Neighborhood cafés (and Peet’s) in the Castro can breathe a little easier now that the Planning Commission has officially nixed the proposed Starbucks on land currently occupied by the The Industrialists at Market and Sanchez. The Planning Department cited more than a 20% saturation of formula retail within 300 feet of the proposed store, which is a new guideline supported by Supervisor Scott Wiener. (The rationale being that some formula retail, especially in the ground floors of multiple new condo buildings under construction in the area, should be allowed.) We imagine this decision does not bode well for the proposed Coffee Bean at Noe and Market, and we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Chipotle, which wants to go into the former Home down at Church Street. [Castro Biscuit, Earlier]
