Lansing Doesn’t Need Another Starbucks and Here’s Why

By now, you may have heard the news that Lansing's old train station and restaurant--Clara's Lansing Station--is going to have a new tenant. That's excellent news because, at this point, Clara's has sat empty, going the last five years without a tenant.

However, did you know that the new tenant is going to be Starbucks?

The Lansing State Journal reported that the famous coffee company signed a contract with Gillespie Group to lease out a portion of the location to turn it into a Starbucks Community Store.

Get our free mobile app

According to the Starbucks website, Starbucks Community Stores differ from its "common" stores in that they are "dedicated to providing economic opportunity in underserved rural and urban communities across the country."

First I'd like to say that I absolutely love that initiative that the Starbucks Community Stores have. I feel that Lansing, while an incredible city to live in, has room to grow when it comes to how it takes care of its citizens who are most in need. And I hope that the Starbucks Community Store really does help our community.

Now that being said, there are over 10 Starbucks in the Lansing area already; Lansing doesn't need another Starbucks. 

How is it that there is this gorgeous, historic building sitting in Downtown Lansing, just a little way down from the Capitol, and the business that's going to occupy it is going to be a chain? Were there no local or emerging businesses that were interested in the space? I can't believe that Starbucks was the only company that came calling. But I'm sure they were the company with the most money...

However, there is a bright spot on the horizon: Clara's Lansing Station has a second suite that is still available to be leased. My hope is that we'll see something new and local. Or at least something that's not another chain.

How do you feel about this change coming to Lansing? Are you excited about another Starbucks location? Or would you like to see something different taking over Clara's Lansing Station location? Let us know by sending us a message with the station app.