One Victoria | 63 m | 19 fl | Complete

[panamaniac]

Does the Starbucks on Ira Needles between Highland and Victoria count as the inside of Highway 7/8? I would say this would be the first Starbucks added in Kitchener within the established city. It's a good sign when a major brand decides to open downtown. Although we still need a Tim's in the core.

The Tim's on Borden is essentially in the core. It appears to be highly patronized by prostitutes however, so it isn't classy.

I have to say that I've been in there on several occasions (during the day) and haven't noticed that.   Whenever I drive by and see the Ion sign out front, I think the franchise holder must be the luckiest guy ever!

[Coke6pk]

There is a Starbucks on Fairway, by the Winners Home Sense Plaza as well as the first one in Kitchener at the Chapter's.

....and one in Ottawa street in the Sunshine centre, but all of them outside the Highway 7/8/70 perimeter.

There is one at Sunrise as well as a 2 min drive away at Westmount/Fisher-Hallman, and within striking distance one in the Target (for now), yet not a single one on the north side of Kitchener.  [Yes, that where I live and crave...]

One into 1 Victoria will make South Kitchener at least 5, North 0.  [I'm not counting Chapters... that's too far away!  ]

[eizenstriet]

The Tim's on Borden is essentially in the core. It appears to be highly patronized by prostitutes however, so it isn't classy.

I have to say that I've been in there on several occasions (during the day) and haven't noticed that.   Whenever I drive by and see the Ion sign out front, I think the franchise holder must be the luckiest guy ever!

Perhaps this could all be used in the PR campaign for the Ion: "Whatever the good or service you may crave, whether it be a cup of coffee or...whatever, really...it's all just a swift ride away on the Ion." This would be for a radio spot, but in print or TV versions, appropriate images could be added. I think it could really widen the target patronage for Ion.

[MacBerry]

The Tim's on Borden is essentially in the core. It appears to be highly patronized by prostitutes however, so it isn't classy.

I have to say that I've been in there on several occasions (during the day) and haven't noticed that.   Whenever I drive by and see the Ion sign out front, I think the franchise holder must be the luckiest guy ever!

First let me get this out of my head and onto paper/the web:

Timmies is a $2 coffee crowd (seems to be the Ottawa/Borden crowd) and Starbucks is the $5+ crowd ... you get my stereotype analysis ... but the "hooker coffee" place is true.



As for other Timmies, the whole block of land between King and Weber (northside of Ottawa Street) will be razed and new residences and businesses will occupy this mostly parking lot land that Timmies now occupies. My crystal ball also says no Timmies will remain in these locations.


There is nothing wrong with local businesses versus franchises and I am in favour of local but these new developments will be about deeper pockets and proven businesses. Until the new developments and more to come into the Downtown, attract real foot traffic and the new younger residents, franchises are the businesses that won't be out of business two years after opening and lease costs rise which could leave property owners/managers struggling to fill “losing” store front business legacies which is not want you want in a new, future growth business area that will become more high end than other areas in the 7/8/70 area.



I agree that there will be a Starbucks at 1 Victoria (evolving foot traffic) and also inside the transit hub (evolving transit use). Watch for more Starbucks to arrive in Kitchener as the Downtown grows into a new Downtown.  Don’t expect dollar stores or the “buck a beer” sites to remain. In the next ten years probably 90% of the downtown businesses will be new to Kitchener and the current business models will be gone.


The Transit Hub is still at the concept stage in my mind as to the interior and it isn't about street/foot traffic. The businesses in the transit area will be like the Union Station type shops ... quick acces/service businesses and not necessarily fancy service.



Let's face it… the whole of the Downtown will evolve based on the coming LRT into something that we as long term residents really can't envision today because the residents/workers and businesses will be seeing significant changing to more upscale businesses and customers (aka Uptown “Waterlooesque”) over the next decade. 

[Drake]

You can get a $2 coffee at Starbucks. They are not all expensive and fancy. If you want a medium (grande) light, medium or dark it is $2.

[tomh009]

You can get a $2 coffee at Starbucks. They are not all expensive and fancy. If you want a medium (grande) light, medium or dark it is $2.

Correct.  And you can pay $3.40 for a cappuccino at Timmy's.

But in the end it's still very much a different clientele between Starbucks and Tim Horton's, and there is room for both.

[realtyforward]

You can get a $2 coffee at Starbucks. They are not all expensive and fancy. If you want a medium (grande) light, medium or dark it is $2.

Correct.  And you can pay $3.40 for a cappuccino at Timmy's.

But in the end it's still very much a different clientele between Starbucks and Tim Horton's, and there is room for both.

There is definitely a different clientele between coffee shops, but it is not soley based on household income. I see many limited income students and teenagers sipping on Starbucks and many wealthy professionals drinking McDonald's coffee. Starbucks has built a lot of their success on the experience. I would prefer a Starbucks simply because we are littered with Tims and to diversify the options in the downtown. I don't think we should get too hung up on the brand though - any major chain in the core is a success in my mind.

I'm also not familiar with the "hooker" situation at the Ottawa and Borden Tims. I live in the area and have never noticed it. I wasn't aware that hookers hung out at coffee shops.

[DHLawrence]

They need the energy. They work nights, after all!

[Spokes]

Thanks for that info! I think the ground floor of this one is going to go a long way to continuing to grow the street life downtown.

[tomh009]

The first real spring day at 1 Victoria ...

[scamander24]

[Drake]

I wonder how much the owner of Ziggy's will get for his property when he decides to cash in.

[KevinL]

I wonder how much the owner of Ziggy's will get for his property when he decides to cash in.

Same question for the U-Haul place.

[Viewfromthe42]

I keep hearing that U-Haul will never cash in core locations, stories of a location in NYC that'd be worth 8 figures easily that they still keep. I'd be happily wrong for the sake of that corner, but I also don't want to require folks needing to move on their own to travel out to the end of Victoria, or be stuck with the one U-Haul their semi-local provider has around back.

[panamaniac]

I suspect that the corner of Francis and Charles and the "gap" on King St, east of the TD Bank building, will both be developed long before anything happens to the Ziggy's building.