After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexander Osuna opened Monkey Dog Coffee in 2022. Photo by Ben Hensley

In 2022, Monkey Dog Coffee opened its doors in Clovis, joining the ranks of the city’s family-owned coffee shops.

Earlier this year, however, development of a new Starbucks — one of more than half a dozen locations coming to the Fresno/Clovis area in the coming months — was announced roughly 300 feet away from Monkey Dog Coffee.

The news came as a surprise to owner Alexander Osuna, who has been roasting coffee beans since 2017, years before he opened his storefront location near Ashlan and Peach avenues.

The location is near the GAP distribution center and new Fresno County offices.

Despite Starbucks’ potential siren song to small competitors, Osuna said Monkey Dog Coffee is in expansion mode and believes quality and atmosphere will keep loyal customers coming back.

 

“I think we have a better product. You go to Starbucks for the convenience,” Osuna said. “We’re not going to be able to convert everybody because some people just don’t want to get out of their vehicles.”

On a national scale, accessibility has taken a priority focus for major chain stores, with quick-serve restaurants including KFC redesigning new stores to more efficiently serve mobile orders and drive-thru customers.

While rival chains such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros receive a lot of attention, local and family-owned coffee shops will always play a crucial role in connecting local coffee shops with their residents, Osuna said.

The convenience factor isn’t always what appeals to the customers, he said. Established guests will still take time to stop in and grab a cup.

“I think mom-and-pop shops are ingrained into the community,” he said. “It is the community. I think the two go hand in hand.”

Additionally, Osuna said that locally-owned businesses also have the ability to fundraise regionally, highlighting local donation drives and fundraisers that directly benefit local businesses, nonprofits and organizations.

“I think we have so many things going for us that I’m not overly concerned as much as I was before,” he said. “I definitely hope it still doesn’t happen. It’s such a slap in the face literally 300 feet away. But again, I think we’ll be able to capitalize on it if it does.”

 

A support structure is only a call away. While not necessarily communicating on a daily basis, local roasters share a largely positive relationship. Osuna said he communicates directly with the owners of Fulton Street Coffee in Downtown Fresno. He says that roasters often support one another.

“I think everybody’s pretty supportive of each other from passing conversations I’ve had,” he said. “If people mention they can’t make it to us, I try to refer them to other local coffee shops. I think it’s a pretty positive industry.”

According to Osuna, community support for the coffee shop has been outstanding, prompting him to hire two additional employees.

Osuna hopes to expand his menu in the future.

He said that the business does a majority of its marketing through interacting with customers, also taking advantage of customer interaction to seek out new potential markets for a second location.

Osuna, who is a California Army National Guard veteran, has worked with the Veterans Business Outreach Center with the hopes of financing the purchase of a coffee truck to jumpstart the expansion process.

With potential expansion on the horizon, Osuna is confident that customers will continue to spread the word of the business despite the Starbucks mermaid’s lure of a two-lane drive-thru.

“One thing that’s really helped us is word-of-mouth,” Osuna said. “That’s really been our key marketing piece and it’s been great because it’s been natural.”