Skip to main contentDeep within the rustic wilds of Southeast Portland, far from the frenzied crowds, stands a lonely, drowsy crossroads. Residents here are struggling to come to terms with a bitter discrepancy that, until now, went unnoticed.
This forgotten place is the intersection of Southeast Rural Street and 50th Avenue. In the inhabitable area of the city of Portland, this is the one point farthest from a Starbucks--a full 1.7 miles from the nearest branch of the Seattle-based coffee chain.
It is worlds apart from the Multnomah Athletic Club, where Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz spoke last week, a place with 21 Starbuckses within a one-mile radius.
This startling fact is the result of a highly scientific WW study. Our method was infallible. First, we looked up all of the Starbucks outlets within a 10-mile radius of the downtown core (there are 103). Then, we bought some black push pins and a map. After placing the pins to correspond with the Starbucks locations, we employed the scientifically underrated technique of squinting at the map to determine which spot was farthest from an outlet. (We confirmed our finding with a reasonably precise ruler.)
Surprisingly, residents of the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood weren't aware of the distinction their enclave enjoyed until the WW research team informed them. Even then, the reality didn't sink in immediately.
"Geez," said resident Pam Thomas. "For Starbucks, that's crazy. I wonder if I should start selling coffee."
Actually, that would probably guarantee a Starbucks store in the area, given the chain's notoriously predatory business strategy.
After all, Starbucks is a business like no other. Fifteen years ago, there were no Starbucks stores in Portland. But look in the Yellow Pages today and you will find that of the 207 coffee specialty stores listed, 81 are Starbucks (not including kiosks in supermarkets). Add in four Seattle's Best locations and four Torrefazione Italia stores (both companies were acquired by Starbucks earlier this year), and you'll find that 43 percent of the Portland coffee market--at least what appears in the Yellow Pages--is owned by the chain.
This is a business that has doubled its presence in Portland in the past five years. A business that plans to more than double its number of stores globally--from 6,500 to 15,000--in the next two years. A business that has two stores in the Pioneer Place mall (on the first and third floors) that are literally 10 yards apart.
But this means little to the people in the Dead Zone--those who face a full three- to four-minute drive to the nearest Starbucks. Underneath the mask of indifference they all sport, there is anguish.
Thomas is one of the lucky ones. Though she does drink coffee, she prefers other brands over Starbucks' famously charred beans.
"Well, I guess I'm living in the perfect place, then," she told the WW team.
Shhhhh...they might hear you. Besides, if Thomas ever changes her mind, the Starbucks website tells us she has 49 stores within five miles of her house to choose from. And with a store opening every eight hours around the world right now, it's only a matter of time.
WWeek 2015