Coffee corp. rethinks Middlebury franchise

Author: Tamara Hilmes

Middlebury residents craving Grande Mocha Frappacinos and gingerbread lattes will have to continue to make the trek to Burlington to get their fix. At the end of January, the Starbucks corporation announced that it would not, in fact, be placing one of its franchises in Middlebury.

In a letter written to the Middlebury Planning Office, Christopher Hunt, one of the two men who originally proposed the plan to bring the global coffee corporation to the Centre shopping plaza announced, "the Starbucks Corporation has entered a period of reorganization in the wake of its disappointing financial performance this past year ... as part of their process [Starbucks] has decided to halt development of many planned, yet un-built stores." As a result, Myron Hunt Inc. has withdrawn its application to amend the development plans of the shopping center.

The plan was first introduced in February of 2007, but the official application was not filed until August. When the application was placed on the table for discussion at the Oct. 22 public hearing, uproar ensued within the community. Petitions were drawn up and placed in various businesses around town - the signatures of customers loyal to Carol's Hungry Mind Café filled five pages alone. With the recent financial woes that have come down on the local café, resentment toward the addition of Starbucks along Rt. 7 grew.

"I'm definitely for it not coming," said David Holter '11. "I'm much more in favor of locally rather than commercially-based businesses. We have nothing but chain stores at home - it was nice to be here and experience a more community feel, which the locally owned places provide. I don't think Starbucks would be as willing to display local artwork, for instance."

Even without the arrival of Starbucks in Middlebury, the fate of Carol's Hungry Mind is still in question.

"We are still toying around with a lot of ideas," said John Melanson, owner of Carol's. "We have not yet come to any definitive decision. Starbucks never really threatened me, though. People gather here for meetings, which is something they wouldn't go to a Starbucks for. It would have primarily targeted the commuters. Actually, it might have been a benefit. For instance, someone might have gone there and discovered the latte, and then come here to get one."

While petitioners and other concerned citizens will be relieved by Myron Hunt Inc.'s announcement, not all community members are taking a sigh of relief.

"I think it's unfortunate," said Joel Miller, a resident of Addison. "It would have been a welcome replacement for an abandoned carwash, and it certainly would have been in keeping with the development in that area."