Is there a new Starbucks coming to Bowling Green? Depends on who you ask. Terry Rogers, who owns the property at 2808 Scottsville Road where G.D. Ritzys is presently located, said negotiations are ongoing that would close the Ritzys and bring a new Starbucks coffee outlet to the location. Starbucks representatives say they dont know anything about it. Starbucks wants that spot; they wanted it two months ago, Rogers said.The transaction is close to being finalized, said Rogers, who, along with partners Janet Rogers, his wife, and Larry Mays, owns seven fast-food restaurant locations in the region. The sale has simply been held up by legal technicalities on the deed, Terry Rogers said. Its nothing that … cant be overcome.A building permit allowing $100,000 worth of remodeling to the Ritzys building and property has been issued by the city of Bowling Green. But in an e-mail response to a reporters questions, Starbucks spokesperson Stephanie Niblack claims the company has no confirmed plans for Starbucks retail locations in Bowling Green. Chuck Richmond, who owns the Ritzys franchise at the location, said the transition has us in a uproar. Some customers who were in the store when Starbucks representatives visited apparently spread the word, Richmond said.My business is being hurt, he said. However, its not just the recent word that Starbucks was coming that has caused business to be less than ideal. Sales at the restaurant known for its homemade ice cream and shoestring fries have been hurt by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the sluggish economy it produced, Richmond said.We were doing about $9,000 and $10,000 a week in sales; now, were lucky if were doing $4,000 a week, he said. And were not the only ones. Because of the terrorist attacks and possibility of war, people are holding on to their money. There are 4,070 Starbucks shops in the United States, bringing in a combined revenue of $2.25 billion a sizable chunk of the $6.75 billion in total coffeehouse sales in the nation. Of the 21 stores in the region, three are in Kentucky with the rest located in Tennessee, and most of those are in Nashville. Starbucks lovers already can get their fix at a small kiosk in Western Kentucky Universitys Downing University Center and at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1680 Campbell Lane. Having a Starbucks retail store would just increase awareness of and desire for the product, said David Coverdale, Barnes & Nobles community relations manager. Bring em on, Coverdale said. We have discussed the new Starbucks coming to the Ritzys location and are all very positive about it. Anything about a new coffee business increases the coffee culture and awareness. Having a new Starbucks increases the knowledge of the Starbucks product in Bowling Green and just helps all the rest of the coffee business as well. Starbucks could open in time for the companys planned fall debut of a new credit card. The New York Times reported Friday that the card, a joint effort between the coffee company, Bank One and Visa, will double as a rechargeable Starbucks store card that allows customers to prepay for purchases by loading money onto the card. Company officials have indicated the credit card would allow users to earn free Starbucks products and rebates. Starbucks introduced prepaid cards in November 2001, aimed at repeat customers and holiday shoppers looking for appropriate gifts. The cards fostered speedier service, speedier lines and higher sales, and almost 7 percent of Starbucks transactions in 2002 were made with the cards, according to the Times story. G.D. Ritzys initially operated in Bowling Green from 1979 through 1997. It reopened at the current location in 2000. Rogers presently has no plans to reopen another Ritzys here.If we could get the people of Bowling Green to say they would like to see another one here, we might consider it, Richmond said. When we reopened 21/2 years ago, everyone wanted us here, but now, since Starbucks is coming, it seems like thats where all the attention is.