Last June, Starbucks reported that it would close 150 poorly performing company-operated stores in 2019, mostly in urban areas that are densely populated with other locations, per CNN.
Apparently the Starbucks on the northwest corner of Broadway and Ninth Street was on that hit list ... this location is now closed... the sign on the door directs would-be Starbuckers to nearby outposts...
The Starbucks took over for the Starbucks-owned Teavana in 2016.
This corner space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business. After the rent hike, several EVG readers lamented that a Starbucks would likely take over the space.
Milk Hops, the beer-cheese store next to the Starbucks, closed this past Nov. 30.
Previously on EV Grieve:
After 34 years, Silver Spurs is closing on Broadway
Teary letters to landlord show that local children are devastated over closure of Silver Spurs
Starbucks-owned Teavana coming to the former Silver Spurs space on Broadway
12 comments:
Before this Starbucks had their Tevana concept in the space which also failed. Then came this ' upscale ' Starbucks
I'll miss getting my FREE Birthday Specialized $11 coffee there.
Amongst the pixels I never read any story that welcomes the landlord's POV. Sure, I lament the absence of Silver Spurs — loved the joint and ate there frequently when I worked nearby. While I'm neutral on Starbucks, I would welcome a thorough Q+A with building owners about their take on current events in NYC commercial real estate.
After all of these businesses which were all (uniquely) useful to the neighborhood got kicked to the curb by high rents, maybe the common issue is... high rents?
(And maybe the issue isn't Starbucks itself per-se, which seems to be motivated to REDUCE the rent that it pays on spaces rather than muscling in without purpose or regard to anything else?)
Bring back Silver Spurs! At least you could get a decent meal served in a comfortable space. Starbucks still doesn’t offer any decent food options, just snacks and reheated sandwiches. As for their big expansion plans, those have been cancelled too. Starbucks had planned to open 1,000 Teavanas. Now all of them are closed, and even the Starbucks that replaced them are closing, along with a very popular location at 76th and Columbus Avenue.
This is the third Starbucks that has closed in a three block radius in recent years, including the one on 8th Street west of Broadway, and the one that was on Astor Place at Cooper Union — and that’s not counting the 2 other Starbucks that moved to a nearby space, the one on 2nd Ave and 9th Street, and the busy one on 17th And Union Square West. Starbucks never seems to learn that oversaturating a market never works. Remember when there was a Benetton store on every other block on 5th Avenue? There are still 15 Starbucks locations within a half mile of this one, so watch for more closings.
I'm sorry if this offends anyone... but serves em right. They failed miserably in this spot and now they deserve a bit of scorn. I'm sorry but when did it become so offensive to criticize gigantic, faceless, soulless corporations like Starbucks? If I didn't know any better I'd say you people have become soft.
10:00am My pops was a landlord and the way he always explained it to me, landlords have an obligation to seek out long-term, quality tenants. It's in their own self-interest. I am not going to elaborate on this idea because it is mere common sense. A lot of people seek out the quick buck and landlords are no different. And in doing so they face risk and consequences too just like everyone else. Believe it or not there are still some decent landlords around here. Otherwise, we'd have no good retail left whatsoever.
@1:53pm: Thanks for that; we need the good landlords. I know there are some, b/c I had one!
The Starbucks @ 17th and Bway moved down Union Square West to the NYU dorm building near 15th St. At 17th St, they were one of the top 10 income producing locations in Manhattan. The 10 year lease was expiring and the rent went up to $150,000/mo. The 15th St location had been empty for years and they were likely able to negotiate a good rate. Within a week of the move down the block, they reclaimed the top 10 status. They are well enough established that they don't have to be on the corners any longer and can move to lower rent locations.
I suspect that they gave up the 9th and Bway location because it had originally been rented for the Teavana label. Once that closed, they fulfilled their rental obligation with a Starbucks but probably never intended to keep it once the lease expired...
Noticed this block having more trouble since the tech company's moved in to 770 broadway (9th between broadway and 4th), many of which provide free meals and in-house espresso bars.
I heard the Starbucks on Houston and West Broadway is closing too, plus they closed two more on Broadway, one near Canal Street and another one near Cedar Street. They were also going to expand the coffee roasting locations like the one in Chelsea Market, but now those are all cancelled too. They obviously have too many locations. If you want good coffee, just go to La Colombe or to Mud, or just make it at home.
The real question for me is the Ave A location. How have the local coffee places fared since Starbucks opened? I don't drink coffee so I'm curious if the "chain effect" (closing local stores after one opens) has happened here. How is that Starbucks doing on Ave A?
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