Downtown retail surge brings more investors

[ChriswUfGator]

Quote from Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback after his stay in Jackonsonville last week to visit the Jaguars training camp:

Coffeenerdness: I'm not denigrating Jacksonville or anything, but I stayed at the Omni Hotel downtown late last week and went down to the lobby in the morning, looking to take a walk to get a coffee. "Where's the nearest Starbucks?'' I asked the parking guy in front. He said the nearest one was a little more than two miles away, and there wasn't one in the city's business district downtown. Amazed, I said, "Any other coffee bars downtown?'' None, the guy said, at least to his knowledge.

i. An American inner city, without a Starbucks. Now I've heard it all.

Some of the downtown shops like Chamblins etc may need to make some information available to hotels and other businesses!

[urbanlibertarian]

I'll bet the Omni has a concierge but Peter King chose to ask the parking guy where to get coffee nearby?  Really? Also, wouldn't the Hyatt have been a better choice?  I really enjoy the guy's writing and read him weekly during football season.

[Debbie Thompson]

I'll bet the Omni has a coffee pot.

[ChriswUfGator]

If that were what he wanted I doubt he'd have written the article.

In any event it hardly changes the fact that our downtown is alone among cities of this size in the country, where it cannot support a Starbucks. And that's despite giving it free rent.

[tufsu1]

I'll bet the Omni has a concierge but Peter King chose to ask the parking guy where to get coffee nearby?  Really? Also, wouldn't the Hyatt have been a better choice?  I really enjoy the guy's writing and read him weekly during football season.

there used to be a Starbucks cart in the Omni lobby (maybe its still there)...and of course the adjoining office buidling has a breakfast/lunch vendor that also sells coffee

[Captain Zissou]

I'll bet the Omni has a concierge but Peter King chose to ask the parking guy where to get coffee nearby?  Really? Also, wouldn't the Hyatt have been a better choice?  I really enjoy the guy's writing and read him weekly during football season.

there used to be a Starbucks cart in the Omni lobby (maybe its still there)...and of course the adjoining office buidling has a breakfast/lunch vendor that also sells coffee

Well OF COURSE!!!  Again, visitors shouldn't be required to seek out far away, hidden, or unknown vendors just to get a cup of coffee.  We need at least one decent coffee shop downtown and every employee at the hotels should be able to direct you to it.

[Wacca Pilatka]

It didn't serve espresso worth pouring into the eye of the devil, TUFSU. The man asked for a Starbucks, which was been very successful in branding itself.

People have an individual drink that they order.  For example when I say Starbucks, I mean that I want a quad shot of espresso, with one pump of vanilla, and topped off with cold soy milk.

For my sister, it's a quad shot grande latte with 11 pumps do sugar free vanilla.

It's almost never just coffee as a.rule.

For some perspective on the King story - his columns frequently make it clear that he has a Starbucks-specific fixation and seeks out Starbucks, not local coffee shops.

He also has a habit of picking on Jacksonville (e.g., calling it "Hartford with palm trees" and openly rooting for the Jaguars to move to London so he can make Sports Illustrated-paid visits there), which is why I suspect I-10 East, understandably, angrily reacted to King's commentary.

Of course, that doesn't change the facts that it's highly unfortunate that downtown couldn't support its Starbucks stores and that the hotel employees couldn't point King to a coffee shop.

[Debbie Thompson]

I don't read him, but if he has something against Jacksonville, he would have complained about something else instead, Starbucks in hand.  That said, yes, it would be nice if downtown Jax could support a Starbucks.  But, hey, Ron Chamblin will soon have (or already has) Bold Bean.  Support Chamblins!  Who needs Starbucks when we have Ron?  Ron can pass out flyers to all the parking lot attendants and front desks in downtown Jacksonville.  Problem solved.

[mtraininjax]

Did anyone see the FOR SALE / LEASE signs at the old public library on Ocean Street? Looks like the grand vision is gone and the building is doomed until the next real estate cycle.....

[tufsu1]

^ here's an idea....why not sell/lease the building to Intuition Ale Works....it has a loading dock, removing a floor would provide the required ceiling height, and plenty of good space for a tap room...all within the burgeoning entertainment district.