Is there any confirmation on whether or not Starbucks is coming to Bricktown? If so, when and where?

Or was it all just unfounded speculation?

I'd love to see a Starbucks on the canal.

:)

Latest word is that it looks like a go...but it hasn't been publicly confirmed...

Every entertainment area has to have at least one Starbuck's...don't be surprised before long if there are more than one on the canal. As of now, there are 5 Starbucks within a mile and a half on 71st in Tulsa.

Hogan says it's a go. It will be located in one of the building two buildings Hogan has built....he wouldn't say which one though. Note also that in addition to the Sonic Restaurant, in the two buildings, there will also be a Nothing but Noodles, Earls Ribs, and Marble Slab. Also I believe Jamba Juice is still in the works as well.

I would So love this idea!It would be nice.i still cant wait to go see the new theater down there too.Has anyone been yet?Was it great? :)

Starbucks building 3 sites in city, looks statewide

By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

Starbucks Coffee is expanding in Oklahoma.

Did you know?

Since December, when coffee prices on the New York Board of Trade reached the highest level in 4½ years, prices have risen about 30 percent.

The futures market has risen because of a shortage of high quality coffee in Colombia, Central America and Brazil after reduced attention to groves during an extended period of low prices, industry members said. Brazil's next crop, harvested May to September, is expected to be smaller than the last one because of the biennial tree cycle and minimal care for trees.

These conditions have caused many corporations, such as Sara Lee Corp. and Kraft Foods, to hike the retail price of coffee. Starbucks raised its prices by about 5 percent in October.

The Associated Press

The Seattle-based coffee company is building three stores in Oklahoma City, but they are also looking at Lawton, Stillwater and Enid, district manager Dale Voss said.

"We are definitely making a push to grow in Oklahoma," Voss said.

"We want to go where people want us to be. If we feel like we're successful in an area, we will build there."

In Oklahoma City, construction is under way on stores on the northwest corner of Northwest Expressway and Independence, and on the southeast corner of Interstate 240 and Pennsylvania Avenue.

On the southeast corner of Northwest Expressway and McArthur, Starbucks will occupy an existing building.

All three drive-through locations should open by midsummer and employ about 17 people each, Voss said.

The new Starbucks will bring a total of 11 stores in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and 17 across the state. That does not include shops in Super Target, Marriott or Albertsons stores, which are handled through a different corporate division, Voss said.

Starbucks employs almost 900 people in Oklahoma. The company opened its first store in Oklahoma in November 2001 at NW 63 and Western in Nichols Hills Plaza.

Voss said Starbucks now has begun looking to grow in remote locations.

"There are more of those in Oklahoma than in some other states," he said.

The state's crossroads of Interstates 35 and 40 also is attractive to the company.

Jim Brooks, business marketing specialist with the Food and Agricultural Products at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, said the growth of Starbucks is phenomenal since the company started in 1971.

At the end of February, the company had a total of 9,073 shops nationally and internationally and NASDAQ-reported sales of $468 million for the month -- a 23 percent increase over $380 million during February 2004.

"Their profitability speaks that they know what they're doing," Brooks said. "They don't really have to worry about the learning curve, they've accomplished that."

Brooks said the company has some competition -- locally Java Dave's and Panera Bread, in addition to independently owned shops.

"But they seem to be at a level of their own that they've created, and everyone else tries to get to that."

Service and consistent products and quality are the key to the company's success, Brooks said.

"Everywhere they've gone, they've been successful. Everywhere they open one there's a line of people waiting for them to turn on the lights and open the door."

Voss said the company is happy with store performance in Oklahoma.

"All stores are doing very well. That's obvious by the growth. We're looking to put as many stores as the people of Oklahoma would like us to put here," Voss said.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Starbucks hasn't opened a location on Campus Corner in Norman. That would seem like the obvious place to expand.

One in Bricktown would be nice also.

Starbucks has aggressively been building in North Texas for the past couple of years. Even smaller cities and towns such as Wichita Falls, Sherman, Gainesville, Decatur, and Weatherford now have them. I would not be suprised to see them in cities like Lawton, Enid, etc. Norman and Bricktown would be great too. Starbucks has locations in downtown Fort Worth and Dallas so I don't see why Bricktown and/or Downtown would not ba a good location.

Bricktown would not be a great place for a Starbucks.

But, it'll probably happen.

I'd rather have a multilevel bookstore with a coffee shop on the bottom floor though. I think such a business could do quite well on the canal.

"Bricktown would not be a great place for a Starbucks."

actually, I disagree. Bricktown would be the PERFECT place for a Starbucks.

Why? A lot of people want that cup of joe while they walk around looking at the area. Or for an evening cap.

Since Starbucks has sort of a "geezer" trend feel to it, it would do well anywhere in our fair city. I personally think the best location would be, in order, Downtown, Bricktown (yes, they have now opened a starbucks in my pocket), Campus Corner, Midtown, Quail Springs, NW Expressway, Southern Hills, and maybe around I-35 in Edmond?

Since Starbucks has sort of a "geezer" trend feel to it, it would do well anywhere in our fair city. I personally think the best location would be, in order, Downtown, Bricktown (yes, they have now opened a starbucks in my pocket), Campus Corner, Midtown, Quail Springs, NW Expressway, Southern Hills, and maybe around I-35 in Edmond?

There's currently locations on NW Expressway at Rockwell, and at Penn Square Mall....they're in the midst of building one directly across from Baptist Medical Center at NW Expressway and Indendence.

The Quail Springs area already has a Starbucks at Memorial and Penn, next to Eyemart Express.

Bricktown would not be a great place for a Starbucks.

But, it'll probably happen.

I'd rather have a multilevel bookstore with a coffee shop on the bottom floor though. I think such a business could do quite well on the canal.

I'm not completely opposed to a Starbucks in Bricktown, but I like your idea better Midtowner. Right now it seems the the two things we need the most in Bricktown are a bookstore and a grocery store. I'd like to see the bookstore be incorporated with a Starbucks or something similar.

Personally, if I had my wishes, I'd much rather see a local coffee shop locate in Bricktown. As you know, I'm anti-chain!

What about Uncommon Grounds? Is it not that great?

I'm not completely opposed to a Starbucks in Bricktown, but I like your idea better Midtowner. Right now it seems the the two things we need the most in Bricktown are a bookstore and a grocery store. I'd like to see the bookstore be incorporated with a Starbucks or something similar.

Personally, if I had my wishes, I'd much rather see a local coffee shop locate in Bricktown. As you know, I'm anti-chain!

What about Uncommon Grounds? Is it not that great?

I feel bad.. I've never been there.

I got to the gym instead of the the coffee shop.

Maybe I'll study there when in school. I love the atmosphere in Bricktown.

I feel bad.. I've never been there.

I got to the gym instead of the the coffee shop.

Maybe I'll study there when in school. I love the atmosphere in Bricktown.

I've been to Uncommon Grounds once. I didn't think it was such a bad little coffee shop. I thought it fit nicely in the Bricktown area. I'd liek to hear other people's opinions on Uncommon Grounds.

Yes, Uncommon Grounds is good.

It just doesn't feel like a real coffee house. Oh wait, neither does Starbucks.

I also fully agree with the book store idea. I've been beating that drum for a while now. I talked to Randy Hogan about it and he said he has worked the idea hard with the Borders people. He said they -- and B&N -- are all about the 'burbs, despite what they claim as their interest in inner-city locations.

As an example, he cited Denver. Thousands of downtown residents, thriving downtown, etc. But, and I can't remember which one, one of the bookstore chains has a location there downtown. Apparently they do OK, but not near as well as they do in their suburban locations.

He said he is still trying very hard to make the big sell. He also said they weren't impressed with the movie theater; they viewed it as competition. Bizarre to say the least.

He also said they weren't impressed with the movie theater; they viewed it as competition. Bizarre to say the least.

Whatever! That's an excuse if you ask me!

I think what would be great for a grocery store is something similar to Kamps or what Kamps used to be. I haven't been down there in Kamps in almost ten years.

It does not need to be a Wal-Mart Grocery store or some other huge set up.

Just a small grocery store. Kind of like what most of us grew up going to with our parents. A small meat counter, produce section and a dairy. A small selection of everything else. A no frills grocery store with limited service. The only service you would have is maybe a deli thats it.

Yes I kne wabout the new locations. I was just thinking of all the good places for one.

I don't know if someone debated this already (I skimmed the above posts in under 2 minutes) but I feel that BOTH downtown and Bricktown could support a Starbucks.

....I feel that BOTH downtown and Bricktown could support a Starbucks.

I concur!

I think what would be great for a grocery store is something similar to Kamps or what Kamps used to be. I haven't been down there in Kamps in almost ten years.

It does not need to be a Wal-Mart Grocery store or some other huge set up.

Just a small grocery store. Kind of like what most of us grew up going to with our parents. A small meat counter, produce section and a dairy. A small selection of everything else. A no frills grocery store with limited service. The only service you would have is maybe a deli thats it.

It's funny that you mention this..I drive by there every day and I've considered sending the owner a letter asking them to look into locating a 2nd Kamps downtown! Who knows! They might consider it!

technically, downtown has at least one starbucks, caffeinas inside the renaissance


I feel that BOTH downtown and Bricktown could support a Starbucks.

Uh huh. I consider having to go into a hotel, that I never knew had a Starbucks for a cup'a joe annoying. It's like having to race the traffic to deposit a pay check at the Albertsons off of I 40.

Well, I agree, I was just simply stating that Starbucks is available downtown. I do agree that we can support one more in downtown and another in Bricktown. FYI the one in the renaissance does have an outside door entrance though.

From Sheridan?

Uncommon Grounds is a nice coffeeshop. I just wish it had more seating. If they'd just furnish the rest of that lobby area and expanded their menu offerings, it'd much more credible as Bricktown's java joint.

Interesting name.

Don't forget Java Dave's too, its nice and its local and spacious.

Two Starbucks locations are about to open.

One is on the corner of Northwest Expressway and Independance, and the other is a pad site in the Southern Hills shopping center at 240 and S. Pennsylvania.

The south location is in a building that was said to be Fudruckers. It sits on the exact same spot the Sirloin Stockade was in 1978.

That wasn't Fuddruckers, then; Fuddsy's was at 74th and Western, on the north frontage road just west of the intersection.

After Sirloin Stockade, it became a little BBQ joint - well, maybe too sanitary to be a "joint" - called Cinders; once it closed, I more or less lost interest, and anyway I'd moved way out northeast.

There are two other Starbucks opening this summer: one at NW Expressway and Macarthur and the other at Memorial and Macarthur.

I have solid info that Starbucks national real estate people have been looking at Bricktown as well as a daytime downtown business district location.

Starbucks closing 600 stores in the US: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080701/starbucks_closings_urgent.html?.v=1)

Tuesday July 1, 4:26 pm ET
Starbucks closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States

SEATTLE (AP) -- Starbucks Corp. has announced it's closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States.

The Seattle-based premium coffee company also announced Tuesday it expects to open fewer than 200 new company-operated stores in the United States in fiscal 2009.

The company says it will try to place workers from closed stores in remaining Starbucks.

I wonder how many OKC will lose?

Here is the link to the actual press release from Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=877)


The majority of the store closures are scheduled to occur during the remainder of fiscal 2008 and the first half of fiscal 2009. The timing of the closures is dependent on finalizing third-party agreements, and is therefore subject to change. Both full-time and part-time retail positions will be eliminated


The stores identified for closure are spread across all major U.S. markets with approximately 70 percent of them opened since the beginning of fiscal 2006. The executive and field leadership teams used several criteria to identify stores for closure that included locations that were not profitable at the store level and not projected to provide acceptable returns in the foreseeable future. In addition to site and market-specific criteria, consideration was given to the impact of current and anticipated economic trends.

That's less than a tenth of total locations. Here's an interesting blog entry (http://starbucksgossip.typepad.com/_/2005/01/ive_got_43_star.html) from a few years ago about Starbucks saturation.

-----------

Here's an interesting read by Joe Nocera (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/business/bio-nocera.html). Keep in mind he wrote this for the New York Times in January of this year.

This piece is actually from the International Herald Tribune - which is owned by the NYT and is now called "Global Edition of The New York Times" on the masthead.


------------

An open letter to the founder of Starbucks

By Joe Nocera

Saturday, January 12, 2008


To: Howard Schultz

From: Joe Nocera

Re: Your, er, return

Dear Howard,

It's been almost a year since you wrote that now-famous memo to your executive staff: the one in which you bemoaned what you called "the watering down of the Starbucks experience." The one where you defended each individual decision that had led to that diminished experience - like the switch to automated espresso machines - yet still urged your staff to find a way to recapture the "romance and theater."

Starbucks stores, you wrote, "no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. the warm feeling of a neighborhood store." As a hard-core Starbucks customer, I couldn't have agreed more.

What has happened since then? In 2007, Starbucks expanded by an astonishing 1,700 stores - hardly the path a company takes if it's serious about recapturing its "soul." You're now up to 15,000 stores, and from what I read (alas, I couldn't get you on the telephone this week), you still think you can someday get to 40,000 stores - a number that no one, not even McDonald's, has ever come close to. How do you train enough people to staff 40,000 stores? How do you maintain quality? How do you keep your 40,000 stores from becoming just another nondescript chain?

The rest........
An open letter to the founder of Starbucks - International Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/11/business/wbjoe12.php)

So, according to this editorial.....Starbucks opened 1,700 stores in 2007 alone. By closing 600 of them, they only expanded by 1,100 stores in 2007!!
That puts the closing in perspective.

It's hard to feel too sorry for Starbucks. Maybe they will close one of the three within a couple of miles of each other on NW Highway, which always seemed ridiculously redundant to me.

It's hard to feel too sorry for Starbucks. Maybe they will close one of the three within a couple of miles of each other on NW Highway, which always seemed ridiculously redundant to me.

Did you check out the link in BornHere's post? The guy that wrote that blog post has 43 Starbucks within a five-mile-radius of his apartment!

In the "open Letter" from the business columnist at the New York Times (above) he writes that Starbucks, with 15,000 stores, was still insisting they were shooting for 40,000 stores. Seems the columnist was right on the money concerning mismanagement. Makes you wonder if closing 600 is nearly enough.

I wonder if the one they started building at Penn & 23rd is not going to happen. It's the exact building style as the ones in Shawnee and Stillwater (not surprising w/ this one's proximity to OCU), but after completing the structure, they have held off on doing any interior work.

I wonder if the one they started building at Penn & 23rd is not going to happen. It's the exact building style as the ones in Shawnee and Stillwater (not surprising w/ this one's proximity to OCU), but after completing the structure, they have held off on doing any interior work.

Good location right next to Farmers though...Lots of people that can afford their wares there.

Yeah. Lots of workers in the area, as well as students at OCU.

What do you call the closing of 600 Starbucks stores?

....

A good start!

Starbucks has obviously gone overboard in building stores (even here in OKC). Sometimes saturating the market is not always in your best interest. Personally I love Starbucks coffee. It's not something you want to buy everyday, but as more of a 'treat' if you will. I've actually gone to grinding the whole bean at home.
Same great taste, but less hassel and less $$.

low altitude low grade disease resistant robusta blended from crap vietnamese and brazilian macro harvesters have twice the caffeine ...there is nothing good about rampant expansion of "outlets" in an industry that is supposed to be about quality of flavor and freshness....We wonder where diabetes comes from? How about drowning every thing we eat in sugar and salt to mask the awful taste for two generations...The frappucino was invented as the increasing unpalatable quality of mass harvested roasted dead robusta coffee reached it's terminal stage .....the freshness seal is garbage, propaganda, it doesn't work ....would you eat stale bread? support quality and specific personal relationships in business..provide well...go smaller feel better about spending what is so hard to earn...engage..remember the connections between how things become available...and the labor that supports convenience...rise humans..I salute all your intelligences and receptivity to change and i enjoy reading your posts...

low altitude low grade disease resistant robusta blended from crap vietnamese and brazilian macro harvesters have twice the caffeine ...there is nothing good about rampant expansion of "outlets" in an industry that is supposed to be about quality of flavor and freshness....We wonder where diabetes comes from? How about drowning every thing we eat in sugar and salt to mask the awful taste for two generations...The frappucino was invented as the increasing unpalatable quality of mass harvested roasted dead robusta coffee reached it's terminal stage .....the freshness seal is garbage, propaganda, it doesn't work ....would you eat stale bread? support quality and specific personal relationships in business..provide well...go smaller feel better about spending what is so hard to earn...engage..remember the connections between how things become available...and the labor that supports convenience...rise humans..I salute all your intelligences and receptivity to change and i enjoy reading your posts...

woah.

it's like someone tapped into my thoughts from 3 days and put it into one stream of consciousness.

all of this is entirely true and well said. It was worth reposting.

Fresh organic 100% arabica may not be as easy to find. But the taste is worth a few extra drive minutes.

I wont miss them one bit! It seems that I have the same problem that alot of other people are having by literraly being surrounded by Starbucks. I live near May and Memorial and there are 3 within 5 blocks! 3 WITHIN 5 BLOCKS!! (Penn and 122, Penn and Memorial, May and Memorial) I can drink gallons of coffee with the best of them but come on.... I am in the same boat in that I dont feel sorry for them one single bit.

Coffee Slingers has 100% Arabica beans, and they're never sold or served after the 12th day from roast....that's why you feel like you've been infused with the passion of the wind of the plains when you drink it....just damn good

Vintage has 100% organic and fairly traded Arabica beans for its brewed coffee and espresso.

It tastes so good you may drink a whole lot of it and have to pee, but it doesn't make you windy. :tiphat:

That's great to hear.....I will check Vintage out when I'm up in your neck of the woods....blessings.... rise humans

and hopefully I get a chance to check out the slingers of the coffee.

I started buying Member's Mark 100% Columbian whole beans from Sam's. It's really good! About $13 for 40oz.

Is anyone aware of any Starbucks location that look a little barren; i.e., no CD racks, coffee racks, otherwise limitations on displays and decor, etc? Short of a published list, I understand that this may indicate a foreshadowing of things to come.

Also, 12,000 employees equals an average of 20 employees per store. Does anyone know if each store employs this many workers, or more or less? That is to ask if the proportion of workers is equal to the stores closings; will employees at remaining stores be laid off in addition?

I think the CD's are mostly going away in any event.

The drive-thru stores have more people - on the order of 30 or 35 - I've been told.

I suspect there may be more closing and more layoffs. I've also heard the company is struggling to not cut employee benefits.

In part it may be that the entire "coffee culture" has reached the apogee of its cycle. There is lots of competition for product now with McDonald's and Dunkin and so on. The trick for Starbucks and all the other coffee houses for that matter will be to try and compete for the "culture" segment in my opinion.

I appreciate the information! It certainly doesn't look too cool.

In part it may be that the entire "coffee culture" has reached the apogee of its cycle. There is lots of competition for product now with McDonald's and Dunkin and so on. The trick for Starbucks and all the other coffee houses for that matter will be to try and compete for the "culture" segment in my opinion.

I would certainly disagree. We meet people here in OKC everyday who are just now getting interested in the coffee culture. And we certainly meet a lot who have "cut their teeth" on starbucks and other "entry-level" products who are now looking for something better.

While I do believe fast-food and pre-packaged coffee drinks have reached market saturation, I am absolutely convinced that the number of consumers looking for an upscale specialty coffee drink continues to grow.

And we certainly meet a lot who have "cut their teeth" on starbucks and other "entry-level" products who are now looking for something better.

Entry-level......like tap water?.....then you move up to Ozarka?....then, if you really want to absorb the culture, you'll move up to Fiji (http://www.fijiwater.com/)?

No, seriously, I'm one of the odd ducks when it comes to coffee. I can taste the difference between something really cheap at the store, but then after that, to me, coffee is just....well....coffee.

Entry-level......like tap water?.....then you move up to Ozarka?....then, if you really want to absorb the culture, you'll move up to Fiji (http://www.fijiwater.com/)?

No, seriously, I'm one of the odd ducks when it comes to coffee. I can taste the difference between something really cheap at the store, but then after that, to me, coffee is just....well....coffee.

well, believe it or not, there is a difference. And even for those who can't taste a difference there is the matter of where the product originates from. And service and atmosphere makes a difference also.

It used to amuse me to go into a Starbuck's and ask for 'coffee.' The staff was always cool with it, but the people in line behind me would roll their eyes in disgust.

So 12 Oklahoma stores to be closed apparently.

Closings make mocha taste bittersweet (http://newsok.com/closings-make-mocha-taste-bittersweet/article/3267636/?tm=1215570976)

I walk into the office on most workday mornings clutching a cup of Starbucks coffee in my hand. When I round the corner that leads to the Business News desk, my friend Ed will look up and say, “oh, you’ve been to FOURbucks today.”
Yuk it up all you want, Ed.
But I enjoy every cup of 40-weight that the folks at the Starbucks store on Britton Road pour up for me first thing in the morning. And a “grande” —that’s a medium for folks like Ed — only costs me two bucks, thank you very much.
It was almost like the Britton Road Starbucks store was built for my convenience. Or maybe it’s more like a toll booth where I’m forced to drop $2 every day on the way into the office.
Anyway, I stopped by the Starbucks on Tuesday afternoon and ordered up a little pick-me-up for the long grind until quitting time. As I was waiting for the barista to top off my mocha with some whipped cream, I heard some disturbing news among the chatter between employees.
The Britton Road Starbucks, open less than a year, is closing in August. It’s one of 600 Starbucks coffee shops nationwide that the coffee giant is closing in a purge of unprofitable stores. The young people working behind the coffee bar at the Britton Road store told me that a dozen Oklahoma Starbucks have been marked for closing.
It was evident that the employees would mourn the demise of their store, even if they were offered employment at one of the remaining Oklahoma City area Starbucks shops.
“It’s sad; I’m going to cry,” said a young woman as she operated the espresso machine. “You guys are all really great to work with.”
The Starbucks media relations office in Seattle did not return my call Tuesday afternoon to confirm the Oklahoma closings and their locations. Starbucks operates 7,200 company-owned stores nationwide and another 4,000 or so licensed shops operated by retailers such as Target stores.
As it turns out, the closing of a dozen Oklahoma City area stores leaves plenty of options for Starbucks coffee addicts like myself.
It’s difficult to determine exactly how many stores the company operates in the metro, but an independent Web site called Starbucksevery where.net on Tuesday listed 29 company owned stores, plus another 12 that were licensed stores.
Still, the mocha tasted a little bittersweet as I pulled out of the Starbucks parking lot Tuesday knowing that the store’s days are numbered and dwindling fast.
I’m a regular, I told them, even if it’s usually just a quick pass through the drive-through.
“Everybody who comes here is a regular,” said the Starbucks employee who passed the mocha across the counter to me. “It’s like this is a store for regulars. It’s part of their routine.”

Jim Stafford: 475-3310, jstafford@oklahoman.com
BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

ah it sucks that the starbucks on Britton by the highway is closing. I liked going there to do work/study because it's much less busy than the starbucks in nichols hills. In other news, I drove by NW 36 & May last week, and the sign said that it opens July 8th.