Will Starbucks New Loveland Location Ignite a ‘Coffee War’ in Town?
A long-vacant corner in Loveland is seeing signs of a new business coming in. That business is the legendary Starbucks. Though there isn't one in this area,is it really necessary?
There's no arguing that Starbucks is the most widely-known and most-popular coffee company in America. This new Starbucks location in Loveland will be putting them up against a longtime local favorite.
Imagine a world without Starbucks. A crazy thought, right? They are everywhere. Some locations have been open for decades, some shops open and close within a couple of years. Either way, no one has to worry about the "healthiness" of the company, which started out in 1971, in Seattle.
There are currently seven Starbucks in Loveland, most of which reside within a King Soopers, Safeway or Target. There are three that are on their own - on Taft, on Garfield (287) near King Soopers, and at Centerra near Chick-Fil-A. This new location coming to Loveland will also be on it's own, as there's nothing but an empty field there at the moment.
On my drive to work I nearly always drive by the intersection of Crossroads Boulevard and Centerra Parkway (County Road 5.) Nordy's has been at the northwest corner of that intersection for a very long time. A construction project has begun just to the west of Nordy's, and I reached out to the City of Loveland to find out what's going in.
Starbucks.
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It's hard to deny that it's probably a good location for a Starbucks, but there is a local favorite who's probably not ecstatic about the news. The Human Bean.
The Human Bean has had this drive-thru location, nearly right across the street of where the new Starbucks will be, for about 15 years. It's just one of the many locations they have across Northern Colorado. The Human Bean is known for being very connected to the local communities, participating in dozens of fundraisers ever year.
If Starbucks makes this new location not just a drive-thru, but a 'sit down' one as well, that could definitely put a dent in The Human Bean's business. With the hotels in that area, I can see visitors looking for a place to "go for coffee;" a Starbucks nearby would fit that bill.
There's no word on when the new Starbucks will be opening.