Here come the Starbucks!

Was just talking to a friend who works for the company (SBUX) today about this rumor. Apparently Mr. Big, Howard Schultz himself, has opined that since Starbucks will inevitably expand in Brooklyn eventually, it might as well claim the space now rather than wait til later only to pay more.

Very, very unfortunate, but consistent with the direction this city is going. You're either going to be the one able to afford a $5 latte, or the one making it for $7 an hour, with no one in between.

Subject: Re: Here come the Starbucks!

apollonia666 wrote: From Gothamist.com...

November 27, 2007
Chains Check Out Brooklyn

There are plenty of Starbucks in Manhattan (over 170), but if you head over to Brooklyn -- you'll see the streets are mostly void of discarded Venti cups and hardly anyone has heard Josh Groban's new Christmas album. But things are about to change, chain-haters beware.

A recent Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable meeting revealed that retail giants such as Starbucks, Duane Reade pharmacies and Chase Bank are planning to double and in some cases triple their presence in the borough.

Brooklyn (which currently only has a smattering of the Seattle-based beanery) can expect 75 more Starbucks in the next three years, 20 more Chase banks (there are currently 46) and Duane Reade will double it's dosage with an expected 60 stores total in the next three years. Will the borough open up and say "ahhh" to expensive specialty coffee drinkacinnos, or stick to their mom and pop shop? The Daily News reports that "If you're sipping a $4 latte from Starbucks, chances are everything's rosy...analysts say if you got your cup of joe for 75 cents from the guy on the corner, times are likely hard - and New Yorkers seem to back them up." The company does say it's looking at areas with "good income demographics." We expect to see a lot more "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Starbucks" graffiti around, and perhaps a Reverend Billy sighting. Read more about the good and the bad of the 'Bucks, and The Times article on a more corporate Brooklyn.

More links at the above post on Gothamist:
http://gothamist.com/2007/11/27/bk_chains.php

Seventy-fucking-FIVE of them?!

****************************.

Looks like we're going to have to import more yuppies

Santa wrote: regardless of how sucky starbucks is I dont see the city becoming that polarized. There are plenty of mid level jobs everywhere in the city which allow for upward growth. Even though the situation is much worse than it was 10 years ago its better than it was 100 years ago.

Living in urban centers is expensive and NYC is far from the most expensive in the world. Just have to hope for the best.

You're talking only about jobs for people with 4yr college degrees ,and even then I would say your analysis is a bit of a stretch.

Furthermore, there was never a point in NY's history, before now, when people simply couldn't afford to live here. Rather, it was the exact opposite - people not being able to afford to move OUT.

And show me one other 'urban center' in this country, with the exception of San Francisco, where just being able to swing the rent is a feat. :?

one benefit of starbucks: Relatively clean bathrooms that are open to all sans purchase of a latte, etc...a HUGE help when you have kids.

...or a homeless crackhead in need of a quick washing before a meeting with your parole officer.

as long as they leave the W.C. clean, so be it.

Say what you will about Starbucks and their part in gentrification, corporate-takeover, or whatever. BUT! They're consistently rated highly among the best companies to work for... providing health care almost universally to their workers and providing tuition reimbursement to even their most part-time workers. Plus, the average worker makes more than $40,000 annually which is WAY more than I make, for example.

By the way, I have no connection to that god damned evil corporation. heh.

Subject: SBUX - Heck ya!

Starbux - bring it on!! I'll take anything that opens C-heights.

Kingston ave is RIPE for new services. There are 5 vacant store fronts in a 2 block strip.

I worked there for a while as an assitant manager. Hired a 70 year-old guy who was cool enough and just needed the healthcare. He actually only worked like a week before he had several open heart surgeries- he was covered and everyone supported him. I feel that targeting Starbucks is like blaming McDonalds for shutting down good hamburger places- it doesn't make sense. The coffee shops I've seen around here have been pretty awful coming from a college town in the south that had a better coffee shop culture. If I'm wrong, let me know. It didn't used to be that coffee shops were for yuppies on their laptops... right?

Thank God my place is rent stabilized. Guys I would check your leases for any stipulations in rent increases due to more useful and franchised business coming to the area. A Starbucks is worth a cool 10%... Duane Reade... 10%... Whole Foods near a train station: 100%

Subject: They keep out competition

I agree that Starbucks can be a good thing.. when you really want a decent espresso in the middle of a mall, let's say... but when they open in a shopping area, one of the things they insist on, is that there be no other coffee or tea merchant in the area. And with their marketing and purchasing power, they will put the ones already there out of business sooo fast. Why can't they only move into neighborhoods that are undercaffienated now?