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Coffee brewhaha goes to City Council Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Barrista Curt Ulrich serves a Dutch Bros. coffee at a drive-up in Medford. Several area coffee shop owners have asked the city to look at new regulations for espresso drive-thrus. Restaurateurs say drive-thrus have unfair advantage By Jessica Smith Commuting java junkies get their morning fuel at dozens of espresso drive-thrus, but it�s local coffee shop and restaurant owners who say they�re feeling the jolt. Upset by what they claim is inequity in government controls, some caffeine dealers say they want to see changes in the way espresso shacks are regulated. "I�m not against drive-thrus," said Sal Mellelo, a coffee wholesaler and retail shop owner who got his start with a hand-pushed espresso cart in the early 1990s. "But I�m against unfair competition." Coffee stands are held to fewer city site-development standards than stores like the three owned by Mellelo. The brewhaha is headed for City Hall next month, when the Medford City Council is expected to discuss the local coffee trade Sept. 14. Mellelo and other mocha merchants say they�ll ask the council to consider new drive-thru rules that would put espresso stands on equal footing with shops and restaurants. Last fall, the council discussed how the tiny coffee coaches fit in city codes. Although some council members agreed fairness seemed to be an issue, they took no action. In recent years, espresso stands have popped up roadside and in parking lots in and around Medford. There�s no official count, but industry watchers say there could be close to 30 coffee drive-thrus, led by Grants Pass-based Dutch Bros. with six. "How many of these things do we need?" questioned Mellelo, who said he intends to protect market share by seeking a cap on the number of espresso stands allowed in Medford. The shed-like stands are technically temporary, portable structures � think trailers with wheels, often hidden by skirting. That excuses the stands from more stringent planning standards and certain fees. The rub comes when the "mobile food units" stay in one location for years, critics say. Express-espresso vendors must submit site plans to the city for administrative review, while shops and restaurants are required to undergo a more costly and thorough critique by city committees. Building owners also must pay sometimes thousands of dollars in system development fees charged by the city for roads, sewers and other services. Mobile units � from coffee stands to hot dog carts � don�t. "There�s inequity there someplace," said Rich Johnson, owner of Adam�s Deli on Murphy Road. "These stands are a place of business and they should be made to share in the same costs as the rest of us." Espresso stand owners, meanwhile, bristle at the suggestion that they exploit planning policies in search of easy money. "It�s not as easy as people think," said Dutch Bros. co-owner Dane Boersma, ticking off the state, city and county regs coffee carts must follow. "It�s a whole long process." "We don�t want to just cram one of these on every corner," said Dan Hawkins, who co-owns four Human Bean stands. "We want to be part of the solution and give people a good cup of coffee." Although Mellelo and others insist they are concerned about fair business practices, some espresso stand owners said the complaints may stem from increased coffee competition in the Medford market. There seems to be plenty of customers to go around, said Jeannette Myers, who owns Espresso To Go on East Jackson. "I don�t know that a coffee shop and a drive-thru have the same clientele anyway," Myers said. "People who come through my place are in a hurry. They�re on their way to work and they don�t have time to stop." If the abundance of drive-thru stands is any indication, convenience is important to coffee drinkers, Myers and others said. What�s good for consumers, however, might not be right for the city, argued Ken Patterson, owner of Downtown Gourmet Espresso Cafe. City leaders want to create inviting neighborhoods where residents and visitors can get out of their cars and walk, Patterson noted. Do drive-thrus contribute to that goal? "I don�t think drive-thrus add to the community," he said. "What do we want, people driving through Medford or staying?" Mellelo agreed. Lines at espresso stands and other drive-thru windows also contribute to traffic congestion, air pollution and other issues important to "livability," he said. "What�s our legacy?" Mellelo asked. "Big boxes, drive-thrus and fast food." 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