Is the issue corporate coffee, the grandfathered use of a building, or traffic? That could have been argued either way ahead of the Encinitas City Council’s unanimous vote Feb. 9 to block the potential addition of a drive-thru Starbucks in Cardiff.

A group of individuals protested mask mandates in mid-February at two Encinitas grocery stores, refusing to wear masks or leave the stores. “This is the first time I’ve had this large of a group this focused and seemingly of the same mind,” Cardiff Seaside Market General Manager Austin Davis said.