There’s a lot going on with my traditional coffee venues this week. Starbucks West Paces has undergone a renovation and is launching a new retail concept. That location, which at times has a crowd that looks like a Burberry and Ralph Lauren commercial shoot, will have even more atmosphere with a Wine Bar addition previewing this Friday.
On the Smyrna side of things the new Race Trac is now open. Now featuring outdoor cafe seating with wi-fi, Smyrna’s Spring Road Racetrac has it’s own coffee story. I spent a few minutes talking with Dickey who is a coffee associate from their store support operation. Racetrac is serious about offering a quality product at prices afforded by properly sourcing and roasting coffee. Racetrac’s buyers benefit from the high price points operations like Starbucks have influenced consumers to accept. They advise Colonial Coffee Roasters on specific blend requirements and treatments. I haven’t the time to try out the plethora of varieties they offer. There were at least 10.
The planning of this store has thus far been a good example of community and corporate partnership. The before and after shots of what was there to now are amazing. As Councilwoman Melleny Pritchett promised, this isn’t your typical Racetrac. The Smyrna Stone requirements on the architecture and elegant landscaping add great visual elements to this new community addition at Smyrna’s gateway. Councilwoman Pritchett held several town halls and community meetings to hear and work out community concerns and the community’s input is evident. Racetrac has already begun investing in the local neighborhood as corporate citizens as volunteers assisted with re-sodding some of Jonquil Park. I am also happy that you won’t find any “non seasonal wrapping paper” or adult reading materials there either. I can however say that the Extra Caffeinated brew was “full bodied, perky, and eye opening.”
Cheers to new business in Smyrna’s gateway ward! Welcome Racetrac!
I guess the incident this summer that took place 9 houses down from me involving a gun is not enough in my back yard....but I feel certain it was not a direct product of the new Kroger Gas Station opening nor the people who buy gas there which "may" shop at a TJ. As for the need to always bring my husband into this...can't figure that out, but if it works for you I don't mind sharing and your feeling tired of others mentality and comments, maybe stop reading the Patch, that might help. PS..careful about personal attacks and going off subject...."they" will delete you. :)
Thank you for taking the time to "correct" me, Oscar. Clearly the congestion @ QT is imaginary, & between it, Shell & Chevron the gasoline needs of Spring Road motorists are adequately covered. Clearly the studies that RaceTrac did to determine if purchasing the property, razing the existing structures, & building/staffing the new facility were economically feasible were way off base. How could they have been correct b/c we clearly do not need it. Riiiiiiight. Just b/c you & a small, but vocal minority, don't want the store, doesn't mean it's not needed. Gas stations don't get built unless there's a solid business case that can be made for their sustainability. Anyone that knows the area & is being honest knows this to be true b/c the existing stations were not servicing the demand adequately. RT recognized this need & capitalized on it. You quip that people are "enamored" by the store, but nobody's "enamored"...they're happy b/c the store fills a need & they will benefit from its presence. & yes, in this day and age, & in a metro as expansive as Atlanta, gas stations are as close to a "need" as there is. As a matter of fact, the estate of Abraham Maslow recently put out a press release that gas stations have been posthumously added to his famed hierarchy.
You are right about one thing though. I'll concede that you didn't actually make the tie from the robbery to the RaceTrac opening, but 30080 did, & it fit your narrative. & given that you've previously said you've been following the Patch for a long time, you clearly know that one of the major points that detractors leveled against the project was that it would bring crime to the area. So you'll have to pardon my error. As for the noise issue, thank you for admitting that it predates the new store by at least 3 years (though I've been here 5 & I know it's been at least that long, but we'll just leave it @ 3). It's big of you to make that retraction. Though something tells me that even though you are so sensitive to being "silenced" that you'll be clamoring to get your friends to flag these posts for removal.
From what I know about TJ's it has no desire to locate in Smyrna. You can deduce the criteria it uses to choose locations by looking at its other locations. Unfortunately this area doesn't meet that criteria. I didn't think I needed to post a long comment about my motives. Maybe I needed to. We need to be careful no matter where we are. Several years ago a woman was shot in the parking lot of that strip mall with the jewelry store. She got caught in the crossfire of either a drug deal gone bad or gang violence.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Romney/Ryan 2012
I don't recall anyone equating the incident in your ward to the new Kroger, or even the old one. But the robbery in Ward 1 isn't your backyard, it is more recent, and it involves multiple criminals. This is something the neighborhood SHOULD be made aware of. This "Citizen Vigilance" malarky that Mr. Smith is posting about is news to majority of Ward 1. Kinda makes me think of a Secret Police state. Or utter shenanigans. I don't believe it ever happened. And writing it doesn't make it any more true. With any business that deals with cash and/or merchandise, in the volume that a gas station does, and especially in this day and age, it would be pure foolishness to be anything less than vigilante, proactive, and aware. In this case, letting the good people of Ward 1 know that we have armed criminals in our midst is a good start. I was never implying that the jewelery store was robbed BECAUSE of RT. Nor do I believe that 30080 was either. But we need to realize that crime is a possibility here, apparently not a far fetched on either. And all these precious Campbell students being haralded for working there now find themselves in harms way. No thank you. I can't even imagine letting my kid work in a place like RT.
Broad sweeping generalizations are hardly fact, are they? The congestion on Spring Rd will exist regardless of the number of gas stations. RT doesn't aleviate even one cars worth of it. So what was your point? Oh and can you post a link to show we the readers the numerous studies RT did, determining that THIS spot was the best place for them to build? And, why should anyone in Ward 1 care about Abraham Maslow? And BTW, I have never had friends flag or whatever you're talking about. I'm assuming you had something deleted, and rather than look at the possibility that it was all you, it's easier to blame the person who doesn't share your POV. Well played, Sir. Deflect any personal responsibility!
Please limit the discussion to the ISSUE, and stay away from personal attacks, name calling or posting sensitive comments directed to certain individuals. Simply stated: Do not insult anyone. Do not respond to someone's innocuous comment with abuse. Do not respond to a difference of opinion with abuse. Do not respond if you feel that a thread is shifting away from the issue and turning personal. Thanks again for your participation!
"Breaking - Armed Robbery at BP Gas Station" Umm Hmm. Keep telling yourselves that it won't happen in YOUR backyard. Keep telling yourselves that one has nothing to do with the other. Nothing bad can happen at or because of RT! Oh no! Umm hmm. Keep telling yourselves.
Seeing as I am a resident of Ward 1 and this thread is the first that me, and my neighbors since I did ask the most immediate of them, have heard about it. Enlighten us sir. Publically.
Oscar G, what you and your neighbors need to do it ban together, create a facebook page, communicate about crime and related issues, watch, get to know your neighbors, learn what cars belong and which don't, learn to recognize the kids who live on your block and those that don't belong, be vigilant, be a snitch. If we all start caring and calling out the issues and raising flags we can change our neighborhoods. Our neighborhood is already having success, just by calling the police every time we see large group of teens walking through the neighborhood. Now they know our area is not a safe place for them to loiter. On the other side, get your friends to move here. Tell them about vacant houses, rentals, etc. Help Smyrna get good citizen tenants and owners and then turn them on to this site and the others, get them involved. Complaining over and over gets you nothing except notoriety.
I do not have any respect for them, as they've been sold off to the highest bidder.
Yes, we could "create" a neighborhood watch, however, what I'm curious about is the Citizen Vigilance program you specifically referenced in regards to THIS new business. You stated "we encouraged police to..." and that your group, on behalf of Ward 1, had had success. Random, arbitrary citizens don't get the police to do anything of the sort. So again I ask, where did this program come from, who and how has it been implemented, and if this really is about doing what's best for ALL of Ward 1, how is it that a large part of the ward, pretty close to this RT in fact, weren't a part of your program?
Stay classy, Smyrna.
"Oscar G. 5:24 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 Be careful Lissa...your rebel flag is showing."
Again with the antagonism Michelle. I'm going to give you the same advice.. Stay classy.
The bottom line is that it wasn't a new factory, & it's not breaking ground on JV or Belmont, but it's a new business that satisfies a need, & no matter how much you dislike it, or your council member, it's here to stay. PS - w/regard to your remarks below, it's "antagonism" when someone holds you accountable for the things you say? Very telling. Thanks again for yet another revealing admission.
1. The RaceTrac is much more attractive that the previous buildings in the area. 2. RaceTrac is as local as it gets. A Georgia company with an HQ right here in Smyrna mere miles from this location. 3. Jobs. We need them and RaceTrac corporate and station locations provide them. 4. RaceTrac is a good anchor for local businesses. It gives people a reason to stop and look around - notice other small businesses in the area - and shop there.