the local companies and inserted a Starbucks on campus. My thought was this: if it's a state university, why not give the locals a shot?

But doesn't Starbucks already do this in other cities, namely Dallas? I think Starbucks sponsors their Friday night events or something.

[CuteBarista!]

when i was a barista in Houston, sbux sponsored The Beats of Basquiat at the Museum of Fine Arts during the retrospective there. with freaking GRANDMASTER F'IN FLASH.

it was awesome.

people! sbux is NOT the evil empire. sheesh.

[Clemnacious]

Most of the independent coffee shops in my neighborhood seem to ignore community events that matter to most folks in the neighborhood--maybe that stuff just isn't hip. The local Starbucks stores, however, seem to display artwork from local grade schools. As a parent, that connects much more deeply for me. It's pretty obvious to me which operation deserves a tie-in with local museums.

These locals guys (with um 35 stores!) always whine.

But, their coffee tastes like mud and their employess are disgruntled snobs.

Come on, I bet they didn't even approach the museums with the idea. See, Starbucks has management who thinks of these things. What, is everyone supposed to give Arabica a call just because they are local?

Quit feeling sorry for yourselves, clean up your employees, and think like a business.

Starbucks brings quality and consistency to the masses. Nothing wrong with that.

http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2001-09-13/news/news2.html

Nuff Said.

[nick]

it's way easier to do though, when you can afford to hire a person who's only job it is to seek out opportunities to do just that.

not that i'm disagreeing, just understanding that the playing field isn't exactly level.

How about the owner(s) doing that?

Come on.

He had enough time to whine to The Plain Dealer...

This article explains why Starbucks was able to move in:

http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2001-09-13/news/news2.html

Arabica got lazy, dirty, and inconsistent. I know, because I used to live two doors down from the one in Coventry.

[Heather]

I went to college just down the street from an Arabica and I loved their coffee. I also just met an old student there last year and their almond rocha mocha was absolutely awesome. I'm sad to see them getting pushed out.

[mens health]

On the other hand the Times chart may have well been just a table. What was the use of the donuts? Your chart did a great job of actually visualizing the data and conveyed the illustrated concept much more clearly.

[coach outlet]

No matter what you do, all that is between a cow and cattle between the c!