Residents in Ocean Beach, California have no taste for Starbucks coffee, and are hoping their boycott efforts will slow-drip the company out of town. But the dislike of franchise dullness is not reserved just for Starbucks. On March 12th, residents of Ocean Beac voted 77% in favor of Proposition A. According to the Save Ocean Beach Coalition: “To prevent further formula chains from eroding the unique character of Ocean Beach the Save OB Coalition circulated the following Advisory Proposition for the OB Planning Board ballot:Recognizing that the town of Ocean Beach is unique in character, that the small individualized retail businesses and restaurants play a large role in maintaining that character, and that the unique character of Ocean Beach is being threatened by the influx of formula restaurants and retail establishments, the undersigned citizens of Ocean Beach
direct the Ocean Beach Planning Board to advise the City Council within 60 days of voter approval to modify the Ocean Beach Precise Plan to permanently ban any new formula restaurants and formula retail establishments in Ocean Beach and permanently ban the expansion of any existing formula restaurants and formula retail establishments.Formula restaurants and formula retail establishments should be defined as businesses that are required by contractual or other arrangements to be virtually identical to businesses in other communities including, but not limited to, businesses with standardized architecture, signs, decor, menus, food preparation policies, uniforms or products.” The Formula Retail Ban is now law in this community of 14,000 people.
For more background on the Formula Retail Ban, contact [email protected]. A similar franchise ban is in effect in Solvang, California.
