The emails were hot and heavy over the weekend regarding the Starbucks planned or not planned for Abbot Kinney and Venice. Our original source says: "Rumor has it that a Health Permit has been issued for a Starbucks at Venice and Abbot Kinney." We asked our good friend Tibby Rothman of the Venice Paper what was really going on, since she knows the building owner. The response comes via a posting at the Venice Paper site:
On Thursday, September 6, Patrick Tooley—the project’s developer—reiterated that Starbucks was not included in his project’s retail component. A position he has consistently stated. (See our story dated May 25, 2007.) From the early days of his project, Tooley has been direct with the community about guarantees he was willing and not willing to make vis a vis his property.
We'll continue to follow this carefully in case Starbucks, or God forbid a Domino's Pizza, should further assault the AK enclave.
· Starbucks Rumor Fanned; But No Fuel to this Fire [Venice Paper]
· Venice Unchained? Hardly (with an Orange Creme Frappuccino) [Curbed LA]