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November 8, 2007

Streetlevel: A Starbucks on Every Corner?

How many Starbucks locations are there in Brooklyn at present? 21. How many will there be in three years? About 100. At yesterday's quarterly Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable luncheon at the Brooklyn Historical Society, the coffee giant's real estate broker in Brooklyn noted that the company was planning to open 25 stores a year for the next three years and that, given the recent transformation of Brooklyn, its expansion was "not precluded from any neighborhood." (The recently-opened location in Brighton Beach, for example, has been a big success.) Hey, maybe Crown Heights will get its day in the services sun after all? Clinton Hill, Bed Stuy and PLG are also lacking, for that matter.

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Comments

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:27 PM

meanwhile, they're tring to get out of their lease on Montague. Fine with me; that's a lousy starbucks.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:27 PM

I applaude the increase in public restrooms

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:30 PM

Great,

Starbucks = Services
Way to go brownstoner.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:32 PM

I don't believe this actually.

Brooklyn could not possibly support 75 more Starbucks. That's absurd.

I hear the one on 7th Avenue isn't even doing well with Ozzie's and Gorilla giving them a run for their money.

The economy is taking a dive. People will be a lot more reluctant to spend 4 bucks a day on coffee.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:33 PM

They should put more brownstones in Brooklyn.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:33 PM

I have a boner right now.

The What

Someday this war is gonna end......

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:36 PM

Bring it to Crown Heights baby! Empty storefronts on Kingston!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:46 PM

Bring it to Franklin and Eastern Pky in the new development on the NE corner. The tenants will be able to support it and by the time the bldg is built the nabe will have changed significantly still. Even though I dont like the coffee i would support it ! We have few options in CHeights

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:49 PM

PLG is certainly "lacking" a Starbucks, but I think they'd have a REALLY hard time drawing customers away from K-Dog.

Perhaps they could make it here if they "pioneered" on Rogers Ave, an historically failed commercial strip that IMO would, some day, be perfect for restaurants, antique shops , and art galleries [actually, it DOES have one of those already].

Posted by: Bob Marvin at November 8, 2007 2:50 PM

Windsor Terrace has three great coffee shops.
No need for the bux, thank you.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 2:57 PM

Wish we had that Belgian coffee shop chain here, Le Pain Quotidien. Love their organic breads.

Starbucks is just so damn ugly, regardless of your taste in coffee. They haven't updated their look since 1993, and the color scheme has become an adjective (a pejorative one, obviously) when I'm deciding on colors for paints and finishes. "That's just so starbucks".

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:03 PM

Greenpoint already has one of these. Oddly, I don't feel lucky.

Then again, with the oil spill and waste treatment plant, we now have a toxic trifecta! w00t!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:06 PM

Its difficult to get a cup of consistent, good quality coffee as Starbucks. I am torn on this. Saying yes to this chain will make it that much easier for others to come through . i like them in Manhattan.

Has Beans is weak. Cafe Sutra used to be good but i believe is under new management and is no longer good.

Posted by: greenwood slope at November 8, 2007 3:07 PM

Starbucks is the root of all evil.

Seriously hate that place and all they stand for.

Their business model is to invade a neighborhood with multiple stores...keep them open long enough to put the independents out of business, and then they close the unnecessary "extra" Starbucks.

Saw it happen on the upper west side over the past 5 years.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:12 PM

Hey 2:33 Brooklyn is the biggest borough in NYC, bring on the Starbucks baby!!!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:12 PM

they really should update their look

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:14 PM

I used to be a Starbucks junkie but the inconsistent coffee and service annoyed me . I used to go to the SB on Montague Street.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:16 PM

I was gay-bashed at Starbucks once.

Never will I go there again.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:22 PM

BRING IT ON ALONG THE PH/CH BORDER! We have NO place to get coffee on the way up the hill on Washington Ave to the E Pkwy stop on the 2/3 in the morning. Seen all the hipsters at that station lately? I for one would not patronize, but would surely appreciate bringing in some new types of business on Washington Ave.

Posted by: linkinplace at November 8, 2007 3:30 PM

"Seen all the hipsters at that station lately?"

Nope.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:35 PM

hipster=douchebag

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:39 PM

coffee = drugs

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 3:51 PM

Yessssss.

Starbucks is anathema to dilettantes and anarchists only.

To the rest of America, it's progress.

Keep 'em coming.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 4:06 PM

please please put it in the empty storefront on driggs and N. 7th in front of the L and where the bus empties out the people from greenpoint.

joes busy deli has BAD coffee and altho the Broolyn Brown coffee truck is good, they run out of muffins and pastries, and they don't have receipts.

i now have to walk to atlas to get coffee (not a fan of oslo's drip, sorry)

love the starbucks venti coffee. these neighborhood shops are usually selling smaller cups of coffee for more money.

starbucks pays decent wages and benefits to its workers. while all the hate?

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 4:43 PM

It is rumored that a Starbucks will open at Franklin and Eastern Pkwy once that development is complete as well as on Fulton St. and Greene Avenue in the former hardware store in Ft.Greene as well as the spot where Mikes Diner is currently operating in Clinton Hill. Dont know if these will occur but only time will tell.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 4:45 PM

well i guess you celebrators of economic development get the world you deserve.
Bland, corporate, calculated .. servers with cold dead eyes.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 5:01 PM

Bed Stuy has real coffee shops like Bread Stuy, bushbaby, Common Grounds, Tiny Cup and Twofiftyeight Cafe - all home grown - we don't need Starbucks.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 5:32 PM

Starbucks pays a decent wage, offers health insurance to its workers, sells the richest, most consistently roasted coffee on the market, and promotes the gospel of shade grown beans and fair trade. They've gotten rich teaching people what good coffee is. I still go to Tillie's and I love the independent vibe, the artwork, the community news on the bulletin board. But for all the idealism about mom-n-pop coffee joints, not many of them have the knowledge or standards to sell coffee as good as the Bux. Hate to say it, but it's true. I wish more of them would learn something from the big chain so they could compete.

And Starbucks hardly has a monopoly on servers with cold, dead eyes. Actually their staff seems happier than most (see above).

But good point about the design-- the signage and logo are great, but the interior design is like 1995 Pottery Barn on steroids, especially those nasty pendant lamps. This joint needs a new look.

Posted by: Rehab at November 8, 2007 5:35 PM

Starbucks has a past pattern of opening MORE coffee shops than a specific area can support to deliberately drive local coffee shops out of business.

Once the area has been cleared of competition they close down some of their locations.

I'm not making this up - this is their business stragegy.

The only time I like Starbucks is when I'm somewhere without other decent coffee, like in the middle of Indiana.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 6:03 PM

When Starbucks first started spreading, about 5-6 years ago, I welcomed them and patronized their stores. I thought it was great that I could buy a cup of coffee and sit for hours if I wanted to, without anyone rushing me out.

Well, now I avoid them at all costs, unless I have to make a bathroom stop, because their coffee is just so damn gross. Bitter, watered down, nasty. Their pastries are bland and greasy. The quality has deteriorated greatly, not that it was ever that awesome. I wish Peet's Coffee would spread like wildfire, but they can't afford to do so. It's a shame. Peet's has some really delicious coffee.

Starbucks is now just a McDonald's and is making everyone even more obese-all those kids drinking 20 oz. Frappuccinos with whipped cream, etc. It's a fat ass trashy joint, nothing more.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 6:05 PM

Burn every Starbucks down. BURN BABY BURN!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 6:08 PM

Yes, that is a well-known saturation strategy. Similar to one used by Duane Reade. Ever notice how there are two Duane Reades within 2-3 blocks of each other?

Starbucks serves repulsive, expensive coffee, and shuts everyone else down in the process. I hope the local coffee shops throughout Brooklyn step up to the plate and act to sustain and build their customer base in the face of the Starbucks plague.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 6:09 PM

Hey, I don't love Starbucks, but it isn't the devil either; and is Ozzy's coffee really that good? I DON'T THINK SO.

Posted by: BrooklynCouch at November 8, 2007 6:52 PM

"And Starbucks hardly has a monopoly on servers with cold, dead eyes. Actually their staff seems happier than most (see above)."

We're comparing them to indie coffee shops, not freaking home depot here. They may smile a tad more than the woman at duane reade but what a low barrier that is.

It is a given that if they standardize their "taste" and appeal across america (and they do) then they do NOT roast their beans optimally. My bet is they ship everything in the store, down to the faux indie CDs they sell, from huge distribution warehouses using trucks and diesel. Their food comes from the same mega-factory-plexes. Their commitment to fair trade / fair prices for pickers is 90% lip-service and PR, and 10% reality. Compare their budget for promoting their "eco friendly" policies to the pay per picker and I guarantee the former outweighs the latter.

They're disgusting. No more so than every other pustular chain brand that dominates the strip-mall landscape, sure. But NOT having those logos shot at our eyeballs every minute is the POINT of living in brooklyn.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:03 PM

Hey PEET'S CORPORATE OFFICES: Why can't you guys make it down to NYC?? What's going on? The Starbucks mafia CAN be outwitted. Please give it a shot.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:15 PM

You know what? I'm FAR from a coffee snob. But anyone with at least 1/2 a tastebud should be able to realize that Starbuck's coffee tastes like ass, open ass.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:18 PM

Both Ozzy's and Gorilla (5th ave) are far superior to Starbucks in terms of quality of coffee and taste. Period. Hell, Dunkin Donuts coffee is better than Starbucks coffee.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:19 PM

Starbucks is a great company! They even give their employees who work part-time benefits.

Posted by: KarinaB at November 8, 2007 7:32 PM

Ozzie's coffee sucks. You are on crack, 7:19. Their coffee is completely flavorless. And their employees humorless.

Gorilla Coffee is the best. Ozzie's doesn't even compare.

As for Starbucks, as others have pointed out, they are a completely responsible corporation. It's good to reward good corporations. Otherwise what's the incentive for any other corporations to do better? What, you think all corporations will disappear? Sorry, I'd rather not live in the apocolyptic dreamworld you all envision as being so wonderful.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:35 PM

HEY--I could give a shit if they were Mother Theresa. I think their coffee sucks big time. That is why I do not buy it. But, I guess the majority of the American population disagrees, which is why the chain is so popular. Viva Starbucks! Keep getting fat America!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:41 PM

Do you all think 5th Avenue will be able to keep Starbucks at bay? Or will one move in soon?

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 7:47 PM

Lacking??? In BedStuy we are lucky there is no Starbucks! Keep starbucks the Hell out of my nieghborhood! We like locals!

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 8:06 PM

5th ave needs a starbucks in north slope. ozzie's is gross and gorilla can't serve people fast enough. I won't stand in line for 30 min for a cup of coffee just cause you think starbucks is evil.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 8:57 PM

i think ozzie's and gorrila could keep a starbucks at bay on 5th avenue.

there would be so much protest.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 9:07 PM

Yes, Ozzie's is not very good. Gorilla is awesome, but needs to improve customer service, like HIRE another coffer maker (i.e. barista). My dream is to open a coffee shop on 5th Avenue...

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 9:10 PM

I don't understand all the hate for ozzie's. every time coffee is mentioned, the bile starts flowing. it seems to me that someone has it out for ozzie's and that a past employee must like to spread around how much they hate it.

i go to ozzie's (on 7th) nearly every day. the guys there are always friendly, they usually have my coffee on the counter before i even make it up there, even when it's busy and it's 1.50 and absolutely delicious. love the coffee. they have some good cookies...love the oatmeal raisin and even the turkey sandwich ain't bad in a pinch.

what do people hate so much about it? i don't get it.

it's packed every time i'm in there, so obviously i'm not the only one who likes it, but it always seems that people on this blog seem to really dislike it.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 9:26 PM

As a graphic designer I want to love Gorilla, because I really appreciate the well designed logo and signage, etc. But the lines are too long and I don't actually like the coffee.

Posted by: guest at November 8, 2007 11:50 PM

starbucks coffee is low grade and expensive.

why do people pine over that shit?

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 7:51 AM

already one coming to the corner of franklin and eastern pkwy in the new development on the corner. the developer announced it. supposedly along with a walgreens.

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 8:18 AM

I'm very psyched about this!

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 8:49 AM

oh please no!

i can't imagine that there are enough brooklynites who would patronize starbucks in their neighborhoods to support that many. we go to starbucks only when in midtown. think that's where they should stay.

is mike's coffee shop in clinton hill leaving? i'll cry if starbucks goes in to that space.

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 11:40 AM

i lived near the ozzie's on 5th for years. they rarely opened on time and the staff SUCKED. they would be high or hung over or both. then there would be a really long line, but one of the workers would be in the back or worse, just sitting having a coffee themselves.

way more money for less than starbucks there for sure.

Posted by: guest at November 9, 2007 2:46 PM

it's the workaholic money-obsessed NYC culture that requires coffee to keep working longer hours in order to get money to buy SUVs and Condos that is the root of the problem here.

Boycott all coffee. Free yourself from the dependency cycle.

(btw, starbucks isnt good coffee, its just excessively high caffeine coffee. don't let your drug addiction do the talking.)

Posted by: guest at November 13, 2007 11:51 PM

put one on wyckoff av between hart st and suydam... it will raise the value of the condos recently built in that area...

Posted by: guest at November 19, 2007 10:11 AM