‘Tired of corporate coffee’: Clovis coffee shop on Starbucks opening in the same lot

CLOVIS, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A Starbucks opening less than 400 feet from an already established coffee shop in Clovis is not worrying the owner, who says he wants to be there “to catch everybody tired of corporate coffee.”

A new Starbucks has recently opened in Clovis , near West Ashlan Avenue and North Peach, Avenue. On the other side of the parking lot is an already established, locally owned café.

Monkey Dog Coffee , is a sit-down, coffee shop that has been at the shopping center for approximately two years. In that short time, owner Alexander Osuna says the coffee shop has “quasi-established” itself and garnered a loyal customer base.

But in the weeks leading up to the nearby Starbucks’ opening, Osuna says he could not help but have mixed feelings about a corporate rival on the other side of the parking lot.

“Building up to them opening up [we felt] a lot of anxiety,” Osuna said. “We weren’t really sure what they were going to build or what it was going to look like.”

But Osuna says so far, Monkey Dog’s business has not been impacted by the new Starbucks – and he is confident his product will compete just fine.

“Open all of them,” Osuna said. “Oversaturate, we’ll be here to catch everybody tired of corporate coffee.”

Osuna says he is lucky to have loyal regulars who enjoy his business.

“We have an event coming up the first weekend of November. Dirty Cello, a bluegrass band is touring and they’ll do a small, intimate show here at night,” Osuna said.

Still, Osuna says he worries about other businesses in the area, especially those trying to find their footing amid competition from a large corporation.

“It definitely impacts small business,” Osuna said. “If you’re starting up, you’re brand new, you don’t have a community or customer base built up yet, it’s going to be difficult.”

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