Saitama, Feb 27 (News On Japan) - The planned opening of Starbucks’ first store in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture, has sparked mixed reactions among residents. As of February 26th, the project has been put on hold.
Gyoda, a city in northern Saitama with a population of approximately 78,000, has become the center of debate over the coffee chain’s entry.
“The Starbucks store opening has turned into a controversy involving local residents,” a reporter noted.
The store was set to be built in the parking lot of Mizuki Park, a popular recreational spot. Some residents welcomed the idea:
“I would definitely go.”
“If it opens, I’ll visit for sure.”
However, on February 20th, the city government posted a statement on its website:
“The Starbucks store development is currently on hold.”
Why was the plan suspended?
When Starbucks first entered Tottori Prefecture, the grand opening attracted 2,000 visitors. However, in Gyoda, the excitement turned into contention. The city had planned to open its first Starbucks in December within Mizuki Park’s parking lot. But last week, the city posted another statement online:
“Even if only a small number of concerns are raised, it is difficult to realize our ‘Connecting Café’ concept under these circumstances. As things stand, proceeding with the store opening would be challenging.”
The planned store location has a parking lot that can accommodate around 100 vehicles. The Starbucks development would reduce available parking by nearly half. Concerned about potential congestion, a local civic group submitted a request to Starbucks, asking for modifications to the plan.
“The idea of cutting the parking lot in half is completely unreasonable. People using the community center, park visitors, and store customers will all compete for limited space, making congestion inevitable,” said the representative of the “Think About Gyoda’s Future” group.
While he supports Starbucks’ entry into the city, he believes it should be built in a location other than the park.
To address concerns, the city is planning to build additional parking spaces north of the community center, along with ongoing parking lot renovations.
Meanwhile, some residents support the Starbucks project, arguing it would help attract younger generations and revitalize the city.
“If Gyoda keeps losing places for young people to gather, it will stop developing altogether,” said one supporter.
On February 19th, a pro-Starbucks citizens' group visited city hall and submitted a petition with approximately 2,000 signatures in favor of the store.
With strong opinions on both sides, Gyoda officials stated, “We will continue working toward the Starbucks opening.”
Source: TBS
