But Sudbury said that the conflicts over coffee tastes remain inside the stores.
"I don't think they'll be crossing on the streets holding the different cups and sneering at each other," he said.
Residents as well said they had some qualms about the construction of a Starbucks in Central Square.
"We do not oppose the matter," said Robert Bolrus, president of the Central Square Neighborhood Coalition. "There are some who do not like Starbucks, there are others who see both the pluses and minuses it would bring."
Bolrus said that a Starbucks would keep an important corner in Cambridge well-lit at night, and attract more customers to neighboring businesses.
But some residents resented that Starbucks Coffee Inc. only expressed interest in a Central Square location after the area improved its image.
"The vision of this corporation is to let other people do the work and then come in and take the biggest piece of the pie," said Peter Valentine, who lives on Cambridge Street.
Local owners also said they were resentful of big corporations who exploited markets created by small businesses.
"Many of us invested out of our own private savings," Wolf said. "It is inevitable that the corporate cherry pickers arrive to reap the benefits."
Starbucks attorneys said that they were helping one local business owner, Robert LeBlanc, by purchasing his donut shop and converting it to a coffee shop.
"I work seven days a week, 16 hours a day," said Leblanc, who has owned and operated Harvard Donuts on Prospect Street and Mass. Ave. for 40 years. "I'm turning 65 and it's time for me to retire."
Leblanc's son, Robert, also said he supported the sale to Starbucks.
"I would like my father to be able to go to my son's baseball games now," he said.
Complaint Dismissed
In other business, the commission decided to dismiss a complaint introduced at a Feb. 25 meeting against the Harvard Faculty Club.
The complaint from two residents living near the Quincy Street facility cited noise violations from air conditioners, fans, ventilation units, garbage disposal units and delivery trucks, as well as noise from functions.
The commissions indicated before the meeting that the item would be removed from the evening's agenda because the parties involved had reached an agreement.
No other information was available last night