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Local retail spots boost for economy

Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen is a popular local spot with American University college students and residents. By Celina Ryan.

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Anne Garner sat on Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen‘s patio on a sunny Friday morning reading and eating breakfast.

The 65-year-old said the food is amazing, it’s always cooked perfectly and it’s inexpensive.

“The people, the staff, are wonderful,” Garner said.

Garner prefers independent businesses because they are “more unique” and great for the community, a fact that research supports.

In 2012, Civic Economics found local restaurants, on average, recirculate 79 percent of their revenue locally compared to chain restaurants’ 30 percent.

Independent stores help the local economy, but many in both rural and urban areas are facing competition from chain franchises and big box retailers.

Many small businesses in Washington, D.C. know they face tough competition and take steps to stay in business.

Laurie Tucker, an owner of a small health and wellness business from Greenville, Rhode Island, likes to support other small businesses.

“You have to find your niche, you give that personal piece that the big chains [can’t],” said Tucker, 44.

In Tenleytown, down Wisconsin Avenue from Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen, there’s a Panera, a Chick-fil-A, and a Starbucks. Tenleytown residents said this week that although they prefer to support small businesses, they often end up at chain stores.

Linda Jewell, 63, stood in line at Starbucks while talking about her preference for local businesses. She said local shops offer a better sense of community. So why was she at a chain?

The Tenelytown neighborhood in Northwest Washington is a mixture of local businesses and chain stores. By Celina Ryan.

“I feel sort of guilty about it,” Jewell admitted.

David Smick, 63, said he’ll pick a chain shop because it’s a known quality.

Jennifer Chapman agreed. She and others support chain franchises for the “standardized, predictable, quality.”

Chapman, 51, said she sometimes favors local spots like Busboys and Poets but other times said doesn’t pay much attention.

“I’m more indifferent to it,” Chapman said.

Back at Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen, Garner, who has lived in Washington, D.C. for 40 years, hopes local businesses can survive.

“They’re the best thing,” Garner said. “I just hope they can afford to stay in business. I hope more people can support them.”

 

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Marshmallow-infused whip cream s’mores latte? Calorie counts help some decide

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American University Starbucks customers wait in line. Photo by Madeline Jarrard.

American University Starbucks consumers have been provided with calorie count information at the campus location for years, but the impact of this information on consumer behavior is mixed.

Nationwide, Starbucks has required its stores post calorie counts next to drink names since June 2013. With that, Starbucks joined a host of other fast food chain restaurants giving customers what was supposed to be better nutritional information.

Coia Williams, 38, has been working at the campus Starbucks for three years and noted the counts are up. But customers relayed mixed feelings about the calorie count.

“I probably should watch my calories, but I don’t,” said Antia Horsey, 50, sitting on a bench outside of Starbucks holding a drink.

When asked about it, Horsey thought the calorie count was targeted to a younger generation that was extremely health conscious.

However, when asked some young customers brought a different perspective.

Helen Torres-Siclait, a 16-year-old Discover the World of Communication student, insisted that the calorie count was irrelevant to her.

“I have never looked at that in my life,” said Torres-Siclait laughing.

The calorie count never plays a part in her decision making at Starbucks. Torres-Siclait said that she picks whatever sounds most appetizing and that usually involves caramel and whipped cream.

Starbucks also lists nutrition information on its website, where a grande Caramel Brulee Latte contains 52 grams of sugars and 40 percent of a person’s daily recommended maximum saturated fat intake. A tall White Chocolate Mocha contains 400 calories compared to an iced version of the drink, which has 60 fewer calories.

Torres-Siclait may not worry about the content but, she noted some of her friends’ drink decisions are dependent on how many calories or grams of fat inside.

Maryam Khan, 19, works at the American University bookstore, just a couple floors up from the campus Starbucks. She explained that when she goes to the popular coffee store, she gets the most sugary drink that she can. As a college student she usually needs something to keep her awake into the late hours, she said. For her, the calorie count holds no weight.

Starbucks continues to introduce other sugary and high calorie drinks, like the new 500-calorie grande S’mores Frappuccino that comes with marshmallow-infused whip cream.

And those drinks are good for business.

According to Statista, Starbucks’ annual income has been on the rise each year since 2008, even with customers informed of the calorie count.

However, customers are sometimes swayed by the calorie count.

Heather Lynch, 49, walked around AU’s campus with a croissant and a tall cappuccino.

“I wanted to get a scone, but then I saw that the croissant was less,” Lynch said of the calories.

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Views on Tenleytown crime mixed as theft rises slightly

WASHINGTON- Citizens and visitors in Tenleytown expressed mixed views on crime as theft increased by a small amount in the past year, according to interviews and Metropolitan Police figures.

Theft crimes from July 2013 to July 2014 increased to 119 from 107 during the previous year in an area 1500 feet from Tenleytown’s center, according to Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department figures.

On Monday, people stepped around shattered glass outside the Best Buy store on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue. Police line tape was put up on the sidewalk outside the store. A police officer near the scene would not comment on the incident.

A shattered window of the Best Buy on Wisconsin Ave.
A shattered window at the Best Buy on Wisconsin Avenue on Monday, July 7.

Trey Polston, a 25-year-old baseball coach at Woodrow Wilson High School, hasn’t experienced crime since he moved to the area in August 2013 and said he doesn’t know any one who has. But, Polston did say he feels slightly uneasy when encountering a homeless person.

“Usually on the bench, there’s usually a guy, or two, but they don’t really mess with us too much or anything, you know? They’re just trying to live themselves,” Polston said.

In contrast, a Tenleytown native sees another group as a threat to safety: high school students. Although police statistics didn’t reveal the specific ages of crime perpetrators Carlyn Hackney said teenagers in the area can be a “potential threat.”

“Just ’cause they’re rowdy, you know, and they’re always up here in the masses,” said Hackney, a 24-year-old nanny who grew up in the area.

Amanda Corvelli, a long-time employee at American Valet, had a similar perspective to Hackney.

Corvelli has witnessed Woodrow Wilson students fighting after school and seen people stealing from the Wisconsin Avenue CVS store.

Despite those incidents, she said Tenleytown is still a safe area, especially compared to other metropolitan neighborhoods.

“I mean there’s crime, but there’s crime everywhere,” Corvelli said.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tenleytown location benefits local smoothie shop

20140707_091751The Tenleytown Robeks store is still going strong after nine years despite the closings of several other Robeks stores in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, according to a store official.

Pedro Lazo, manager of the Tenleytown store, credited location as the reason the store is doing so well.

Located in the heart of Tenleytown–on Wisconsin Avenue by the entrance to the Whole Foods parking garage–the store gets its business from what Lazo calls a “very diverse crowd,” including college students, residents, area employees and Metro users.

20140707_102113_Richtone(HDR)“We do really well,” Lazo said. “We’re always busy. I think we might be one of the best stores in the district, if not the best store.”

In fact, the Tenleytown store is doing so well that many customers were unaware that other locations had closed.

Over the past two to four years, four stores have closed due to lack of business in the D.C. metropolitan area, including the Cabin John, College Park, Rockville Town Square, and Fairfax locations, which according to Lazo is easily attributed to bad locations.

“Robeks does pretty well but it depends on location,” Lazo said.

20140707_102239_Richtone(HDR)Tenleytown allows small businesses to thrive because of its proximity to public transportation, schools, and big box stores that draw customers in, according to a Tenleytown Retail Submarket Strategic Assessment.

The report also stated that retail businesses in Tenleytown benefit from a large and wealthy daytime population, who can afford Robeks’ smoothies ranging from $4 to $8 dollars.

With a great retail location comes competition from other stores nearby including Starbucks but that doesn’t concern Lazo or the business’ bottom line.

“In the winter they are really busy and we are really slow, and20140707_105428 in the summer we’re a little bit busier,” Lazo said.

Despite this, Robeks still has major competition from other smoothie stores like Jamba Juice, but it’s closest location is three miles away in Dupont Circle.

“If anyone is going to be our competition it’s really them,” Lazo said.

Lazo believes that Robeks will remain in Tenleytown for years to come and continue to integrate onto social media with new promotions. The manager, who is very passionate about his work, also sees himself moving up the ladder.

“I see myself being owner,” Lazo said of his hopes for his future at Robeks.