Santa Ana’s Grounds for Joy: Snaring Starbucks

Five years ago, the decision-makers at Starbucks had their doubts about downtown Santa Ana.

Although the coffeehouse chain had become commonplace in most communities, there was a feeling that it wouldn’t translate in a Latino-dominated city like Santa Ana.

“There was a perception that Starbucks was a white, middle-class place,” said Jim Spillane, a regional development director for the coffeehouse chain. He said corporate executives quickly decided that impression was off base.

Santa Ana now has two Starbucks and a third was recently approved by the City Council, reflecting a trend that has rippled across Latino neighborhoods. San Fernando, Pico Rivera and Chula Vista all have recently opened Starbucks.

“Five years ago, we couldn’t get a Starbucks if we tried,” said Santa Ana Councilman Jose Solorio. “We were the largest city in Orange County and we had no Starbucks. Now we have two in full operation and others underway.”

Some communities are trying to limit chain outlets such as Starbucks, but Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, said he understands why Santa Ana officials are so happy to finally have the Starbucks name in town.

“It’s a sign that your community has made it,” said Thompson. “It used to be a fancy city hall or a church steeple. Now if you have Starbucks, people think, ‘How bad could this city be?’ And whatever goes wrong, we can always have a good cup of moccachino.”

Mike Hennessey, who will be Starbucks’ landlord at the new location at 17th Street and Tustin Avenue, said, “I think it is a huge validation ... that the city is going in the right direction.”

Luring Starbucks wasn’t easy. City Manager David N. Ream said that only after years of discussion about various locations did the first Starbucks open four years ago.

“We wanted to open one in the downtown for years but they were not convinced,” said Ream. “For us, we wanted a known restaurant or retail entity in the downtown. It means something.”

The company is looking at three other sites in Santa Ana, including drive-through operations like the one recently approved, Spillane said.

He conceded that even after opening an initial site, the company soured on the city after slow sales at the Santa Ana Boulevard location.

The second Starbucks at the Hutton Centre office complex opened seven months ago and is close to South Coast Plaza. The newly approved location on 17th Street is on the other side of town.

For coffee drinkers, the arrival of Starbucks is heartening.

“I really love Starbucks coffee and for me, it’s been almost a personal insult that they couldn’t come to Santa Ana,” said Paula Luevano, a Santa Ana mother of three who has a coffee holder clipped to her baby stroller. “I’m really glad to hear that they might be opening more stores here.”