Large corporations may be creating a generic environment in Fort
Collins, whereas smaller businesses would create a richer culture,
according to some smaller businesses.
“I definitely think, without a doubt, 100 percent, big
businesses subtract from the culture,” said Linda Brunjes, Manager
of Alley Cat, 120 W. Laurel St., a small coffee shop.
Brunjes said that Alley Cat brought something to the community
that a big chain could not.
“South of Prospect is Any-Town USA. We’re unique. Every
Starbucks in the nation is the same. It’s monotonous,” Brunjes
said.
Finest CDs-Records-Tapes, 1103 W. Elizabeth St., was also
affected by big businesses in the area.
“It definitely doesn’t help. We get a lot of people who come in
here and say, ‘Best Buy sells this for $9.99,’ because they make
all their money off big appliances. We make all our profits off of
records,” said Ashley Roop, a Finest employee.
Roop said if any local alternative to a big business exists, she
would rather shop there.
“Finest brings a sense of community. This place has been here
for 30 years, and I shopped here when I was a kid. Nobody cares if
you’ve shopped at Best Buy for 30 years,” Roop said.
She said that while big businesses are needed in the area to aid
the growth and expansion of Fort Collins, the placement of the
businesses is what the community should focus on.
“I couldn’t believe they approved a Super Wal-Mart that close to
Old Town,” Roop said. “Fort Collins isn’t lacking culture, but we
are not doing as much as we can to preserve and encourage it.”
Brian Bartlett, an employee of Wal-Mart Super Center, 1250 E
Magnolia, said that Wal-Mart takes away from small businesses in
the area.
“Everybody comes here rather than going to family-owned stores,
but yet sometimes they pay more here,” Bartlett said.
The manager of Big City Burrito, 510 S. College Ave., Jimmy
Towne, said that his business was not hurt by places like Qdoba’s
and Chipotle.
“People like to come to a restaurant where they know we made the
food from scratch and the money is going to the people they see
here and not some nameless corporation,” Towne said.
Jesse Thrash, a manager at Qdoba’s, 1104 W. Elizabeth St., said
that he preferred to support small businesses, but chose to work at
Qdoba’s because it was easier to get a job with a chain.
“I prefer small businesses, because they’ve been around for a
long time and their food quality is probably higher,” Thrash
said.
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