The Full Entry
Starbucks To Open In Ely August 8th
Published Thursday, August 4th, 2005 by Karl Bedingfield
Starbucks will open in Ely High Street on Monday 8th August. Although there is still major interior work to be done the shopfitters said the date was firm although one worker did proclaim when asked when it opens, ‘A week Monday, Its hard to believe isn’t it?’
Starbucks said, ‘We are delighted to be opening our first store in Ely and we’re looking forward to becoming part of the community here.
We hope the store will be a real asset to its neighbourhood, providing approximately 14 jobs and offering a relaxing environment to enjoy some of the best coffees from around the world.
The new store will also showcase a selection of vintage photography depicting basket making, fishing and the local market, to celebrate Ely’s heritage. Local artist, Claire McGinley has been commissioned to produce a landscape painting featuring Ely Cathedral that will be put on display in the store’.
As stated elsewhere in this site - Starbucks had sought permission to have a seated area outside but that was denied as it was thought the tables and chairs would ‘impede access to the Market Square’ and restrict access to the High Street pavement by pedestrians. This is surprising considering the number of coffee/tea and sandwich shops that do just that around the Market Square area as well as a growing number of advertisement stands blocking the High Street.
American brand Starbucks entered the UK market in 1998 when it acquired the ‘Seattle Coffee Company’ stores in the UK.
Their website states, ‘Starbucks focuses on a great commitment to customised coffee and a mutual respect for people and the environment.
The layout and atmosphere of Starbucks stores is specifically designed to be cosy and intimate, while at the same time providing people with their own personal space to use as they wish. The combination of sofas, armchairs, coffee tables and chairs, bars and stools and meeting room tables means that there is something for everyone. ‘
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At 12:18 pm on August 12th, 2005, David wrote:
I think it’s great that Starbucks has opened - yet more diversity for our high street and some competition for our money! I hope they’ll do well but also that folk support the excellent local shops as well. Ely’s looking quite cosmopolitan these days - big improvement on the dead feeling of only a few years ago.
At 2:55 pm on August 16th, 2005, Mary McGuire wrote:
I’m right with David on the shops/dead feeling etc… I think Ely is great now and getting better all the time - although not before some really wonderful buildings had gone - the City’s other large hotel, for example. I’m kind of ambivilant about Starbucks but that may only be because I don’t know the correct way of asking for a normal coffee in skinny-frappy-latte-speak. I’d like to think we’re aiming to attract lots of interesting independent shops though, as well as the chains - I think it would suit Ely better to be more like Bury St Edmunds, shop-wise, than Cambridge. Seems bizarre they can’t put tables out, yet another reason why they should pedestrianise the High Street, then!
At 8:17 pm on August 19th, 2005, Dave wrote:
Mary, Tall drip with or without room for milk.
At 10:45 pm on August 26th, 2005, Martin wrote:
Starbuck’s have caused havoc in parts of London, driving out local independent coffee shops. But that’s not really a problem here, seeing as Ely doesn’t have anywhere to get a decent cup of coffee