Noted

An addition to the Starbucks sign on St. Mark's Place at Avenue A ... previously

[Updated] DOH temporarily closes Starbucks on 1st Avenue at 13th Street

This inspection took place yesterday...



The inspection report with the reported violations has not been posted online just yet. Pubic records show that this location has an A rating from an August inspection with 9 violation points for "Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service."

Updated:

The DOH report is now online.

An inspector levied 33 violation points, the most critical being No. 1:

1) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
2) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

Updated:

The city gave this location the OK to reopen after an inspection on oct. 18. According to the inspection report, there were 0 violation points.

H/T @jcastro_nyc

[Updated] Starbucks opened today on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

This location made the end-of-summer deadline by opening today...



The posted hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week... until 10 p.m. on weekends.

This location features a mural by Brooklyn-based artist Misha Tyutyunik, a custom piece that flows across three walls. According to the Starbucks newsroom, this collaboration was made possible via the East Village-based Citizens for the Arts.


[Image via Starbucks]

As previously reported, this wasn't a case where business was off and Nino's, the previous tenant, had to close. The pizzeria had to close on Oct. 21, 2015, due to a gas leak in the building. On Nov. 17, Nino's received an eviction notice. Owner Nino Camaj had said that the gas was shut off in the building without any notice to him.

In late November 2015, Camaj's lawyers were reportedly in discussion with landlord Citi Urban Management to dispute the rent charged for the month during which they weren't open due to the gas leak. Camaj still had 10 years left on his lease, and had been in court with the landlords.

He accepted a buyout in February 2016, after having been closed for nearly five months. Camaj told DNAinfo that he could no longer afford the $14,500 monthly rent. (Not to mention court expenses.) Camaj said that the rent for the corner space was $3,500 when he first opened in 1989. Starbucks is reportedly paying upwards of $40,000 a month for the space.

Updated 7:30

Today was apparently a soft opening with an early closing. An EVG reader stopped by early this evening to find it closed until tomorrow.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A

At the 'Not Another Starbucks Rally'

[Updated] Starbucks signage arrives at incoming Starbucks on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

The sign arrived yesterday...


[Photo by Fenton Lawless]

Still no word on an official opening date. Looks close to being ready, though.

Updated 11:30 a.m.

The rest of the signage has arrived this morning...



Above photo by Daniel Weiss

Previously

Full reveal at the incoming Starbucks on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

Workers removed the plywood yesterday here on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place...





A Starbucks rep told DNAinfo last month that this location will be open later this summer.

Photos by Vinny & O.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A

At the 'Not Another Starbucks Rally'

A Starbucks sneak peek on St Mark's and Avenue A

A look inside the plywood on St. Mark's Place at Avenue A...



Back in July, DNAinfo reported on what to expect from this location:

A Starbucks spokesman said the company was designing the new store to reflect the unique character of the “Lower East Village.”

“We are proud to bring a new Starbucks store to the Lower East Village later this summer,” said the spokesman, who would identify himself only as Jonathan. “In addition to offering employment to more than 20 partners (employees), this store will provide a gathering place for the community and will be designed to reflect the uniqueness of the neighborhood.”

The spokesman added that the company’s partners are “involved in community service” and that the store donates all leftovers through its FoodShare program in partnership with Feeding American and City Harvest.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A

At the 'Not Another Starbucks Rally'

'Before we got Starfucked' — an exhibit on Avenue A tomorrow evening

Jen Fisher, who has operated the book stand on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place the past four years, is hosting an exhibit of East Village history at the space tomorrow evening.

Here are some details via the EVG info box...

Before we got Starfucked

A personal archive from the late 1980s to early 1990s of photographs, newspaper cuts, flyers and B&W Xerox books will be displayed on Tuesday, August 1 from 5:30-8 p.m.

The archive is based on 1980s and 1990s events such as The Tent City in Tompkins Square Park, the annual Stations of the Cross, Father George Kuhn, and the fight against gentrification as it was recorded and put together by a resident of the Lower East Side. Seen in the light of today's ongoing destruction of our neighborhood, we believe that this archive has acquired historical relevance as a record of the Lower East Side and the life it once contained.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A

At the 'Not Another Starbucks Rally'

Last evening at 5:30, a group of residents, small-business owners and activists gathered on St. Mark's Place and Avenue A to speak out about the incoming Starbucks coming to this corner as well as the proliferation of chain stores in the East Village.

EVG regular Peter Brownscombe shared these photos...



At the rally, participants called for the approval of a Special Retail District that would limit the size and number of chain stores and promote retail diversity that is currently under consideration by Community Board 3 and draw attention to the need for a City Council hearing on the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.







The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, East Village Independent Merchants Association, and the East Village Community Coalition organized the event.

City Council candidate Carlina Rivera attended the rally, and said that she supported a special zoning district for the neighborhood.

As reported by Bedford + Bowery: "It’s an important step for us to show that we are done," Rivera said, adding that local residents "want to keep our neighborhood authentic and we want to make sure that how it remains authentic is having the local mom and pops that you know."

In an article published yesterday morning, DNAinfo's Allegra Hobbs spoke with a few East Village business owners who are concerned about "the impact the chain’s move eastward will have on their operations, the local economy and on the neighborhood’s broader culture."

Photos below via Steven...





There was also free coffee courtesy of Mud over on Ninth Street...



"[T]his is one of the most special, unique neighborhoods around," James Armata, Mud's general manager, told Patch at the rally. "It keeps on getting less and less so with constant chains moving in. It could be Starbucks, it could be anything."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Steve Cuozzo: 'A new Starbucks will make the thriving East Village an even better place to live'

A look the incoming Starbucks on St. Mark's and Avenue A, site of a rally on July 13

Public forum set to discuss special business district in the East Village

Reminders: The 'Not Another Starbucks Rally' is this evening

[Photo from July 3]

Via the EVG inbox...

Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, East Village Independent Merchants Association, East Village Community Coalition, other local businesses and residents will hold a rally and press conference calling attention to the proliferation of chain stores in the East Village, an area known for small, independently-owned and unique businesses, highlighting how chains promote homogeneity, take money out of neighborhoods, lead to vacancies as landlords wait for a national chain to pay exorbitant rents and put local independent stores out of business.

At the rally participants will call for the approval of a Special Retail District that would limit the size and number of chain stores and promote retail diversity that is currently under consideration by Community Board #3, promote a Shop Local campaign and draw attention to the need for a City Council hearing on the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Coffee will be served by local café owners.

What: Not Another Starbucks Rally
Where: 125 Saint Mark’s Place at Avenue A
When: Thursday, July 13, 5:30 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Steve Cuozzo: 'A new Starbucks will make the thriving East Village an even better place to live'

A look the incoming Starbucks on St. Mark's and Avenue A, site of a rally on July 13

Steve Cuozzo: 'A new Starbucks will make the thriving East Village an even better place to live'

[Photo by Steven]

As we noted last week, various community groups and local shop owners from the East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA) are planning a rally at the incoming Starbucks on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place on Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Per the invite: "We don't need more chains in the East Village! We need retail diversity and independently owned local businesses!"

The rally notice caught the eye of New York Post columnist/critic Steve Cuozzo... who filed a piece published this past weekend titled "Why anti-Starbucks hipsters sound a lot like Trump supporters" ...



Some excerpts, including the lead...

East Village apocalypse! Starbucks is at the Tompkins Square Park gates! Sound the dirge for “retail diversity and independently owned local businesses!”

And!

Their tantrum would be funny if it didn’t reflect an obnoxious New York sociopolitical sensibility shared by “progressive” thinkers who quail at actual progress — whether it means reducing crime, investing in decayed neighborhoods or selling coffee that doesn’t taste like grounds at the bottom of a cup.

No neighborhood impulse is more illiberal than to keep out those who don’t conform to voluble locals’ sense of who belongs. We may assume that Starbucks-damning East Villagers did not vote for Donald Trump (whose son-in-law Jared Kushner controls a real-estate company that owns 50-odd Alphabet City buildings). Yet they sound ready to build walls to protect small shops and cafes from outside competition and perhaps to demand the interlopers pay for them.

But if the East Village’s colorful small shops and eateries face a threat, it isn’t Starbucks or drugstore chains. It’s landlords who raise rents to a level the market will bear, a phenomenon that stretches north, west and south of Tompkins Square Park.

And in the end...

A new Starbucks will make the thriving East Village an even better place to live. But it’ll disappoint those who perversely preferred the neighborhood of 30 years ago, when it was better known for crack than for coffee.

A look at the incoming Starbucks on St. Mark's and Avenue A, site of a rally on July 13

The plywood has been up for two-plus weeks now on the northwest corner of Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, where workers are carving out a Starbucks from the remains of Hop Devil Grill and Nino's.

The door was open the other day...



There looks to be a ways to go before you'll be able to buy coffee drinks or use the restrooms here.

Meanwhile, various community groups and local shop owners from the East Village Independent Merchants Association are planning a protest here on Thursday, July 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.


[Image via @evimanyc]

Per the invite...

Another Starbucks is planned for the huge storefront at 125 St Mark's Place at Ave A. We don't need more chains in the East Village! We need retail diversity and independently owned local businesses!

Join community groups and local shop owners from EVIMA and more to stand up for the unique character of the East Village. Support policies that can promote retail diversity, prevent chain stores and preserve small businesses!

Plywood arrives for the incoming Starbucks on St. Mark's Place and Avenue A

Workers started putting up the plywood on the corner of St. Mark's Place and Avenue A yesterday.

As we first reported on Monday, the paperwork is on file at the Department of Buildings for a Starbucks in this now-combined corner space that previously housed Nino's and Hop Devil Grill.

No word on a tentative opening date just yet for the Starbucks. There are other questions too, as posed by @EdenBrower, who took the above photo...

@evgrieve how big is the @Starbucks going to be?? pic.twitter.com/eiURc9Bf8B

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) June 15, 2017

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A
Updated 6/17

The final plywood product...

Starbucks confirmed for Avenue A

It looks like those Starbucks-to-Avenue A rumors are true.

Recently issued work permits for 129-131 Avenue A show ...


[Click to go big]

Per the ALL-CAP DOB paperwork on another work permit for the address: "FILING FOR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION RELATED TO STARBUCKS BUILD-OUT."

It's not exactly clear where the Starbucks will go... there are multiple addresses — 125-131 St Mark's Place and 125-131 Avenue A — associated with the building on the northwest corner, and there are several empty storefronts within these addresses... including the former Nino's and Hop Devil Grill...



The original rumors had the Starbucks going into this prime corner space. (That makes sense.) Paper also just went up in the window of the former Yoshi Sushi...



None of the work permits posted on these storefronts list the Starbucks info. That's only online as of now.

It's also not clear what kind of Starbucks this will be. Last fall, the company announced plans to open up to 1,000 Starbucks stores "with a Reserve coffee bar experience" by the end of 2017. There are four newish locations in NYC of a Starbucks Reserve Roastery, including at 10 Waverly Place.

The architect of record for the Avenue A work was also behind the new Starbucks on Waverly Place as well as several others in the city.

In any event, this will be the first Starbucks to open in the East Village east of First Avenue, where there are locations at Third Street and at 13th Street.

As for the previous tenants here, to the usual recap: Nino's closed in October 2015. As previously reported, owner Nino Camaj accepted a low six-figure amount to walk away from his remaining 10-year lease and surrender the pizza shop that he opened in 1989. He had been in a dispute with the landlord over back rent and a closure due to a gas leak in the building. Hop Devil Grill and its sister bar next door, The Belgian Room, were seized by the state in April 2015 for nonpayment of taxes.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A look at the retail listing for the northwest corner of A and St. Mark's Place

The former spaces for Nino's and Hop Devil Grill have been combined

Those Starbucks rumors continue to percolate on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

Those Starbucks rumors continue to percolate on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

[Photo from October]

Back in the fall, an EVG reader told us a worker was upgrading the electricity at 131 Avenue A ... because he said a Starbucks was going to be renting the former Nino's and Hop Devil Grill spaces on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place.

Meanwhile, last week, an Avenue A business owner asked us if we heard about a Starbucks opening on Avenue A. Now the rumor continues to pick up steam, as The Villager cites an unnamed source who tells the weekly paper: "I would say it’s a 90 percent certainty that Starbucks will be in the space."

Last fall, a tipster shared the flyer in circulation for the property...



At the time, a source with knowledge of the asking rent said that the corner space was seeking $15,020 per month and the inline storefront was going for $42,072 per month. The landlord was asking $52,000 for the combined spaces.

So far, there isn't any other evidence that this space has a tenant just yet. And Starbucks has been a handy rumored tenant in recent years ... for the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street and Avenue B and Fourth Street ... the contractor who said that a Starbucks was coming to First Avenue and 13th Street turned out to be correct, though.

James Morrissey, who owns The Late Late on East Houston and now VNYL on Third Avenue, had been after the spaces to create The Honey Fitz, a bar-diner-restaurant-cafe-networking space. Those plans never materialized early last year.


[Photo from yesterday]

To recap, Nino's closed in October 2015. As previously reported, owner Nino Camaj accepted a low six-figure amount to walk away from his remaining 10-year lease and surrender the pizza shop that he opened in 1989. He had been in a dispute with the landlord over back rent and a closure due to a gas leak in the building. Hop Devil Grill and its sister bar next door, The Belgian Room, were seized by the state in April 2015 for nonpayment of taxes.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A look at the retail listing for the northwest corner of A and St. Mark's Place

The former spaces for Nino's and Hop Devil Grill have been combined

Report: Mobile-order congestion causing problems for Starbucks

A little weekend reading... in case you didn't see the Starbucks headlines from yesterday.

Via USA Today:

The coffee chain reported disappointing sales growth on Thursday and partly blamed the “congestion” in its stores for prompting some people to leave without buying anything. Starbucks said the popularity of its mobile order-and-pay option, which was supposed to make getting a drink easier, has caused bottlenecks at the areas where people pick up their drinks.

CEO Howard Schultz, who is leaving that role in April to become executive chairman, said the issue has “created anxiety” among some customers.

No word on the number of people who just enter and exit a Starbucks to use the restrooms.

A look at the retail listing for the northwest corner of A and St. Mark's Place

[Photo from Saturday]

A follow-up to the post yesterday about the combined ex-Nino's and Hop Devil Grill spaces on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place.

A tipster shared the flyer in circulation for the property...



As we understand it, the spaces are very much still on the market. No word on the asking rent. All uses and divisions will be considered.

Meanwhile, a reader left this in the comments yesterday:

I live in the building above it. Last week I spoke to a worker fixing electricity in the building who told me they are upgrading the electrical system because a STARBUCKS is going in...

Aside from this claim from a worker, there isn't any other evidence that this space has any retail tenant. And Starbucks has been a handy rumored tenant in recent years ... for the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street and Avenue B and Fourth Street ... the contractor who said that a Starbucks was coming to First Avenue and 13th Street turned out to be correct, though.

Former Teavana still waiting to be converted into a Starbucks

Back in March, the Starbucks-owned Teavana closed on Broadway and East Ninth Street. This was one of those locations that was to become a regular old Starbucks by April.

A walk by the space the other day shows that it remains an empty storefront for now. (There are approved work permits for a renovation on file at the DOB.)

Meanwhile, on this block, the former Radio Shack is becoming ... a Wells Fargo bank branch next door to the Chase branch.



The Broadway-and-East-Ninth-Street space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business.

At a commercial shoot for Starbucks, where craft services doesn't serve Starbucks

A crew was on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue today filming a commercial for Starbucks Visa... EVG reader Daniel noted that the craft services did NOT serve Starbucks during the filming of said Starbucks commercial...





No word if craft services accepted Visa.

Teavana closes ahead of conversion into a Starbucks on Broadway

[Reader-submitted photo]

As expected, the Starbucks-owned Teavana has closed on Broadway and East Ninth Street.

Back in January, Starbucks announced that it will convert the three Teavana tea bar locations in New York into Starbucks stores by the end of April.

While the Teavana tea bars are closing, Starbucks will continue on with the nearly 350 Teavana retail outlets across the country

The Broadway-and-East-Ninth-Street space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business.

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