CENTER TWP — Lucian Houllion, co-owner of Mill Hunky Coffee Company in Summit Township, has been steadily growing his tiny, mobile drive-through coffee trailer to the point where he is now ready to open a second location in Center Township, in the parking lot of the Clearview Mall.

Now his small drink business may find itself competing with a multinational giant in the industry: Starbucks.

“I’m staying there, no matter what,” Houllion said. “We’re going there and we’re setting up no matter what.”

At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Center Township Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a subdivision of part of the former JCPenney space at the Clearview Mall.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, Matthew Bond, vice president of Madison Acquisitions — the real estate company which owns the former JCPenney space — stated the company was in talks with Starbucks to lease the subdivided space, but nothing is written in stone yet.

“We are working with Starbucks on the lease for the location, but right now it’s a matter of whether we subdivide the parcel and create their own parcel or whether we work with them to ground lease the parcel,” Bond said. “But this stage, it’s just about the subdivision. We know we have to come back for land development approvals and meet all the codes and ordinances.”

In recent months, the former JCPenney space has been converted primarily for medical use, including for a new Genesis Medical Associates primary care facility and a new Tri-State Orthopedics location.

Houllion attended Wednesday night’s meeting, and — before the vote on the subdivision — used the public comment period to voice his frustrations with the situation.

“By allowing a business like Starbucks into your township, it sucks the oxygen out of the small businesses and pushes all of its profits somewhere else,” Houllion said. “The township will get the tax dollars from the property and the permitting, the state will get its taxes from sales and income and the locals that live here will get nothing.”

The first Mill Hunky location opened in July 2025 along Route 422 in Summit Township. Houllion and his wife, Amber, plan to open their second location in the parking lot of the Clearview Mall as soon as Oct. 1.

“We'll be up and running like next month,” Houllion said. “We ordered the trailer a month ago. We're still waiting on equipment to come in. We have the espresso machine and all that ordered and that’s en route.”

Houllion said he was informed of the possibility of Starbucks arriving in Center Township via a phone call with someone from the Clearview Mall, although he was unable to identify them.

“They called, I think two or three weeks ago. It was right before the (Center Township) planning commission meeting, which I went to,” Houllion said. “They were saying they were going to let us out of our lease if we didn’t want to stay.”

Although both Bond and township supervisors acknowledged the possibility talks between Madison and Starbucks might fall through, the board voted unanimously to allow the subdivision on the grounds that there was no legal justification not to.

“The NPC provides that if a subdivision or a land development plan has met the four corners of your ordinance, then you are pretty much required to grant the subdivision,” said township solicitor Michael Gallagher.

One board member, Donald Pringle, reasoned a Starbucks opening nearby could potentially benefit Mill Hunky.

“A lot of times, you have businesses near each other and they all flourish,” Pringle said. “Car dealerships are near one another and they all make all kinds of money. So it might be the best thing for both if that's the case.”

Despite his opposition, Houllion expected this outcome and spoke with the Eagle on Tuesday.

“These companies … their pockets are unlimited,” Houllion said. “If they deny, the ball would go to Starbucks whether they want to sue and then it'll bounce back to the township and whether they want to pay their public tax dollars to fight. … Politicians always run on ‘small business,’ but legally the state ties their hands with their own laws that they can't. That's why in Cranberry, even if you don't want developments in your township, the state will force it. It’s just a disgusting thing.”