At a recent community development meeting in Buellton, California, a local developer suggested that only small, independent businesses contribute to the local economy. As a grateful customer of Starbucks, I have to respectfully disagree. It’s easy to paint large corporations as faceless entities, but when it comes to community impact, Starbucks is an active contributor to our local economy in ways that are often overlooked.
Job Creation and Local Employment
Starbucks isn’t just a coffee shop—it’s an employer, providing local jobs to residents in towns like Buellton, Lompoc, Santa Maria and Solvang. For many, Starbucks offers a stable source of income, employee benefits, and the opportunity for career growth. They don’t just bring a paycheck, they invest in their employees with programs such as healthcare, tuition reimbursement, and personal development opportunities. How many local developers can claim that their projects provide long-term employment to locals in this way?
Community Engagement
In addition to offering a great cup of coffee to many people, including this writer, Starbucks has a strong tradition of giving back to the communities it serves, including towns across California. Their volunteer initiatives and local partnerships are proof of this. In California, the company frequently engages in community service and charity events, fostering a sense of connection between the corporation and local residents. If you’ve ever visited a Starbucks, you’ve likely seen flyers for charity events or local fundraisers they support. Independent businesses may play a key role in our small towns, but to dismiss Starbucks as having no positive impact ignores the real value they bring to our community.
Taxes and Local Economy
Let’s talk dollars and cents. Starbucks pays local taxes, which directly benefit our towns by funding public services, schools, and infrastructure. Whether it’s sales tax or property tax, these contributions stay within our local governments. Local developers might want to claim they’re the real champions of our economy, but when they’re putting up oversized apartment complexes and strip malls with tacky, gimmick-driven architecture, they often bring more strain on local resources than they admit.
The Real Culprit: Developers Trying to Buy Favor
Speaking of developers, let’s not forget that it is often these regional developers who are causing real issues in our local towns. Towns of Santa Ynez including Buellton and Solvang are facing threats to their charming, small-town feel from the very people trying to distract us from the truth. These developers want to put up super-sized apartment complexes and commercial properties that don’t fit the character of our region. They promise jobs and progress, but the reality is that their projects often increase traffic, strain local infrastructure, and push out the very community atmosphere we cherish.
The cookie-cutter, gimmicky architecture they propose—meant to look flashy and modern—just erodes the unique charm of our towns. Do we really want oversized buildings, crammed parking lots, and commercial zones that look like every other suburb across the state? Or do we want to preserve the character that makes the Santa Ynez Valley special?
Starbucks is far from the villain that some developers want to portray them as. They contribute to the local economy, provide jobs, and engage with the community in meaningful ways. The real threat comes from regional developers pushing large, ill-fitting projects that damage the character of our small towns. It’s time we look closely at who’s really benefitting from development and call out those who are trying to buy favor while doing more harm than good to places like Buellton and Solvang.
