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 A Victory for
Small Business
over the Monopolists
Coffee ‘N
Dreams
Paul Woo, owner of Coffee N Dreams in The
Janss Market Place is a small business icon for the Free Enterprise
Capitalistic system of The United States. He deals with the onslaught of
corporate competition “The old-fashioned way” by offering a better package
of products and services.
Paradoxically, the big box markets, drug stores and
home stores (who have knocked out perhaps one million Mom and Pops over the
years while mindlessly over expanding) are now, themselves fearful of
heavyweight competition from bigger boxes. They have elected to take a low
road strategy. While ignoring their past activities, these mid boxes now
plead with the local population to keep out potential competitors
instead of courageously facing them the way small businesses have had to do
for years.
This self-serving attempt at generally illegal “Restriction of
Trade” obviously denies the local consumer the choices, selection and
pricing inherent in the free enterprise and free competition
capitalistic system. Starbucks, a recent voracious participant, has also
been on a campaign (sadly successful) to destroy the competition and
restrict trade by opening on every corner driving out all the
potentially more creative, service oriented and friendly independent
coffee shops.
Amazingly, in most cases, visiting a Starbucks is not really a pleasant
experience. You enter a sterile cookie cutter corporate environment
where you face an unsmiling robot-like order taker who rarely makes eye
to eye contact, concentrating primarily on the hope of making correct
change. |
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If you indicate that you would like a ceramic cup
rather than cardboard to drink on the premises, you are looked upon as
though you are insane. If you are really serious about how coffee should
taste, you better bring your own cup or buy a $25 Nissan insulated container
from them. This attitude must affect most of the customers, because rarely
have I seen anyone smiling while in the store, or even when leaving.
Everyone just near a Starbucks seems to be infected with the grouches.
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At Coffee N Dreams, it is exactly the opposite. There
are couches to sit on. There are pleasant outside umbrella tables.
Cheerful customers work on laptops, read or leave with bounty in hand.
Everyone seems to be in a good mood. The servers are cheerful. Rather
than being nameless, a computer monitor near the counter gives you the
background on these people serving you. They ask you if you are going
to drink the coffee on the premises. If you are, they offer a ceramic
cup, understanding that the coffee tastes better and stays hot longer.
That probably will make you return. |
If you continue to read the monitor while waiting on
line (The place is always busy), you will learn why the assorted coffees,
lattes, espressos and cappuccinos are more satisfying. If that is not enough
high energy Woo will give you a quick education on the subtle mysteries of
coffee. He will make you a true coffee expert and even show you how to
duplicate the great taste at home with a choice of freshly roasted beans
that are for sale.
| There’s more. In a clever throwback to the good old days, a
vertically mounted brown wrapping paper dispenser is turned into a
changing sign that announces the daily specials. A wide variety of
flavorful and energy supplying juice smoothies are available.
Freshly made sandwiches sell out every day along with equally fresh
Chinese Chicken or Caesar salads. Never stale muffins, biscottis and
bagels complete the mix. Woo is a humorous but driven perfectionist. |
Latte Art at Coffee N Dreams |
All is not perfect, however. As the
famous social commentator, Yogi Berra reported “Nobody goes there
anymore. It’s too crowded.”
Coffee N Dreams Janss Market Place - In Front
of Mervyn’s Thousand Oaks
Reservations Absolutely Not Needed. Most Credit Cards Somewhat Sticky
Parking |
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