Peets Coffee 'brewhaha' heating up

Wouldn't you want a Peet's Coffee and Tea in your town?

If you're in Sausalito, maybe not.

The popular Bay Area-based chain has applied to open a coffeehouse in a long-vacant former coffee cafe (photo at right) along the Sausalito waterfront. 

But this being Marin, it's not as simple as that.

The hip alternative to Starbucks has developed an almost cult-like following since Alfred Peet opened his first store in the 60s in Berkeley. Since then, it's grown to nearly 200 stores in several states.  Eight Peet's are already in Marin-- two in Corte Madera, two in Novato and one each in San Rafael, San Anselmo, Mill Valley and Greenbrae.

Now they would like to open a branch in Sausalito, but there are rules, and one of the rules is a zoning ordinance that forbids 'chain' establishments along the commercial waterfront.

And Peet's--despite its legions of devoted fans--is, in fact, a chain.

The previous occupant, Northpoint Coffee Company, went out of business in January of this year and the building has stood vacant ever since.

The Sausalito planning commission recently gave Peet's the green light to open but referred the case to the City Council for review.  The council must then decide whether or not to approve an amendment changing the zoning ordinance to allow Peet's to occupy the spot. 

The proposed Sausalito Peet's includes a proposal to feature outdoor seating, would not cook any food on site, and would remodel the building to incorporate green features while refraining from major changes in the building footprint.

While it appears that public support--from local vendors to the general public--has been in favor of Peet's, it's up to the council to decide.  A decision is expected in November.

Comments

[pdquick]

For a long time, the Peet's in my neighborhood (Market and Noe in San Francisco) felt more like a neighborhood coffee house than a chain. Unfortunately, there's been a change in management, and a massive change in personnel, and it feels more and more like a Starbuck's all the time. Peet's seems to be racing downward toward the customer-service industry standard set by Starbuck's. So Sausalito, if your planning policy is that you don't want chain stores on the waterfront, then don't make an exception for Peet's. If recent experience here is any indication, what you'll get is a Starbuck's with a prettier logo.

[Larry Joe]

Ironic that you should refer to Peet's as "the hip alternative to Starbucks," since Starbucks was started by a former Peet's employee, who learned the business from Mr. Peet himself:

"Peet's was the original inspiration for now-rival Starbucks. The three founders of Starbucks knew Alfred Peet personally, founded Starbucks in Seattle, Washington, as kindred spirits, and bought the coffee beans for Starbucks directly from Peet's during their first year of business in 1971. Peet sold his business in 1979 but stayed on as a coffee buyer until 1983. In 1984 Jerry Baldwin, one of the original founders of Starbucks and Alfred Peet's former partner, and co-owner Jim Reynolds, the roastmaster, with a group of investors bought Peet's' four Bay Area locations." ( --From the ever-informative Wikipedia...)

[crtical thinker]

The Sausalito waterfornt is an urban tourist destination center with marginal options. A "local" retailer such as Peets is a substantial imporovement over the t-shirt and souvenier shops.

[MoreMarin]

Larry Joe

You are right--and supposedly, Alfred Peet trained the Starbucks founders on how to roast their beans.

But due to radically different business models, Peet's managed to retain their 'downhome' image, while Starbucks didn't.

[mrfrosting]

I can sure understand how Sausalito's council wouldn't want to yuck up Bridgeway with a quality coffee shop. After all, you can't move up from a shop selling salt water taffy, at least two shops selling rubber duck related tchotchkes, one shop selling "I Escaped from Alcatraz" t-shirts, 3 ice cream shops, and a Starbucks less than half a mile away, etc. Not to mention those "art" boutiques offering items on par with Kinkade. Is this what Sausalito really wants to be known for? an inability to even allow the simplest of businesses to function? Hey city council, I need your advice on the proper way for me to tie my shoes...