Someone on the Ohio City Facebook just mentioned that a Starbucks is going in the Gehring building that's currently being worked on. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

15 minutes ago, TDi said:

Someone on the Ohio City Facebook just mentioned that a Starbucks is going in the Gehring building that's currently being worked on. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

I have not seen any permits since 2023 for this location which is the rehab for a future tenant. No tenant is disclosed. There was speculation on this forum based on the plans that it would be a Chipotle or Starbucks but it was just speculation. You can find the build plans here: https://aca-prod.accela.com/COC/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=BuildingHousing&TabName=BuildingHousing&capID1=23BHO&capID2=00000&capID3=15129&agencyCode=COC&IsToShowInspection=

45 minutes ago, TDi said:

Someone on the Ohio City Facebook just mentioned that a Starbucks is going in the Gehring building that's currently being worked on. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

I don't necessarily like this if true. I'm all for a national tenant coming in but with a coffee shop being across from this building and the coffee shop in Intro this seems like overkill.

8 minutes ago, MyPhoneDead said:

I don't necessarily like this if true. I'm all for a national tenant coming in but with a coffee shop being across from this building and the coffee shop in Intro this seems like overkill.

I am feeling the same way you are.  Happy a national brand is sniffing around OHC as that typically is a sign of solid health and hoping potential for some national retail but just dont want it to put any of our local brands out of business.

Edited March 10Mar 10 by TDi

7 hours ago, MyPhoneDead said:

I don't necessarily like this if true. I'm all for a national tenant coming in but with a coffee shop being across from this building and the coffee shop in Intro this seems like overkill.

There’s like 15-20 coffee shops on the near west side. I’m not complaining but given some parts of the city have none, you’d think some natural selection would have to happen at some point here. 

44 minutes ago, noname said:

There’s like 15-20 coffee shops on the near west side. I’m not complaining but given some parts of the city have none, you’d think some natural selection would have to happen at some point here. 

Walkable neighborhoods = a lot of cafes. And this is one of, if not the most walkable neighborhood in the state. All of them are busy too because there is a lot of density and foot traffic. 

1 hour ago, noname said:

There’s like 15-20 coffee shops on the near west side. I’m not complaining but given some parts of the city have none, you’d think some natural selection would have to happen at some point here. 

in the WFH age there is absolutely demand. I hop over to Lekko often and it's always packed with workers and students. I'm not surprised the amount of coffee shops we have is still able to sustain itself especially with the prices they all seem to charge 🤣

11 hours ago, PlanCleveland said:

Walkable neighborhoods = a lot of cafes. And this is one of, if not the most walkable neighborhood in the state. All of them are busy too because there is a lot of density and foot traffic. 

If true give Starbucks credit for choosing a great location. Don’t think it will pull from Lekko which is incredibly popular with local residents in a high profile address probably due in part to its nearly stealth appearance behind the dark windows. The Gehring ave site with a Starbucks would tempt much needed pedestrian traffic from WSM shoppers/tourists who would otherwise not dare cross the street from the WSM parking lot. Hopefully it will lead to a much needed mid block safe traffic calming crosswalk from the WSM parking lot across Lorain to the Abbey/Gehring intersection. 

Edited March 11Mar 11 by Willo

Starbucks drive through dumping out onto Abbey across from the entrance to the RTA turnaround should be entertaining

3 hours ago, Jukeboxer said:

Starbucks drive through dumping out onto Abbey across from the entrance to the RTA turnaround should be entertaining

 

I absolutely hate that idea. Here I was envisioning a diner of some sort.

 

Confirmed. Article coming. 💣

1 minute ago, KJP said:

Confirmed. Article coming. 💣

A bomb for a Starbucks? There has to be more to this. 

Allegro’s Damen Tasseff must be furious he didn’t think of this approach to get McDonald’s approved at Fulton and Lorain a few years back. 

If true, I REALLY hope there can not be a drive through. That area will become even more of a mess. You already have 75% of the cars off of Gehring making the illegal(but like all traffic laws in this city, never enforced) left turn which then blocks traffic from both directions. 

 

People shouldn't be trying to stop individual businesses from leasing available spaces. I think having businesses like Starbucks or a McDonald's without their typical drive through and parking lot is a sign of a healthy, dense, and walkable neighborhood. Would I rather a local business take the space? Sure. But no one has for a decade and the people going to the dozen coffee shops in the area likely aren't switching over to Starbucks. The suburban WSM or Townhall visitor likely wasn't going to walk to one of the local coffee places. That person is now walking around Ohio City more than they would have before too.

 

 

But a drivethrough plus the Doordash/Uber Eats drivers stopping wherever they want for the new Chipotle will be an absolute nightmare. The W25 "BRT" will be delayed on 90% of trips. 

12 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said:

If true, I REALLY hope there can not be a drive through. That area will become even more of a mess. You already have 75% of the cars off of Gehring making the illegal(but like all traffic laws in this city, never enforced) left turn which then blocks traffic from both directions. 

 

People shouldn't be trying to stop individual businesses from leasing available spaces. I think having businesses like Starbucks or a McDonald's without their typical drive through and parking lot is a sign of a healthy, dense, and walkable neighborhood. Would I rather a local business take the space? Sure. But no one has for a decade and the people going to the dozen coffee shops in the area likely aren't switching over to Starbucks. The suburban WSM or Townhall visitor likely wasn't going to walk to one of the local coffee places. That person is now walking around Ohio City more than they would have before too.

 

 

But a drivethrough plus the Doordash/Uber Eats drivers stopping wherever they want for the new Chipotle will be an absolute nightmare. The W25 "BRT" will be delayed on 90% of trips. 

 

Cleveland should force all UberEats/Doordash pickups to utilize the rear alley way instead of stopping on W25th.

 

Edited March 11Mar 11 by ASP1984

Good luck “forcing” them. I drove from public square to CSU around 5 pm maybe a month ago, and I was blocked by no fewer than 20 cars parked in the middle of Euclid. I don’t know if they were all delivery drivers, but if we can’t enforce traffic laws along the main corridor of downtown, I don’t think we will have any better luck in Ohio City. 

9 minutes ago, ASP1984 said:

 

Cleveland should force all UberEats/Doordash pickups to utilize the rear alley way instead of stopping on W25th.

 

Completely agree. W25 and Euclid are awful due to Ubereats/Doordash drivers and other lazy people just parking on the street. I've been completely blocked in on Euclid before by a turn lane and someone parking to get a coffee at the new Dunkin on CSU's campus. Any enforcement at all would be great. 

1 hour ago, MyPhoneDead said:

A bomb for a Starbucks? There has to be more to this. 

 

More of a baby bomb. Not really an "official NEOtrans" bomb. 😁

9 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said:

Completely agree. W25 and Euclid are awful due to Ubereats/Doordash drivers and other lazy people just parking on the street. I've been completely blocked in on Euclid before by a turn lane and someone parking to get a coffee at the new Dunkin on CSU's campus. Any enforcement at all would be great. 

 

You can always throw your Starbucks at parked cars upon purchasing it. 

 

 

Starbucks is next chain to arrive in Ohio City
By Ken Prendergast / March 11, 2025

 

A shift to more chain businesses is under way in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. In February, NEOtrans was first to report that Chipotle is opening a store on West 25th Street in the neighborhood’s Market District. Now, we’ve confirmed that Starbucks has leased a spot near the West Side Market and across Abbey Avenue from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) Red Line rail station.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2025/03/11/starbucks-is-next-chain-to-arrive-in-ohio-city/

That is one of the worst places for a drive-thru I can think of in our entire region. I think the local coffee shops can stand up to competition from Starbucks but that feature to me would be very dumb and bad for the neighborhood.

13 minutes ago, coneflower said:

That is one of the worst places for a drive-thru I can think of in our entire region. I think the local coffee shops can stand up to competition from Starbucks but that feature to me would be very dumb and bad for the neighborhood.

Some Wharton school MBA spent many hours staring at spreadsheets to pick that spot!  

Quote

Renovations are underway inside and out at 2061 Gehring Ave. where Starbucks will be the anchor tenant with four smaller retail spaces available for lease

At least we'll hopefully get some more fun local spots out of the project. If it takes a national chain to anchor it to get it started I'm ok with that. 

I have no problem with national chains in Ohio City as long as you have a nice mix of local independents and chains.  Many successful walkable neighborhoods are like that.  Hopefully OC becomes something similar to a mini Alexandria VA as an example.

It's going to be so odd to see that building active after all this time. When I first heard Starbucks I feared it would just be a drive thru location. A huge plus that it will have both indoor/outdoor seating. This will be a very busy Starbucks

I think our fair city can handle the traffic volume of a Starbucks with a drive through window. A million people used to live here. We can do it guys. 

I'm really disappointed that a local business isn't taking the spot. This area is just so special and unique for Cleveland. It feels like corporations are now starting to feed off the hard work by locals to build it up. That's capitalism I suppose. 

1 hour ago, marty15 said:

I think our fair city can handle the traffic volume of a Starbucks with a drive through window. A million people used to live here. We can do it guys. 

My concern isn’t traffic jams but distracted drivers running over pedestrians to get in and out of that location. 

In most metropolitan cities that doesn't happen often.

 

25 minutes ago, Glenville2 said:

In most metropolitan cities that doesn't happen often.

 

 

Pedestrian death rates have increase by about 50% over the last decade. It is a very legitimate concern. 

1 hour ago, Jax said:

That's capitalism I suppose. 

Exactly.

Based off of the comment sections of these articles on social media you would think Ohio City is being overrun with chains. The Cleveland Magazine article doesn't help stating Ohio City is "shifting to chains". People forget Build the Pho, Flower on Freeman, Green Salad Co, Isso Ni, Little Cloud Sandwiches all local businesses are opening on Ohio City as well.

 

https://clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink/articles/starbucks-brings-another-chain-to-ohio-city

Edited March 12Mar 12 by TDi

Nonsense to have a blanket ban of chains. Chains become chains for a reason and often that is because a small business became popular and grew. The chains coming in however should be reflective of the areas character and demographics and which fill gaps in its offering. A fast casual like a Chipotle is absolutely a fit in Ohio City where as a KFC or something obviously isn't. 

Attracting national chains will help spur additional development in the neighborhood.  There are many people who look forward to having familiar options nearby when choosing a place to live.  National chains also can pay higher rents, making renovations like this one financially feasible.  More people coming to Ohio City will help attract local retail and there is not a shortage of retail space.  

 

The building is also adding 4 additional small local storefronts, which would not be feasible without Starbucks rent...   

I'm not surprised by the reaction, but honestly it's strange that there's no Starbucks between downtown and W 115th compared to our peer cities. I like the Alexandria comparison, Old Town is one of my favorite places in the US and has a great balance of local places, local chains and national chains. The drive-thru is unfortunate, but Starbucks has been snapping back to being a real destination cafe again vs the post-COVID direction they went in for quick, mobile orders dominating.

23 minutes ago, CLEeng said:

I'm not surprised by the reaction, but honestly it's strange that there's no Starbucks between downtown and W 115th compared to our peer cities. I like the Alexandria comparison, Old Town is one of my favorite places in the US and has a great balance of local places, local chains and national chains. The drive-thru is unfortunate, but Starbucks has been snapping back to being a real destination cafe again vs the post-COVID direction they went in for quick, mobile orders dominating.

 

Correct. Starbucks are a known commodity and as large as they are now they generally do not place their stores in rundown areas, whether urban or suburban. The demographics of their customers are far higher than the other mega chains. I am not a particular fan of the drive thru aspect nor Starbucks in general, infact their coffee sucks in my opinion, but when I see a Starbucks in an urban area I generally think of it as being relatively vibrant with steady foot traffic and the attraction for many is the vibe within their stores as much as anything. If all we can have is smaller independent businesses we are unwittingly making the area less adaptable and at risk of vacancies and difficulty in leasing and regenerating when various economic and development cycles occur. Infact, I think OTR in Cincinnati somewhat suffers from having next to no chains. There needs to some give and take in amongst the snobbery and stubbornness.  

14 minutes ago, snakebite said:

 

Correct. Starbucks are a known commodity and as large as they are now they generally do not place their stores in rundown areas, whether urban or suburban. The demographics of their customers are far higher than the other mega chains. I am not a particular fan of the drive thru aspect nor Starbucks in general, infact their coffee sucks in my opinion, but when I see a Starbucks in an urban area I generally think of it as being relatively vibrant with steady foot traffic and the attraction for many is the vibe within their stores as much as anything. If all we can have is smaller independent businesses we are unwittingly making the area less adaptable and at risk of vacancies and difficulty in leasing and regenerating when various economic and development cycles occur. Infact, I think OTR in Cincinnati somewhat suffers from having next to no chains. There needs to some give and take in amongst the snobbery and stubbornness.  

As a self proclaimed coffee snob, I agree on their coffee (it's fine, but not GOOD), it's meant mostly for the mixed coffee drinks vs just drinking it black. But as Ohio City starts to get more things like hotels and become a true destination for people outside the city, seeing things like a Starbucks goes a long way. If I'm on the road and I need a decent cup of coffee quickly or a place to set up shop and work for a while, I'm usually looking for exactly that. I recently did exactly that for work, was going to a new area for me, was over an hour early for a meeting and wanted a place to work comfortably for a while and Starbucks was the perfect fit. I still strive to find local places when I have more time, but it's an easy, consistent place to make a snap decision to go. It will fit Ohio City well as it continues to grow.

1 hour ago, snakebite said:

 

but when I see a Starbucks in an urban area I generally think of it as being relatively vibrant with steady foot traffic and the attraction for many is the vibe within their stores as much as anything. If all we can have is smaller independent businesses we are unwittingly making the area less adaptable and at risk of vacancies and difficulty in leasing and regenerating when various economic and development cycles occur.

This is my thought process to (proper) national chains being in neighborhoods like Ohio City. I feel that there are only so many local restaurants and bars that you can fill your neighborhood with before you reach your max. What happens when a local business closes (which we have seen a lot of lately)? Either it will sit there for a long time before someone local can afford to move in or it will just not be filled. Having a mix allows for those peaks and valley's to be managed properly. That is why I wish we had more human scale buildings like we do in the (what I call) historic section of West 25th because with different owners and different buildings you have a street that is vibrant with different vibes.

1 hour ago, CLEeng said:

As a self proclaimed coffee snob, I agree on their coffee (it's fine, but not GOOD), it's meant mostly for the mixed coffee drinks vs just drinking it black. But as Ohio City starts to get more things like hotels and become a true destination for people outside the city, seeing things like a Starbucks goes a long way. If I'm on the road and I need a decent cup of coffee quickly or a place to set up shop and work for a while, I'm usually looking for exactly that. I recently did exactly that for work, was going to a new area for me, was over an hour early for a meeting and wanted a place to work comfortably for a while and Starbucks was the perfect fit. I still strive to find local places when I have more time, but it's an easy, consistent place to make a snap decision to go. It will fit Ohio City well as it continues to grow.

I personally love the vibe a Starbucks can give, specifically the one's that have no drive thru. They are so vibrant inside, especially the one in University Circle by Uptown, I'm on record stating that is my favorite one due to the activity in and around that Starbucks.

1 hour ago, CLEeng said:

As a self proclaimed coffee snob, I agree on their coffee (it's fine, but not GOOD), it's meant mostly for the mixed coffee drinks vs just drinking it black. But as Ohio City starts to get more things like hotels and become a true destination for people outside the city, seeing things like a Starbucks goes a long way. If I'm on the road and I need a decent cup of coffee quickly or a place to set up shop and work for a while, I'm usually looking for exactly that. I recently did exactly that for work, was going to a new area for me, was over an hour early for a meeting and wanted a place to work comfortably for a while and Starbucks was the perfect fit. I still strive to find local places when I have more time, but it's an easy, consistent place to make a snap decision to go. It will fit Ohio City well as it continues to grow.

And this will be a much larger store per the KJP story. Also while the drive-thru exit onto Abbey may add to the congestion during red lights with cars turning onto Lorain, hopefully the city can adjust the timing of the lights to mitigate back-ups. Also, looking from the satellite image - with the drive-thru entrance to the south end of the lot and the drive-thru lanes tucked behind between the building and the tree line and rail tracks the appearance may not be as bad as first thought. Upside still is more needed street life.

It's a pointless conversation, as there is no way to legally stop "chains" from coming into a neighborhood.  You can stop certain uses or features like drive-thru's, but those aren't exclusive to chains.

 

At any rate, suppot local whenever possible.  Even though we can't discriminate against large chains, we should be more cognizant of their malicious effects on a neighborhood.

Chains have already had a place in Ohio City for some time. 
 

Choolah has seven locations in four states. 
 

Penzeys (formerly in OHC) has 49 stores across 22 states. 
 

the Family Dollar has been there as long as I can remember. 

 

Mitchell’s, Souper Market, Dave’s and Ohio City Burrito are all local chains. 
 

And before Intro was built that shopping plaza (if memory serves) had a not insignificant number of chains. 
 

I don’t love the idea of the drive through, but the neighborhood has thrived with chain businesses. It’s unlikely that Chipotle and Starbucks are really going to change the fabric of the neighborhood.  

Franklin Yards project still progressing, day by day ... more windows on the south side, more structure on the north side.

6 minutes ago, Henke said:

Chains have already had a place in Ohio City for some time. 
 

Choolah has seven locations in four states. 
 

Penzeys (formerly in OHC) has 49 stores across 22 states. 
 

the Family Dollar has been there as long as I can remember. 

 

Mitchell’s, Souper Market, Dave’s and Ohio City Burrito are all local chains. 
 

And before Intro was built that shopping plaza (if memory serves) had a not insignificant number of chains. 
 

I don’t love the idea of the drive through, but the neighborhood has thrived with chain businesses. It’s unlikely that Chipotle and Starbucks are really going to change the fabric of the neighborhood.  

Frankly, I know Starbucks is different than this but... 

 

It's a bit elitist to be completely closed off to chains. Family Dollar serves a ton of families in walking distance to it - so does the Planet Fitness on Lorain - so does the Dominos on Lorain. On the whole, I agree, OHC should preserve it's "localness" and there should be limits. But the volume with which chains are able to get supply typically makes their products more affordable - and that's not always a bad thing. 

I hope the outdoor seating visually reinforces some traffic calming because these intersections are scary enough as is. I walk to work here everyday and cars are particularly impatient in this area for some reason; Intro does slightly turn its back to these streets in a pedestrian sense, as well as blocks the sun in the afternoon. I worry one of the boys from the St Ignatius running group will get hit.

3 hours ago, CLEeng said:

I'm not surprised by the reaction, but honestly it's strange that there's no Starbucks between downtown and W 115th compared to our peer cities.

Are we not counting Steelyard?

3 minutes ago, MyPhoneDead said:

Are we not counting Steelyard?

I actually didn't know there was one there, I mostly had neighborhoods like Tremont, Ohio City and Gordon Square in mind when I was thinking about it, especially Gordon Square. Kind of amazing some of the developments by the Shoreway didn't include one.

6 hours ago, CLEeng said:

I actually didn't know there was one there, I mostly had neighborhoods like Tremont, Ohio City and Gordon Square in mind when I was thinking about it, especially Gordon Square. Kind of amazing some of the developments by the Shoreway didn't include one.

Fun fact - the first time my daughter asked to "use the potty" I was at Steelyard Starbucks with her... I was so excited that I barged into the restroom to find a homeless man asleep on the toilet 

Chains aren't all bad. Starbucks and Chipotle are just so mediocre and ubiquitous. I wish at least they could be some fun/more interesting chains (e.g. Daiso or fun clothing stores). Yeah it'll probably be fine, but I can guarantee part of Starbucks calculation is poaching customers from Edda and other coffee shops in the area. That's the way the world goes just wish the money was going to bolster clevelander businesses. 

22 minutes ago, Jax said:

Chains aren't all bad. Starbucks and Chipotle are just so mediocre and ubiquitous. I wish at least they could be some fun/more interesting chains (e.g. Daiso or fun clothing stores). Yeah it'll probably be fine, but I can guarantee part of Starbucks calculation is poaching customers from Edda and other coffee shops in the area. That's the way the world goes just wish the money was going to bolster clevelander businesses. 

I don't think they look at local competition much at all.  These kinds of decisions are made on the corporate level, mainly with zip code demographics on income etc.   The local calculations probably play a minimal role, and only if the local district manager points out some kind of red flag etc.