This story first appeared in The Daily Illini.
(Photo by Lily Blodgett/The Daily Illini)
Local coffee shops in Champaign-Urbana have long been hubs for community. With cozy corners and baristas whom you pass on the quad, nothing says home like a fresh C-U latte.
However, as large coffee chains establish their presence around campus, local coffee shops and C-U community members have begun to wonder: What does this mean for our local spots?
“Of course, it’s been on everybody’s radar,” said Mira Sen, general manager of BrewLab. “They are larger companies, so of course they’re going to have more resources than we do, but I think that we have more to offer in terms of … we are very intentional about the beans that we source.”
The notable opening in C-U right now is Dutch Bros, which is set to open on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Green Street this year and will be Dutch Bros’ first Illinois location.
Drive-through coffee being its specialty, convenience is key at Dutch Bros. With its extensive menu and name recognition, Dutch Bros has the potential to change the C-U coffee scene, especially for those who need a quick hit of espresso on their way to work or class.
“I think there are various consumer groups with various preferences,” said Olga Khessina, professor in Business. “If somebody prefers something else, they won’t go there … but one thing is price. Bigger producers are capable to have cheaper prices because of high volume.”
While many students get around campus via walking or biking, the drive-through coffee niche has yet to be filled. This leaves the population of commuter students and passers-by in the area coffee-less.
“Honestly, sometimes I’m just not getting out of my car for a coffee,” said Jasmin Garcia, junior in LAS. “I’d rather go to a drive-through, and it’s not like we really have that many drive-throughs on campus. And getting out of the car is hard because … where am I supposed to park?”
From smoothies to refreshers, simple lattes to energy drinks, larger chains go beyond coffee. Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, Starbucks and other establishments are well known for offering a variety of different drink options.
“Truly, my thoughts about it are just, ‘Great, now we have more options,’” Garcia said. “I like coffee, I like other types of drinks, I like having options. If that’s Dutch Bros or Caffé Bene or something, it doesn’t make much of a difference to me. I’m just going to go where I feel like in the moment.”
This challenges local coffee shops in C-U, many of which focus on preparing specialty coffees. While this often results in less drink variety, local shops can tailor their menus and focus on quality.
“Every manager, every person who’s been in charge has wanted to make sure that we’re crafting coffee as well as we can,” Sen said. “Looking into well-sourced green coffee and training all of our baristas in a similar manner, that consistency and quality are (the) name of the game.”
Whether these large chains will have a significant impact on the local coffee scene here relies on what students and community members are looking for. Is convenience at the top of the list? Atmosphere? Or are C-U coffee lovers on the hunt for a drink they can’t get anywhere else?
“I think we value the things that are reflective of our values,” said Reverend David Fuquay, director of Etc. Coffeehouse. “I think local places do that the best. So whether it’s a non-profit like what we’re doing or even a for-profit shop, I think that just helps support the overall health of the community. Champaign needs both, but it just feels more rooted and grounded when I’m in what’s local.”
While it may seem as though a large chain opening in the area will result in competition with local coffee shops, the real effects of these openings may be negligible. Why? These types of shops simply occupy a different niche than large chains.
“I don’t think they’ll lose clients,” Khessina said. “I think it would be different customers or a different base. It’s not directly substitutable.”
While the opening of large chain shops remains on the radar of many local spots in the area, concern is low and morale is high for small business owners, who are focused on putting community first.
“I do think, as a general rule, locally owned coffee shops are better simply because they’re different,” Fuquay said. “And these aren’t hard categories, but I think there’s community investment in our community.”
Chains like Starbucks still remain staples in the C-U community, with locations all around campus. Down to the design of the shop, coffee spaces, big or small, are hubs for community engagement.
Though businesses like the soon-to-be-open Dutch Bros are a bit different, given that they specialize in drive-up coffee and convenience, it’s hard to separate coffee and community. This is amplified at local shops, many of which host RSOs and community events.
This also offers such spaces a certain level of flexibility. While chains have corporate guidelines to follow, local specialty places can tailor their menus to their consumer base.
“There are some very interesting tastes you can try, and mass producers don’t make them,” Khessina said. “They (local shops) can experiment and make something new as opposed to mass production. Maybe for small places they can have a drink of the week that’s different coffee. This makes it interesting.”
So, is the opening of more chains in C-U going to affect the local coffee scene? It’s hard to say. But one thing is for certain: no matter where you get your morning jolt, coffee will continue to breed community.
“I think that there’s something about coffee houses and coffee itself that just feels community-minded,” Fuquay said. “Now we are more fragmented than we’ve been before. I think coffee in the ’60s, ’70s was that gathering place, and I think there’s still some feeling about that.”
Nina Athanasopoulos is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a staff writer for The Daily Illini.