Burlingame Avenue, long considered a jewel of local culture for its assorted storefronts, is about to welcome new tenants. This winter, chain stores like Alo Yoga are moving in, and Sweetgreen is already promoting a “coming soon” sign on its website.
Burlingame Avenue’s variability marks it as the center of town life. Visitors can grab ice cream after dinner or shop for clothes. For senior Mischa Fellner, this aspect is important because she said it can help accommodate a wide range of needs.
Freshman Nico Bowen said the novelty and diversity of small businesses are important elements of Burlingame Avenue. However, Bowen finds himself shopping at larger chain stores more often, which he attributes to the fact that commercialized stores attract shoppers through their popularity.
“The community is affected by larger chain stores. There are less strong relationships and bonds because the community changes,” Bowen said.
Meanwhile, Burlingame Barnes & Noble store manager Skylar Baker said local and chain businesses can coexist on Burlingame Avenue.
[Pull out quote: “It’s not that black and white, people sometimes go someplace, sometimes go some other places. So it’s a mix of both being a draw to the area by being part of the neighborhood offerings, but also, look at how many restaurants we have, right? With different kinds of food. So, they all coexist like that.” – Skylar Baker
As a small business owner, Lew Cohen shares the same sentiment. He opened B Street Books, a used bookstore on Burlingame Avenue, on May 30. Although other shops on Burlingame Avenue, like Barnes & Noble and Gigglemugs, also sell books, Cohen said he doesn’t view them as competition. Instead, he welcomes their presence, seeing them as a way to bring more readers and book buyers to the area.
“We’re completely different animals, and I welcome more bookstores on the avenue. More bookstores is better. It just brings more readers out,” Cohen said.
However, according to Baker, some impacts of large businesses still remain. He said they can have both a positive and competitive effect on community engagement with local stores.
“There are a few different ways that a larger business can impact [small businesses]. In many ways, one particular business can be a draw to the neighborhood, that brings more people to shop in the area, and that can be really positive,” Baker said.
Cohen is all too familiar with the additional struggles small business owners face to stay afloat. After running B Street Books in San Mateo for 16 years, Cohen moved his store to Burlingame Avenue to escape rising rent costs. Despite this, Cohen said he is hopeful that the community will continue to support and sustain local shops.
“Independent stores are what people really crave. And it’s hard to find because it’s hard to be in business these days, rent is expensive and help is expensive, insurance is a lot. There’s a lot of factors running against the small business person,” Cohen said.
Even as more chain stores are coming in, Burlingame Avenue continues to attract both local businesses and new ventures.
