Although several of Charles Village's veteran businesses have seen slight declines in profits since the arrival of new corporate franchises, such as Starbucks and Chipotle, local business owners tend to be pleased with the overall effects of growth.
The Olmsted Apartments, where a huge excavation currently takes up the majority of a block, are slated to begin being built at the end of 2007. The contractor explained that the project is somewhat delayed in order to provide more retail space.
"The area is a good one for business and our numbers are definitely doing well," said Jose Nabarro, store manager for Chipotle, a franchise of the popular chain of Mexican fast food that specializes in burritos, which opened in December. It is 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and there is a steady stream of customers filing into line to give their orders. According to Nabaroo, the store attracts customers on a regular basis from Hopkins, Union Memorial Hospital, the surrounding community and even Loyola University. Unlike many of the other locally based businesses that line Saint Paul St., Chipotle's nationally recognized name alone has potential to draw in new customers.
Starbucks Coffee needs only its large green-lettered name sign to start attracting customers, although the outlet of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, located across the street in Charles Commons, sells Starbucks-brand coffee. Among other new developments, Signature Stationary has recently opened its doors, and Cloud 9, a clothing store, is to arrive soon.
Hopkins students tend to be enthusiastic about the changes.
"I like it a lot," said Tahnee Harrison, a sophomore living in Charles Commons. "It is such an improvement over last year -- there are more options."
Ishveena Duggal, a senior living in Carlyle, is a self-proclaimed " big Chipotle fan" but she "also likes Carma's." Like many seniors, she mourned the fact that all the development has only occurred recently.
"We never had any of this we I was a freshman," Duggal said.
Though Chipotle and Starbucks have the potential to redirect customers away from more established Charles Village restaurants and fast food joints, these businesses do not seem worried for the most part.
"I think that there is enough business here to go around," said Teresea McKelvy, the manager of the Subway on Saint Paul and 33rd Street.
"Chipotle is a main competitor now and business has declined about 15 percent or so, but I'm not worried. There are still a lot of customers, mainly from Hopkins," she said, pointing to the loaves of sub bread baking in the oven. "We're going to need to bake more bread soon."
Donna's, a sit-down cafe and coffee shop further down Saint Paul Street, seems nicely situated to be unconcerned with the new developments. They simply serve a different set of customers. Business here has seen little change, according to Anthony Perry, the store manager.
"Donna's has been around for 20 years and has a loyal customer base. Both Starbucks and Chipotle serve a different market," she said.
Carma Halterman, the owner of her namesake Carma's Cafe, was not only unworried by the establishment of new businesses — she looked forward it.
"I'm excited about [the new development]. Pedestrian traffic is increasing because big chains like Chipotle are a big draw," Halterman said. She hopes they will also lead more people to discover her place, too.
When enough similar stores open up in one area, it can often lead to the area being viewed as a hotspot to buy food or do some shopping, which can lead to more business for all in general, even when the stores are all direct competitors.
Regardless of the type of business, however, there is one point of development that nearly all agree requires improvement: the Olmsted Condominiums. A development, slated to begin construction in late 2007, is in the center of Charles Village across the street from Charles Commons. It is currently the neighborhood eyesore: a square block of dirt and unused construction equipment.
Businesses have been looking forward to the revitalizing effect of the development on the community, especially because of the much-needed accompanying parking structure, as parking is a major concern in the Village. Recently, however, rumors have circulated that the Olmsted development will be delayed because the units in the Village Lofts, another condominium structure above Starbucks and Chipotle, are not selling as well as planned.
Business owners are quick to point out this problem. "[That development and parking structure] is what we as a community needed foremost, and right now it is just part of the problem," Halterman said.
Others agree. "If our numbers are not there yet or as high as predicted for us," Nabarro said, he attributes it most significantly to the parking problem. "My employees can't even park without parking violations from the police. The police have learned which cars are ours and tow them after 2 hours."
Still, he believes that the condominiums will be built eventually because, quite simply, "the developers are going to want the money."
