OTHER NEWS - May 9, 1996

Starbucks to Open Outlet at Farmers Market: The Los Angeles landmark is dipping its toe into trendy waters with the construction that began this week of a Starbucks coffee outlet. The haute coffee emporium is scheduled to open in July and will feature an exterior patio that will open up the 3rd Street side of the market for the first time. Farmers Market, which is located at 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, is also building a newsstand next to the Starbucks. The 62-year-old attraction, which features a number of traditional restaurants and shops, has been working to update its image in the face of declining sales and increased competition for tourists’ attention. “Farmers Market’s greatest strength has always been its ability to constantly change while remaining the same,” said Hank Hilty Jr., chief executive of A.F. Gilmore Co., which owns Farmers Market.