By Amanda Hardy Lagniappe intern The buzz around Mobile is growing; the laid-back, southern atmosphere of the Azalea City evolving into a frenzy of movement as Mobilians consume more and more caffeine. Who is to blame for this phenomenon? There are numerous specialty coffee shops in the Mobile area, but none has made waves such as Starbucks. Increasingly, more Starbucks specialty coffee shops are appearing in the Mobile area, especially in territories carved out long ago by independent shops. Starbucks Coffee Company, established in 1971, is the largest specialty coffee corporation in the world with nearly 12,000 stores in the United States and is multiplying faster than rabbits in spring. Currently, there are eight functioning Starbucks stores in the Mobile city limits. There are numerous locations, however, where the company is presently building a store or is rumored to be building in the near future. The corporate coffee giant refuses to comment on its future locations or business plans. The most controversial new locations of the popular chain are expected on Old Shell Road down the block from Carpe Diem Coffee and Tea Co., on the corner of Old Shell Road and University Boulevard between Satori Sound Coffeehouse and Dr. Java’s, and on Airport Boulevard in front of Providence Hospital across from Beaners Gourmet Coffee. While waiting in line at their nearest and dearest independent shop, many customers talk about Starbucks as if they are corporate terrorists who target established local coffee shops in order to drive out all competition. Most local specialty coffee business owners, however, don’t feel this way. In the heart of Springhill, Tomi Sue Rusling opened Carpe Diem on Sept. 18, 2005, and has since experienced a booming business and established a large number of loyal clients. With such a history in the area, she is not expecting to experience any setbacks because of Starbucks’ presence. "Many of our customers are the grab-the-coffee-and-run types, and Starbucks’ drive-thru stores will accomplish that," Rusling admits. "You may lose a customer here and there from convenience, but you also gain customers," she continues. Carpe Diem has much to offer that Starbucks cannot. Rusling explains, "We have side things: retail, a meeting room, catering, deli lunches, baking every pastry item in the shop fresh daily." The heart of the matter, though, lies in the heart behind the business. "For 11 years, our customers have called Carpe Diem their public living room, and no one can take that away. We just have a warm, homey atmosphere. You can’t get that from a stamped-out, primarily drive-thru business. Starbucks can offer some things, but they can’t duplicate that," Rusling concludes. Alan Tolson, the roast master and resident coffee expert at Carpe Diem, brings to light another reason why the independently owned business will continue to thrive. "Being a smaller shop, we have flexibility. We have the ability to change our product based on what individual people want, whereas a bigger company would be locked into their standard products and services and those have to be consistent; consistent at the expense of flexibility and quality," he remarks. Tolson also realizes the benefits of Starbucks’ presence. "Their company’s been around for so long, but they’ve had a lack of a presence in Mobile," he observes. "The close proximity of other coffee shops increases customer awareness of coffees in general. They’ve done a lot for the industry in the way of creating more customers across the board, be it for themselves or other specialty coffee companies. It kind of helps to culture people to coffee as a part of their daily routine," Tolson remarks. Down the street at Satori Sound Coffeehouse, Chuck Cox is expecting to do business as usual. He converted the former record store into a coffeehouse in 2002, and Cox maintains the funky, local atmosphere of his store by serving unique lunches, offering a variety of alcoholic beverages, and hosting numerous up-and-coming musicians. "The corporate ways of Starbucks limit them to only do things by the book whereas we can experiment. We will keep our loyal customers; I’m not expecting to lose much business," Cox nonchalantly comments of his future coffee neighbor. A couple of frequent Satori customers, however, have a little more to say about the popular coffee chain. Dana Merritt and Michelle Showers, both students at the University of South Alabama, are less-than-thrilled with the prospect of more chain coffee shops in Mobile. "The prevalence of Starbucks teaches kids that it’s okay to ‘crack out’ on caffeine. When they’re open until midnight or later it attracts kids who are too young to drink alcohol and want to come and drink caffeine," Merritt exclaims. "Support local business! If you don’t they will disappear, which is why Satori Sound Records disappeared: because of Best Buy and Warehouse Music," Showers adds. The next stop on the tour of local specialty coffee shops, Dr. Java, is known for being a convenient study spot within walking distance of the University of South Alabama and for their great student discounts. Todd Sylvester opened his shop a little over a year ago and has aimed at excellence ever since. Being the owner of a newer store that also relies on convenience, Sylvester has a slightly different perspective of competing with an established coffee chain. "You cannot ignore that they’re right down the street. Starbucks sets the tone for specialty coffee products, and I have to work around the new products they offer. If they come out with a new product, I have to serve the same thing, such as the green tea frappes. I not only have to work around them, but I have to make it better," he explains. Sylvester also realizes the specialty coffee market in Mobile is broad enough for numerous coffee shops to survive. "If we understand our market and maintain the quality of the product at a reasonable price, I think there’s room. There is a lot of hype, but this is not a coffee war. It is just business, and it keeps us sharp. By knowing our customers and meeting their needs, I know we’ll be able to survive," he says. For coffee addicts traveling on Airport Boulevard in West Mobile, there is only one local coffee shop to meet the caffeine craving. Beaners Gourmet Coffee, a franchise out of Lansing, Mich., is locally owned by Jeff Spencer and has been open since March 2005. His experience opening a store as part of a franchise allows Spencer to sympathize more with the big business side of Starbucks. "Competition is good. They’re not like Wal-Mart; they can’t sell drinks for a dollar. It’s not something we can’t compete with. Even other shops will discover they have more traffic," Spencer states optimistically. "If you were going to open a Burger King, you would open next to McDonald’s. You want to give people choices, and I think that’s all they’re doing. When I expand my business, I want to move in right next to a Starbucks because it must be a good area for business," Spencer elaborates. Although many customers are loyal to one particular shop, Danny Spandler-Davidson, an adjunct professor at the University of Mobile, takes advantage of the variety of coffee companies in the area to meet his specific coffee needs. "I go to Moka’s Coffee in Saraland because it’s close to where I work. I go to Beaners when I am in West Mobile because they have free Internet. If there’s any coffee, I’d prefer it would be Starbucks coffee. I’m just used to Starbucks coffee. They are also convenient if I am in a hurry," Davidson comments. "I visit Carpe Diem because of the atmosphere. The feel of Carpe Diem is Mobile’s equivalent of ‘Cheers’ without the alcohol and Norm: everybody knows your name," he adds. Davidson also emphasizes the benefits that Starbucks will have on our local economy. "It’s good for Mobile because it puts us on par with other cities. It creates a buzz; I’ve had so many conversations about it. It’s a good environment to work in. They provide jobs for college students, and we have a lot of colleges," he points out. Many people hold various opinions and spread intriguing rumors about Starbucks Coffee Company’s expansion in Mobile and the corporation itself does little to dispel the flapping jaws of caffeine consumers. "Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers and reach people who may not have the opportunity to visit our stores," says Shannon Pariaug, the Southeast Region Marketing Specialist for Starbucks Coffee Company. She would not reveal how many stores are in the works for the Mobile area. Pariaug also evaded the issue of the company targeting established coffee shops when selecting a new location. "Starbucks believes there is room for many coffeehouses in the marketplace that can meet different customers’ needs. While Starbucks has been credited with creating and growing the modern coffeehouse culture, we offer a unique opportunity for our customers – the Starbucks Experience. "The Starbucks Experience provides much more than a premium cup of coffee. Each beverage is handcrafted by our baristas and delivered with legendary customer service. Starbucks stores are a community gathering place where people come together to connect over coffee and enjoy great pastries," Pariaug comments. When asked how her company will benefit the community and the local economy, Pariaug replies, "Starbucks benefits its communities in a number of ways. We hire local people for positions that offer one of the best pay and benefits packages in the industry. "Each of our stores supports local community groups and charities through cash and product donations. Starbucks also supports local economies by creating new jobs, paying local taxes and using local vendors for its pastries, milk, cleaning services and paper products." Satori, Dr. Java, and Carpe Diem, however, also contribute to the community by supporting local schools and charitable organizations such as Wilmer Hall. Barista Magazine reports 46 percent of local coffee shops and only 13 percent of corporate coffee chains give back to their communities. Despite Starbucks Coffee Company’s press release-like responses, the rumored expansion of the company is expected to boost the local economy tremendously, make more people aware of the quality and convenience of specialty coffee, and consequently increase the business of independent coffee shops in the area. According to the Bloomberg News of Seattle, on Oct. 5 Starbucks told analysts it lifted its goal to 20,000 US locations. It wants to add 2,000 stores this year. Last year, it added 1,672 stores, and next year it plans to increase its goal to 2,400 stores. The worldwide coffee chain had 12,142 stores at the end of August, and 70 percent of those are located in the US. Amanda Hardy is the Lagniappe intern. Contact her at editor@lagniappemobile.com