Recently a Takoma neighborhood email distro list exploded when it was announced by our local business chamber that Starbucks is considering whether to open a store near the Takoma metro station. Some people decried that Takoma should not follow Silver Spring and Bethesda by inviting national stores to compete against its small, but fiercely independent stores that already sell coffee, such as La Mano coffee bar, Busboys and Poets, and Capital City Cheesecake. The whole ordeal got me wondering why some people rejoice or recoil when a national (or more likely international) business like Starbucks decides to open a store in their neighborhood. It’s certainly true that adding a Starbucks in Takoma will put some pressure on other locally-owned coffee/food shops, but I think the concerns are overblown and also fail to recognize the changes that are coming in Takoma as I will discuss below.
As many locals know, the DC border runs clear through Takoma separating the two jurisdictions. People living in DC tend to say they live in Takoma, while Marylanders actually reside in the City of Takoma Park, but for purposes of this post I will simply refer to both areas as Takoma as many locals already do. I am rather new to living in Takoma and I am no historian, but I have read with great interest how the Takoma community fought, wailed and gnashed its teeth when Subway, CVS and an ACE hardware store moved into the area. I regularly walk to the CVS and ACE to pick up things rather than getting into my car just to save 5-10% at a larger suburban store. And while I do not eat at Subway, it must be doing enough business to stay afloat in Takoma or how could they afford to pay the rent.
Map of DC/MD border running through Takoma
Takoma is, like many areas of DC, gentrifying with new residents. Over the past few years numerous new businesses have sprung up around the main street that runs through Takoma (Carroll Street in DC and Carroll Avenue in MD), including the aforementioned stores and others like Republic (which is part of the local Black’s restaurant group), Roscoe’s pizzeria, Kin Da restaurant, Tabletop goods, etc. I’m sure that I forgot others, but hopefully you get the point. Along with all those businesses Takoma has become more expensive than it used to be. For example, one-bedroom apartments at the swanky new Takoma Central start at $1,730 a month, which is on par with apartments in downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring. Housing prices in Takoma have also catapulted as of late, with median list prices of $495,000 in DC and $625,000 in MD (in the historic district which spans most of the DC border).
Developers have clearly taken notice of Takoma’s desirability and multiple buildings near the Takoma metro station are in various stages of development. The aforementioned Takoma Central brought 150 units, while two new buildings on Maple and Willow streets are currently being constructed and will bring 102 units. Other developments happening include apartments on Spring Place, NW, which will bring 142 units and the very controversial EYA project next to the Takoma metro station, which will bring 210 units. In other words, Takoma is booming and will house another 604-1812 people (based upon a mix of 1-3 bedroom units) all nearby the metro station, which will surely increase demand for local shops, restaurants and services.
Many of those new residents of Takoma will want to grab a coffee/tea on their way to work or want to meetup with a friend for coffee/tea after work. While the current selection of Takoma stores to grab coffee/tea is great, Starbucks clearly noticed all of the ongoing/planned development and thinks there is room for them too. Whether you love or hate Starbucks, you can’t argue with their logic and I think the current independent stores will continue to thrive in Takoma either way. What do you think? Will the Starbucks effect do more harm than good in Takoma?
