It's hard to miss the bright purple building on the corner of Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road in downtown Phoenix. The building, which used to house the historic Emerald Room lounge, now houses the neighborhood's third and newest Starbucks. It opened in early April in an area dominated by locally owned businesses.
The coffee conglomerate is creating a backlash within the growing Phoenix arts community from those who miss the Emerald Room and those who feel that three Starbucks within one square mile is enough.
Ben Gallaty, 23, is a local resident and patron of The Willow House Coffeehouse.
"It's just gentrification. Good, old-fashioned Starbucks style," he said of the new location.
The Willow House is independently owned and located smack in the middle of the three Starbucks. The cafe is known for its hippie, artsy vibe and homey atmosphere.
"A lot of people just want coffee," said Randall Denton, 24. Denton is an employee at the Willow House and has lived in Phoenix for about seven years. He thinks that the Starbucks will hurt their business on First Fridays, but not on a day-to-day basis.
"We have a lot of entertainment and roots," he said of the Willow House, which hosts many art and performance shows.
"I think that they already have two down the street," said Becca Dang, another employee at the Willow House. "This is our territory, this is our jurisdiction," she said.
Starbucks itself wants to make it clear that they come in peace. Corporate policy restricts them from being quoted for interviews, but they stress the point that they are not out to put local coffeehouses out of business.
Eager to be integrated into the community, Starbucks employees are involved in such efforts as Habitat for Humanity and the monthly First Friday art walk.
Employees said the new location was meant to evenly distribute business from their extremely busy locations on Seventh Street, not to hurt local coffeehouses.
As for the building itself, the Emerald Room is gone, but the owners went to great lengths to renovate and preserve important aspects of the 1920's handiwork, like brick walls and wood trusses.
Inside, the bright purple of the outer walls turns to the familiar sage green and khaki, track lighting and chalkboards, black and white art prints and abstract paintings with a coffee theme; not unlike every other Starbucks around.
The building will soon also house a Pei Wei Asian Diner and upscale wine bar.
But, the opinions of nearby residents are split on the decision to put corporate coffee and dining in the middle of such an independent neighborhood, especially into a building with so much historical significance.
When asked if he would visit the new Starbucks, Phoenix resident Ozzy Gonzalez, 33, says he doesn't plan on it.
"Rich white people go there. Snotty people go there," he says from inside the Willow House.
He gestures around. In every room of the old converted house, people relax and enjoy the evening, working on laptops, talking to friends and drinking coffee.
"They are all my friends. You can hang out, you don't have to buy anything. They are funkier, laid back, kick back," he said.
Reach the reporter at: bettina.hansen@asu.edu.
