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The retrenching of Starbucks?
In the past several months we have lost two Starbucks: the one inside 32 Avenue of the Americas at Sixth and Walker, and the one on Broadway and Reade. We still have plenty of options: there’s Greenwich and N. Moore, which just opened last winter; West Broadway and Leonard; Chambers and West Broadway; Lafayette and Worth; and Church and Murray.
And that’s just Tribeca! There are another 18 or so in Fidi and Battery Park City (and a couple with restricted access, like Pace and Citibank).
But there is bit of a nationwide reduction overall, according to Newsweek — even though they still have more than 17,000 stores. From Newsweek: “The company has encountered recent difficulties, however, including lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations, worker strikes and decreased foot traffic in some of its locations. Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Rachel Ruggeri, in a statement about the company’s preliminary financial report for 2024: ‘Despite our heightened investments, we were unable to change the trajectory of our traffic decline, resulting in pressures in both our top-line and bottom-line. While our efficiency efforts continued to produce according to plan, they were not enough to outpace the impact of the decline in traffic.’
The big one on Astor Place closed last summer after 30 years.
7 Comments
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I’m honestly not too sad to see some big chains like Starbucks becoming less prominent. Local coffee shops, with their lower startup costs, give small business owners a chance to bring their personal touch and creativity to a space — and in doing so, they add character and uniqueness to our communities.
It’s always been a bit puzzling to me why so many people prefer franchises that look and feel the same no matter where you go. There’s something special about places that reflect the personality of their owners and the flavor of their neighborhood.
I hope we see more of these independent shops with heart and soul taking their place. They make each visit feel meaningful — and truly local.
This is exactly the reason I go to Starbucks, wherever I go in the world. I like their coffee and it is the same everywhere I go. I have been disappointment many times in small coffee shops around the country and so I prefer to know exactly what I’m getting when I get coffee and Starbucks provides that. sometimes do go to small coffee shops in Europe BUT I hate that they don’t serve coffee in large sizes so, once again, I usually wind up at Starbucks. LOL! Don’t hate me!
I totally see your point. Independent coffee shops really do bring a unique charm and personality to a neighborhood — they reflect the creativity and character of their owners, and that adds real value to the community. They often feel more personal and welcoming than larger chains.
That said, I can also understand why some people appreciate franchises like Starbucks — especially for the consistency and convenience they offer. But honestly, we probably only need a couple of Starbucks locations in a neighborhood to serve that purpose. Beyond that, it would be great to see more space for local shops to thrive and give each area its own flavor and identity.
A healthy mix — a few reliable chains, but plenty of room for independent spots with soul — feels like the best balance for a vibrant community.
I’m glad to see them go. I just hope/wish they could be replaced with European-style local cafes, but that is apparently a dream.
I won’t be shedding a single tear! Our neighborhood has way too many coffee shops as it is. Would prefer to see the local coffee shops survive over Starbucks.
One of the many factors I can’t abide in Starbuck’s coffee is the insistence on paper cups, even if you want to drink the coffee in the “shop”. Unaesthetic, toxic, and yet more landfill.
See here, for example:
https://www.wired.com/story/paper-cups-toxic/
I understand the sentiment but Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and Starbucks are cheaper than any “local” coffee shop. We’re all “affluent” in Tribeca but cost matters in life when you need to pay for kids college, the mortgage and some nights out. Yes, take your Blue Bottle iced coffee for $8 and I’ll take Dunkin iced coffee for less than $4.