By Aaron Terrett,
Student Intern,
On November 24, 2020, the city of Vicksburg opened the doors of its first Starbucks Coffee shop. Some citizens were elated by the franchise’s decision to bring the cafe to Vicksburg, while others found it redundant. As news of the opening day made the rounds on social media, citizens of Vicksburg were not shy to voice their opinions. Some felt that the cafe was a blatant attempt at monopolizing the town’s coffee choices.
Sitting directly behind the new Starbucks is a locally owned cafe, Caffe Paradiso. Some believe that Starbucks being brought into town spells the decline of Caffe Paradiso.
Vicksburg citizen, Hailey Hampton, went on the record to remind people that “Caffe Paradiso is an amazing alternative. They can make all your favorite Starbucks drinks and they have a larger menu.”
Some other citizens have chosen to not support Starbucks for different reasons. The traffic coming from the Starbucks parking lot spills out into the main road, leaving drivers frustrated. Another reason that some have stated is that Starbucks is supposedly “anti-police” and “anti-military.” Starbucks, however, has denied these claims. The thought that they are anti-military was debunked by an official Starbucks email listing their military donations and stating that the negative comments were a hoax from an account not affiliated with Starbucks. However, the most common reason given for the negative reaction to the new Starbucks is the citizens’ admiration for their local coffee shop.
According to citizen, Thomas Lowery, “local contractors and plumbers refused to even assist in building the place because of where they chose to open.” Not all reactions were negative, however. Some citizens have expressed gratitude over the jobs that the new cafe will bring to town. Vicksburg citizen, Laura Moll, stated, “it brings jobs to a community desperate for them, so there’s that. Not all small businesses can provide the benefits that Starbucks does. It pays for its staff to go to college.”
Others raved about how a well-known chain coming to town makes for a better tourist experience. Some citizens went as far as showing support for both coffee shops. Kim Griffin, who has a son in the military, says “I like Starbucks and local coffee shops. My son is in the military and he likes both Starbucks and local coffee shops. There’s room for both. Most people only drive so far for a cup of coffee.”
For the time being, Starbucks and Caffe Paradiso are coexisting. People who were already buying locally are more likely to continue buying locally. The opening of the new cafe rubbed some citizens the wrong way, but it seems like the new Starbucks is here to stay.
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