Business First wrote Indie coffee shops aim for trade’s great white whale
by Dan Eaton
Friday, February 8, 2008Starbucks Corp. finally may have discovered a competitor able to throw a wrench into the ubiquitous company’s growth machine – itself.“Talking with employees, we all thought Starbucks seemed to get away from what they do well,” said Colin Gawel, owner of Colin’s Coffee in Upper Arlington. “That makes it easy for us to keep our identity.”
What Starbucks used to do well, in the estimation of many, including CEO Howard Schultz, was offer a place to gather, relax and enjoy high-grade – if not pricey – coffee. Chris Lamb, roastmaster for Crimson Cup Inc. in Columbus, said that is the role independent coffee shops now strive to fill.
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