Well, aside from not being a huge fan of Starbucks, the point I was trying to make is that I really don't think Dalkey needs another coffee shop - I personally can't believe that there's an actual market for it. But then, if Starbucks are closing down across the US, and they're opening a shop here, my belief must be incorrect. I guess as a local I'd rather see something other than a coffee shop, a bar, or a restaurant; these are all things I like but I think there's already enough of them in Dalkey to serve the local population and some diversity in a different direction would be nice. On the other hand I notice the most recent bric-a-brac shop closed, and Gemma's Newsagent has been folded into the EuroSpar (although the latter has a planning permission notice in the window that I've not gotten around to looking at so I'm guessing there's plans for renovation there?)

I really don't know. Is there a market in Dalkey for, say, a clothes shop? A hardware store to replace the one that closed? I guess I'm trying to come up with the sort of things I find myself having to go to Dun Laoghaire or elsewhere for, and wondering why none of those things are in Dalkey. I'm not a commercial person, I'm just a local who thinks that another coffee shop isn't going to be a big win for the village.