Maybe it is too easy to utter that word “discrimination” but as I try to find a Starbucks located in Van Nuys, the thought enters my mind, “Maybe they really do hate Van Nuys”.
There are seven Starbucks in Sherman Oaks, three in Studio City, and only one in Van Nuys at 15355 Sherman Way. You could walk or drive five miles from Ventura and Sepulveda to Roscoe and Sepulveda and find only one Starbucks on Sherman Way!
By contrast, there are six Starbucks in six miles as you drive from 17308 Ventura in Encino to 15535 Ventura, Sherman Oaks. One every mile.
By my calculations, Starbucks is missing four Starbucks in Van Nuys that should be located at least one every mile along Sepulveda Blvd. To say nothing of the Starbucks that should be located at Van Nuys City Hall (where many attorneys and their wallets congregate).
Don Jose Sepulveda would consider Starbucks’ absence a grave insult.
Here in Van Nuys 
And yet so many liquor stores Hmmmmm…….
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Carter, Thank you for closing that deal on Burbank/Tilden!! I’m there daily. I live on Noble, and work @ Universal, and to avoid the 101, I cruise Burbank to Lankershim. Even when they’re busy as hell, they jam that line thru. I love the staff there. Funny you should mention that Coffe Bean backed out of the deal for that location. A few Halloweens ago, all the Starbucks employees @ that location wore Coffee Bean uniforms as their costumes!!
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Interesting article. When I was more of a wi-fi guy, I lived at the Starbucks on Victory and Coldwater, Burbank and Tilden (that is Van Nuys for sure) and Riverside and Fulton. However, the Starbucks at Reseda and Vanowen has the best staff of any Starbucks in town and I enjoyed going there a lot. But alas, I am not a cable modem guy and hardly get to the bux.
There is also a Starbucks of the Magic Johnson variety on Sherman Way and Sepulveda. That is still Van Nuys I am pretty sure.
In terms of one in the Civic Center building, I believe there is some hang up on all the retail leases there and I thought Starbucks was one of the proposed tenants, but not sure.
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well, there is a starbucks inside the albertsons on van nuys and sherman way, complete with a sit down spot for socializing and all, but i guess that doesn’t count…but forget starbucks. what i really want to know is, when are you running for city council?
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Andrew wrote:
“They can get angry about it but Starbucks is evidence of prosperity and community and there are both in Van Nuys.”
There’s more sign of prosperity if a Trader Joe’s opens up in the neighborhood. In the Downtown News, a story chronicled how downtown developers, business leaders and residents wanted Trader Joe’s to open a store in supermarket-free downtown L.A. Trader Joe’s declined, but would look back at the area in a few years when there are more residents. Actually, Trader Joe’s is one of the most desirable stores people want, and TJ management know this, and are wooed by several communities every year. TJ sticks to a deliberate growth strategy, quite the opposite of Starbucks, which is very agressive about smearing its name everywhere. Besides stand-alone stores, Starbucks also sells its coffee through kiosks and has office coffee services with a water company.
As for community, I’ve noticed at many Starbucks that there are about a dozen tables for “dining in,” so to speak, but most of their business is take-out. Most people just want their coffee and go about their business.
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Carter-
Thank you for the comment. I appreciate your explanation of the economics behind convincing Starbucks why a particular location is workable.
What is still mysterious to me is why the area around the Van Nuys Civic Center cannot host a Starbucks. Surely the rents around Van Nuys and Sylvan are cheaper than those paid at Coldwater at Ventura (site of another Starbucks) and there are plenty of office workers, courthouse pedestrians, police, fire, jurors, etc. who visit this area everyday.
Another location, which is smack in the middle of a solidly middle class neighborhood, is Sepulveda and Victory. Thousands of cars pass through here as well. This is another location begging for a Starbucks–not a drive through, but a sit down, where people converse and foster a sense of community.
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Steve and Andrew – I was the real estate guy that convinced Starbux to locate at Burbank and Tilden in VAN NUYS after Coffee Bean, which had all but signed a previously negotiated deal, bailed. The bux took a smaller sized unit to protect against a potential failure, even though the patio is adequate. Convincing these folks is not easy since they do not know the neighborhood, yet I did as I lived on Ranchito just south of Burbank Bl. for 11 years. They also hoped the employees and customers of the local car dealers would provide add’l sales revenues, which they have more than adequately done.
Drive-thrus on Sepulveda would be VERY difficult as the land is so expensive – note no McDonald’s as an example, nor the originally planned Home Depot.
The video store in that center does well, yet Cousins bailed in favor of another name as there was no longer any corporate support from Wisconsin for California development.
Just a clarification on a few points.
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Steve-
So we can hope that other tattoo parlors, strip clubs, pawn shops, etc. will one day be converted to better use?
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The Starbucks at the corner of Burbank Boulevard and Tilden Avenue, one block east of Van Nuys Boulevard, and in Van Nuys proper, has greatly improved the neighborhood. It replaced the serial-killer-friendly Red Chariot bar (killer Glen Edward Rogers, for those keeping score), and it’s probably responsible for 95 percent of the traffic in its parking lot (i.e. it’s the only reason, aside from Budget Video, to go there). Plenty of cops and firefighters hang there, which only means quicker response times.
And it gives the community a valuable meeting place that’s only equaled by the Nat’s Early Bite coffee shop on Burbank and Hazeltine.
I give Starbucks a lot of credit — they moved into an area with NO COMPETITION, and hence no proven track record for similar businesses. And they are making a serious killing financially. So it’s hats off to Starbucks for boldly going where no coffee-related business has gone before. Now get rid of some of the other substandard stores in this mini-mall (they know who they are) and put in a fresh-Mexican, Italian or Indian eatery, and all will be well.
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there is even one on sepulveda and nordoff 🙂
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It’s nice to have a drive through, but the reason for having a Starbucks is to get a “sit-down” where neighborhood people can meet up and have a conversation. There is nothing civilized like that in Van Nuys. We have thousands of stores, and nowhere to go.
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Reseda has 2 drive through Starbucks. I find this hillarious. They have just opened one in the Ralph’s parking lot at the corner of Saticoy and Louise. They even have little tables with umbrellas to sit at with a view of the parking lot traffic (oh boy). This is technically Van Nuys (I refuse to call it Lake Balboa). Perhaps they need to add some drive through Starbucks along Sepulveda too.
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Fightin’ Mad-
Guess Star-bucks thinks nobody at Bunim-Murray has any bucks?
Tell that to Fabian.
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Would coffee beans or Peet’s serve the same purpose?
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I used to work for a reality production company right by Wicks on Sepulveda they can REALLY use one there – close to Oxnard intersection…that would rock.
They are adding another Starbucks to Studio City – it will even have a drive thru on the corner of Tujunga and Riverside, but I’ll still go to Aroma Cafe.
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Not by a long shot of latte.
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There is a Starbucks at Victory and Coldwater. That’s Valley Glen, right? Not close enough for Van Nuys?
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They can get angry about it but Starbucks is evidence of prosperity and community and there are both in Van Nuys.
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In some cities, people get all wrapped up about the ‘Bucks invasion.
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