Press Releases

El Cerrito Cafe in Danger of Falling Under Starbucks’ Wheel By JOHN GELUARDI Special to the Planet

Friday July 22, 2005

Early on a recent morning at J.R. Muggs cafe in El Cerrito, Lorene Francois stepped up to the counter to order her daily cup of coffee. But before being served, she had to answer a few questions.  

Suzie O’Brien, who has worked the counter for the last seven years, wanted to know how Francois’ granddaughters were doing. 

“They’re fine,” Francois said with a smile and a hint of pride. “The youngest, Mecca, is graduating preschool today.” That kind of exchange is common at J.R. Muggs where most customers are known by name. O’Brien, who takes a genuine interest in her regulars, is largely responsible for the homey feel of “The Muggs,” as most people call it. 

If the family atmosphere seems genuine it’s probably because the cafe is a family-run operation, which adds to the hominess. Suzi’s two daughters Allison and Molly work the counter with her, and her oldest daughter Carol is co-owner and coffee roaster. 

“I just really enjoy people so I feel very lucky,” O’Brien said. “I mean, I really look forward to seeing our customers everyday and I want them to leave here happy.” 

Over the last 13 years, the small cafe has earned a reputation as a community hub where locals can stop in for a bit of friendly conversation and some of the best fresh-roasted coffee in the Bay Area.  

But according to Muggs’ founding owner Julie Rowlett and Carol O’Brien, who was made a partner in 1995, J.R. Muggs is in danger of closing for an all too familiar reason; the Starbucks juggernaut is squeezing them out of business. About 18 months ago, Starbucks opened three stores in the El Cerrito Plaza two miles away and last February they put in a new drive-through store down the street.  

“In the last year and half, we’ve lost about 60 percent of our business,” Carol O’Brien said. “The property manager is going to help us with some promotion, but it’s hard to compete with Starbucks.” 

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia (double, nonfat latte) is a regular customer at The Muggs. He said when large corporate businesses come into a community, it’s usually at the expense of the small business owner.  

“This is really the ‘Wal-Martization’ of America and we’re losing something very important in the process,” he said. “We lose the individual character of the community when we lose the individually owned businesses.” 

No one is more upset about the possible closure of The Muggs than the regular customers who say they can’t imagine having to switch to Starbucks and its corporate culture. They have also come to rely on The Muggs as a welcoming outpost among the sprawling car dealerships, mega chain stores and impersonal fast food joints that dominate San Pablo Avenue.  

Joanne Pieroni (double mocha with whipped cream and caramel), who works nearby at Feline Bed and Breakfast, is a regular at the cafe even though she says she doesn’t enjoy coffee that much.  

“Stopping in at The Muggs is just a daily practice for me,” said Pierone, whose preferred drink goes into production as soon as her car noses into the parking lot. “Suzie and her daughters make the atmosphere really warm and I come here knowing I’m going to see someone I can talk with for a little while. I’m going to see a friend.”  

Alexandra Gibbs (medium regular coffee in a large cup) and her son Adam, 19 months, are Muggs regulars who converted from the other side. Gibbs said she is not keen on going back. 

“I used to go to Starbucks, but now I come here for the sense of community,” Gibbs said. “You go to the same Starbucks for the fifteen-hundredth time and nobody knows who you are or what your name is. Here they actually want to know about your family.” 

Like many of the regular customers, Eugene Cassidy (triple latte) said if The Muggs closes the community will lose something else that’s very rare: extremely good coffee, which he described as the “real deal.” 

The Muggs is one of the few cafes in the Bay Area that serves fresh-roasted coffee. Carol, who runs a sister company that supplies markets and hotels with gourmet coffee, is up before dawn five days a week to roast the Muggs’ daily supply of beans. 

“I like a latte with lots of froth,” Cassidy said. “They give me the steamed milk pitcher so I can customize my morning jolt and that’s something that would never happen at Starbucks.” 

Gioia said he is hopeful The Muggs will be able to turn things around, but really it’s up to the community to pitch in.  

“We can talk about saving local businesses, but the only way to do it is to patronize them,” he said. “In this case we have to vote with our feet and our pocketbooks.” 

Carol O’Brien is quick to reassure customers that all is not lost yet.  

“You just never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “We’ve been in tough spots before and pulled out of them.” 

 

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