Starbucks set the coffee scene in the U.S. The market barely existed before they came in. People barely even knew what a “cappuccino” was. And a latte was barely even a part of the English language. Look at us today. Half (if not more) of the American population is addicted to buying their coffee daily. Teenagers drink it before high school, and coffee shops are the new middle school hangout. Half of the people you know probably own their very own cappuccino machine.

Starbucks actually believes they HELP the mom and pops, and I believe them … especially now that my neighborhood Starbucks, in the heart of Virginia Highlands, is CLOSED because of competition coming from Aurora, San Francisco Coffee and … that other place (can’t remember the name).

The mom and pops will always be able to reach their customers a little better than the Superstores. Just like you’re enjoying spending your extra cash at Whole Foods, someone else will enjoy supporting a family business. Maybe it’s out of the goodness of their hearts, or maybe it’s because the roast beef tastes THAT much better. Or maybe the mom and pops can pay a little more attention to their customers’ wants and needs.

Making people know you care is what matters most these days. You like Whole Foods because they’re good at making you believe they care about your health.

So, in my opinion, this Kosher superstore might kill the mediocre competition, but it will only help the others. As long as it succeeds, it will educate the rest of NY as to why they should shop Kosher. And it wouldn’t surprise me if through the years more mom and pops keep popping up.