Tag Archives: Chicago

Safari Cup faces a fight against Starbucks… in Chicago

It’s been a little more than three years since Safari Cup Coffee (somewhat) unexpectedly closed up shop at the corner of 21st St. (Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd) and 3rd Ave. N. What some folks may not be aware of is that they simply moved the operation a few hours north to Chicago.

They opened in October of 2009 along the Southport corridor of the Windy City’s Lakeview neighborhood. A 2011 interview with the city’s RedEye has Dave McLaughlin saying the move was because he and wife “desired a more open-minded city and one that would embrace their African-only coffee.”

An email sent out over the weekend from “Andrew” via the site Change.org  directs people to sign an online petition asking Starbucks to not go through with plans to open a new location next door to the independent coffee shop. The email, however, asked for folks to “Save Birmingham’s Safari Cup coffeeshop.”

The news first broke in Chicago on November 16 via Facebook, with DNAInfo and the Patch site for Lakeview both writing about McLaughlin’s concerns and the fact that Starbucks hasn’t exactly done anything wrong.

A local blog, 900poundgorilla, maintained by W.C. Truck, has also been vocal about the impending Starbucks expansion. He’s gone so far as to write an open letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on his site inviting him on his radio show Sunday (yesterday) on WCPT-AM 820. We don’t know if Schultz accepted the invitation.

Promoting compassion for animals and people…

The Chicago Tribune shined the spotlight on the work of Cynthia Bathurst, a recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association‘s 2009 Humane Award. in yesterday’s edition of the paper. The Birmingham, AL native currently serves as the head of Safe Humane Chicago, a “2-year-old effort to fight violence by promoting compassion for animals as well as people,” as reported by the Mobile Press-Register earlier today.

The program works with more than 60 area organizations, including schools and churches and community groups to help get a message of anti-violence out to residents in the city’s high-crime areas.

Bathurst has also been featured on the City of Chicago’s website and was a founder of D.A.W.G.

Speaking of taxes…

Folks here in Birmingham don’t necessarily have to feel alone anymore when it comes to sales taxes. Earlier this month the City of Chicago raised the sales tax to 10.25%, making it the highest sales tax in the United States. That hasn’t been the only thing that’s gone up for Windy City inhabitants as pointed out in this report published in The University of Illinois at Chicago’s paper, The Chicago Flame.

Not sure what would happen if I had to pay an extra 13.25% on top of the price of a Grapico

Why we’re quiet today

Honestly, we’re not really sure…

I could say that we’re just resting up for tomorrow night’s visit to the Magic City Brewfest (which we kind of are) but… no. I could tell you it’s a break from posting as we prepare to unveil a revamped website on Monday (true also, but not a great reason).

I do want to point out one non-Birmingham thing going on tonight (that would be a great reason for us to be out of town and quiet if gas wasn’t about to hit $4/gallon).

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