Locke Street

[Jon Dalton]

I checked out the Courtyard on saturday. The cappuccino was smooth though the froth could have been better. The Maple Berry crepe I had was pretty impressive. Real maple syrup, I think. It's very Locke Street. There is extra seating in the adjacent Locke Street Gallery in case those 3 tables in the front are used up.

[raisethehammer]

they pretty much nailed my cappuccino. Still a notch below James North and Maxims, but darn good.
This place should do great. I'm going to suggest a coupel of bistro sets out front in the summer time.

No clue about the house next to Maddison Ave.

[raisethehammer]

well the starbucks is almot done on locke.
geez, i thought they might try to make it unique due to the neighbourhood they are in but nope. boring and suburban like the rest.
they even have those idiotic posters up with the goofy math equation.
really cultured...wow.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

well the starbucks is almot done on locke.
geez, i thought they might try to make it unique due to the neighbourhood they are in but nope. boring and suburban like the rest.
they even have those idiotic posters up with the goofy math equation.
really cultured...wow.

Thanks, I'll have to check it out!

Be thankful it wasn't Tim's... if it were, they'd tear down the adjacent building to make room for a drive-thru!! (no jokes, they did it at the Elfrida location at Hwy20 & Hwy53)!

[RePinion]

^ You're absolutely right. Starbucks is comparatively highly sensitive haha.

Still, one wishes that they could do something other than just give us another repetition of the same old formula. Maybe if the building had been really unique or storied they might have made an effort to preserve some of its heritage as they did (somewhat half-assedly) with the old Britnell Books location on Yonge in Toronto.

Personally I'm just happy that they invested in the lower city - at long last! Quite frankly, I fail to understand the deep resentment which people have been displaying towards the chain. It certainly isn't the best coffee in the world, and its stores are extremely formulaic, but as a social signifier for the area it is far and away better than something like Tim's. I hope more of them spring up throughout the downtown.

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by DC83

Thanks, I'll have to check it out!

Be thankful it wasn't Tim's... if it were, they'd tear down the adjacent building to make room for a drive-thru!! (no jokes, they did it at the Elfrida location at Hwy20 & Hwy53)!

wow...true enough. hortons is brutal right now. all about the car.
you'd like to think that with many urban starbucks locales being closed down in the US that they'd start trying to regain some of their 'cool' from the 70's.
I guess it's impossible once you go multi-national. like mcdonalds, hortons etc...everything has to be identical. so boring.

there was a fascinating piece i recently saw where young guys were purposefully eying locations next door to starbucks in the US and then within a year or two the starbucks would close down by losing it's customers to the new place with a real kitchen, real cappuccino, organic-local food and a unique, funky atmosphere.
they interviewed on guy in kansas city and asked him his formula. it was quite simple. get as close to starbucks as you can, do something that truly is 'cool' and by the time they close down you've got your customer base well established.
obviously this was only being done in urban locales...not sprawl sites. that's really the stronghold for chains and cookie cutter operations - in the burbs.
imagine taking My Dog Joe and putting it on upper james or the meadowlands?? it would be death empty.

anyhow, when hearing of the several dozen urban starbucks locales slated for closure now in the US I thought that perhaps we'd get something cool and unique on Locke... oh well. I never drink there anyhow, so I really don't care.
yes, it is MUCH better than a Tims.

[RePinion]

Sure Starbucks hasn't been doing as well lately (a well publicized fact) but it's not like its crashing and burning. The company is still very profitable and will probably continue to expand albeit at a slower pace. It seems that the company is pulling away from its market saturation strategy; hence the closure of redundant urban locations (these were usually stores were another Starbucks is across the street, etc.). I highly doubt if independents will ever strike at the core of its business.

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by RePinion

Sure Starbucks hasn't been doing as well lately (a well publicized fact) but it's not like its crashing and burning. The company is still very profitable and will probably continue to expand albeit at a slower pace. It seems that the company is pulling away from its market saturation strategy; hence the closure of redundant urban locations (these were usually stores were another Starbucks is across the street, etc.). I highly doubt if independents will ever strike at the core of its business.

I agree completely...as I mentioned independents really only have cool urban neighbourhoods to set up shop in. those areas might hit starbucks a bit, but considering most of north america is suburban, their company will do fine for years to come. Just as well I guess. I suppose I wouldn't want a bland chain to try to pretend to be cool anyhow...just do what you do best and leave the cool to those who are.

[RePinion]

^ Fair enough.

[raisethehammer]

so, it looks like starbucks is done...complete with outside patio set.
i wonder if the front windows will slide open in nice weather.
as a side note, it looks like someone tossed a rock through their front window.
I sure hope that wasn't you repinion.

[SteelTown]

Starbucks opens tomorrow morning. CH did a piece today.

[raisethehammer]

dang...I walked by Starbucks tonight on my way to/from the WestTown and the place was nuts.
Hundreds of people...jammed inside, a huge lineup outside. People were even sitting on the patio. haha.

I guess they must be pleased with the first night anyhow.

[RePinion]

^ I'm definitely pleased to here that. I don't like the coffee or the shops themselves, but there can be little doubt that the presence of a Starbucks is a confidence booster for any given area. The more we see downtown, the more outside investors are going to feel comfortable dropping capital there.

[raisethehammer]

I wondered that when I was trying to walk by through the mobs....would the big wigs who own this location (apparently it's corporately owned, not franchised) spread the word among their corporate friends and perhaps help downtown Hamilton lure some of them (Indigo, Loblaws etc...)?

[FairHamilton]

I hope both Starbucks and the newly mentioned Lululemon do well in that area of Hamilton and are sign of things to come for all of the downtown area.

Starbucks has been seen the harbinger of urban renewal, though I would argue that in Canada the true sign an area has arrived is one of the new style Shoppers Drug Marts. Not being a Hamilton resident yet (soon), I'm not familiar with any of those in the downtown area yet. Are there any??

[raisethehammer]

the Shoppers at Main and Dundurn is 24-7 and always busy. Main and Sherman was renovated into a new format Shoppers.
I've heard real estate agents say that simply the presence of a Shoppers signals a good neighbourhood.
I'm actually glad that we don't have ample room downtown to expand our current Shoppers into the mega-box type. Dundurn could if they bought out some nearby storefronts. James North can't without sacrificing their parking lot. Herkimer St can't without taking over the Mac's next door.
Main and Sherman was able to pull it off by moving the Shoppers Home/Health store downtown to King/Ferguson and turning the entire Sherman site into a new format.
Rumour is that Shoppers is locating a new store at Main/Hess once that new complex is built.

Does anyone know how common it is for a Starbucks to be corporately owned??

[flar]

I believe a Shoppers is proposed for one of the parking lots east of Hess Village. Haven't heard anything about it for some time now.

[matt602]

Locke St. is gonna be sizzling this summer. I'm gonna try to get down there more often than I have in the past.

[raisethehammer]

Locke was packed tonight...west town was jammed. Il Fiasco was packed, Bar on Locke was packed. Amuse Bouche was the only place mostly empty. Nina's Bistro had some folks inside as did Main Desserts.

[SteelTown]

I'll be popping at Starbucks on Locke quite a bit. I usually go to the one at Meadowlands but I'll have a new spot to crash at with my study partner.