Maxigumee

I was a bit freaked out by the few bad comments I got about my Starbucks article so I was a bit hesitant to post it on the new Buffalo Buzz website. I did after a bunch of supportive comments and some thought. At the bottom of my little article, I added a few notes about what made me say what I said….. It said:

Now, before you start sending me a parade of angry comments and e-mail, I’d like to defend myself a bit. When I first started getting angry comments about this post, I felt kind of put down. I mean, I don’t view myself as arrogant or ignorant nor do I want other people to view me that way. I did not mean any disrespect to any local businesses in this article but I also believe that I spoke my complete, honest opinion.

After discussing the article with a few people and having a little time to think it over myself, I really don’t think I’m that evil in saying that Buffalo needs more big businesses. Just think about it. When I need clothing, I go out to the Galleria Mall. While I’m out there buying clothes, I might stop and buy a pretzel at the pretzel stand or a lamp at Pottery Barn. My primary motive for going to the mall was to buy clothing, but I also spent some additional money at other places as well. None of that money is really going back to the community.

On the other hand, when I walked two miles in the rain to get a Starbucks coffee on Friday, I stopped at The Lexington Coop afterwards to pick up some dinner. Starbucks provided a specific product or service that brought me up onto Elmwood Avenue. Once on Elmwood, I was able to spend more money at local places. If there are more big businesses in Buffalo, more people will be drawn into shopping areas locally rather than going to the mall. As a result, more people will keep their business in Buffalo instead of bringing it to the suburbs and surrounding areas. If, as it was discussed a few years ago, a Gap were to open on Elmwood Avenue, more Gap customers would be brought into a local shopping area and as a result, would probably spend more money locally.

So, in conclusion, I really don’t think I’m all that wrong about this whole thing. Big chains like Starbucks does not take money away from local businesses (for one thing, they don’t carry food, and last time I checked, the local places are doing just fine). It probably brings more business to the area by bringing Starbucks customers onto Elmwood.