So, there’s this new little non-chain coffee shop that I’ve come to like. It’s kinda close to my house, and it has free wi-fi, so I have taken to hanging out there while copy editing and whatnot on the weekends.

I noticed that this coffee shop doesn’t have a Weekly rack, although it does have a rack for the dailies there. Since I feel that every good Tucson coffee house should have the Weekly, I let Laura the Circulation Manager know; she contacted the management to inquire about getting a Weekly rack in there.

And you know what? They said no, because the Weekly has “objectionable content.”

Let me emphasize that this coffee house is completely within its rights to say no to us. And should this coffee shop ever submit an events listing or merit any coverage from us, we will obviously not hold it against them; that’s they way we roll. And for that reason, I will not mention the business name here.

But I personally won’t be giving them my business anymore, which sucks. ‘Cause I really was starting to like the place.

This article appears in Apr 26 – May 2, 2007.

30 replies on “Coffee Shops + No ‘Weekly’ = ???”

  2. Dude that is sad, I read the Weekly because it helps people think. It shows the stories and the thoughts of people that are not always Politically correct. I am in the process of opening a Coffee Shop later this year and I would be proud to have the Weekly available to my customers.

  3. I like that coffee house too since it’s walking distance from my house. I object to the objection of objectionable content. Maybe the owner should let the customers decide. One thing I do object to at the coffee house is that I couldn’t read the font on the menu. I couldn’t read it posted on the wall and I couldn’t read it on the paper menu with or without my glasses. Obviously, I need new glasses but still…

  5. The Starbucks™ at 405 E. Wetmore Road doesn’t have the TW, now I go to the one on River and Stone.

  6. Johnny: I really shouldn’t say. It’s their right to say no to us, and calling them out specifically would not be right. If your favorite coffee shop doesn’t have a Weekly rack, I recommend asking management why.

  7. Red Star: As it stands now, no print version = almost all of our revenue gone = no Weekly. So, the dead-tree version’s kinda necessary for now.

  8. J. Boegle: Red Star was being facetious (some obscure reference to something or other, not TW). Seriously, why not offer the coffee shop 8 (or 4, whatever) weeks of free quarter page advertising in the evil TW, in return for placement of a modest number of TW (personally delivered each week by editor) in the shop? Was that tried? Is it legal? Red Star realizes that next thing all the shops would want the same deal, so it would all have to be very hush-hush…intrigue and danger for you.

    As for free wi-fi, does the shop control what customers are viewing? The silly spots some businesses get themelves into.

  9. I have nada to do with advertising, and if I did, I sure as heck would not reward some uptight coffee shop owner with free ads worth thousands of dollars. That would be kinda nuts. Like waiting in line 3 hours for a burger.

  11. Hey, Red Star, why the constant use of third person and pidgin English (“dat” and “dem”)?

  12. Isn’t it amazing that the two most commented blogs this week relate to food? What does that say about us?

  13. Another reply: JB do you remember a few years back when the Starbucks on University did the same thing?

    The manager didn’t like the Weekly and so it disappeared. It did return without explanation not too much later.

    I think we should all go over there and act like we’re going to order but then “discover” no Weeklys and walk out!

    Now there’s a political movement in the making.

  14. Saxon Burns: cause annoyed dat legendary Bob Cauthorn ord Starnet no end to point of, “…dats idle provocation, you knew what I meant…Red Star…” blah, blah, like dat he wenton and on. So duh da persona just grew life its own…to become a real media force damn

    a lot dis Bob did you dont realize it

    Now let’s get back on-topic!

  15. Wanda: Honestly, I don’t remember that, but then again, it’s fairly common for an uptight manager/owner/employee to remove the Weekly in a snit, and then ask for it back later when customers complain.

  16. Wanda, Everyone eats and food usually brings people together so I can see how the topic of food would have the most comments. Food is also a safer topic than politics or other topics.
    On that note, I write a food blog (shameless self promotion) and the posts need comments. The blog is not Tucson specific. Check it out at http://www.circleoffood.com/blog

  18. You won’t find the Weekly at the Circle K at Valencia and Country club anymore either. All stores have the option of carrying our rag, but a clerk there, which is closest to the Weekly’s mothership, said management decided against it. Instead, that same location has a rack offering Sunday’s edition of the Star, ALL BLOODY WEEK LONG.

  20. How lame if they don’t carry the Weekly. Did they say what the “objectionable content” was? Red Meat? Pictures of chesty women in the back-page ads? Singles listings? Maybe your paper is subliminally coded with the ravings of SATAN?

  21. I do not know if the owner said what, exactly was objectionable. The sad thing is, the place has a rack with the Star and the Citizen, both of which IMHO have content just as “objectionable” (with the possible exception of Savage Love). I could understand a candy shop or a toy store, but this is a COFFEE SHOP, a place for open discussion in the tradition of salons and saloons that have been around for centuries.

  22. Some dem chicks boobytime (!!!) in TW ads been around Weekly for years so tired od it. But still dem ads, dey aint content, so it probably leaves what damn Nintzel, Reel, mailbag, I wanna watch u with wife, whatnot, who cares this point you go on do what you do. so jus keep dem lil ones out dem other coffee shop until dey handle it

  23. Two observations. First, the Weekly comes with its own built-in rack–several, in fact, back in the smut section. Second, “Red Star” is obviously the pen name of Uncle Remus. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

  24. Does this mean I should stop writing “clitoral” in my column, or that I should write it more often?

    I’m so confused.

  25. 24. Longs yu don spell id dat bad word wid letter K, u ‘k so dat means yu get wright on so go had dat coffee ord dat shop bring dem stack TW! yepyepyepyep

  26. Red Star, your comments are getting increasingly hard to read with this stereotyped form of English.

  27. Red Star: Don’t make me get all editor-ly on you, yo. I’d HATE to start banning comments because they’re annoying the shit out of all the rest of our blog readers.

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