What's up with all the Chain Stores on 30A?

[donquijote]

What's up with all the Chain Stores on 30A?

Starbucks is dominating 30A! Do we need more? We now have a Subway; soon a Tropical Smoothie. Who knows what others have already committed!

Have the property developers lost their creativity? Do our local newspapers really need to glorify these national fanchises over the independent local establishments that have been in our community for a long time?

Maybe it is time that a a message is voiced. Chime-in if you have any thoughts!

 

[Bobby J]

Where is a Tropical smoothie heading??? I just think it it too hard for Mom and Pops to make it out here. The rents are too high. Chains seem to draw more people in... Kent LTD had a coffee shop in it and the coffee was way better then starbucks(They closed shortly after Starbucks opened). People seem to go to the frachised names. I am not sure if it is a developer issue other then the prices are just too high for local folks. I would love to try open my shop back up somewhere but refuse to pay these rental rates. The big guys will. They draw more people. This slow down in the market is going to be good for local commercial growth. Not everyone will be an agent and "people" can get creative again as landlords will be forced to lower rates. Drive down 30A and look at all the empty buildings. Why? Too high!

 

[Rudyjohn]

Starbucks is dominating 30A! Do we need more? We now have a Subway; soon a Tropical Smoothie. Who knows what others have already committed!

Have the property developers lost their creativity? Do our local newspapers really need to glorify these national fanchises over the independent local establishments that have been in our community for a long time?

Maybe it is time that a a message is voiced. Chime-in if you have any thoughts!

Would it have anything to do that the lease rates are too high for the local "mom & pop" businesses?? That really is unfortunate that there are so many chains being allowed to move in. The developers will eventually take what they can get.

 

[Beach Bimmer]

Agree with Bobby J on the lease rates, and hope he's right that "people" can soon get creative again. Leasing agents approach Fired Up regularly about available retail space along 30-A...but all expect to see rates above $25 a square foot net-net-net. When you add in the taxes, CAM fees, etc. that the NNN portion adds, now you're over $35 a square foot. At 1000 or so square feet to run a business like ours, that's over $3500 a month just on the lease....and you haven't even paid the employess, electricity, insurance, etc yet!

While the Summer months generate strong revenue that allow agents to justify those rates in June-July-August, the slow months still have the same high expenses...

 

[amavida]

Major developments on 30A must feel they need a anchor store to attract people to their retail spaces. What happens when they all have the same anchor stores (i.e.Starbucks) in their communites and they are competing amongst themselves. I expect they all will but just ordinary! I thought 30A is supposed to be special!

Interesting persepctives below:

Andersonville Study of Retail Economics:
found that spending $100 at one of the neighborhood's independent businesses creates $68 in additional local economic activity, while spending $100 at a chain produces only $43 worth of local impact. They also found that the local businesses generated slightly more sales per square foot compared to the chains ($263 versus $243). Because chains funnel more of this revenue out of the local economy, the study concluded that, for every square foot of space occupied by a chain, the local economic impact is $105, compared to $179 for every square foot occupied by an independent business.

-State of Maine http://www.newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf
-Civic Economics http://www.liveablecity.org/lcfullreport.pdf

 

[Bobby J]

Major developments on 30A must feel they need a anchor store to attract people to their retail spaces. What happens when they all have the same anchor stores (i.e.Starbucks) in their communites and they are competing amongst themselves. I expect they all will but just ordinary! I thought 30A is supposed to be special!

Interesting persepctives below:

Andersonville Study of Retail Economics:
found that spending $100 at one of the neighborhood's independent businesses creates $68 in additional local economic activity, while spending $100 at a chain produces only $43 worth of local impact. They also found that the local businesses generated slightly more sales per square foot compared to the chains ($263 versus $243). Because chains funnel more of this revenue out of the local economy, the study concluded that, for every square foot of space occupied by a chain, the local economic impact is $105, compared to $179 for every square foot occupied by an independent business.

-State of Maine http://www.newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf
-Civic Economics http://www.liveablecity.org/lcfullreport.pdf

Good stuff. Maybe some local developers could get creative and with these facts begin to rebate locally owned business.

 

[SHELLY]

We need one of these: Heart Attack Grill

<Wouldn't appeal to SJ, he's converting to Vegan.>


.

 

[Bobby J]

I saw a special on that place. They were getting sued by the Nurse association? Crazy? I could not eat there. The last meat I ate looked like that sandwich you posted. I slept for 2 days and have not touched meat since (1 year ago)!

 

[SHELLY]

I saw a special on that place. They were getting sued by the Nurse association? Crazy? I could not eat there. The last meat I ate looked like that sandwich you posted. I slept for 2 days and have not touched meat since (1 year ago)!

The ability to properly digest an authentic deli sandwich is a practiced "Northern" art that should never be attempted by amateurs.

.

 

[beachmouse]

I'll admit to a soft spot to Tropical Smoothie- sandwich, chips, and drink for less than $7 at the one down the way. Do takeout, and you've got an affordable picnic at the beach, and if you eat in, they've got free wi-fi. And a half the sugar Peaches and Silk after a hot day at the beach would taste sublime.

A while back, I was trying to track down chain restaurant headquarters for a project at work, and, oddly enough, the Tropcial Smoothie corporate contact address I found is located in the office space above Destin Commons. So they're sort of local, I guess.