[SamAdams76]

Since moving my office to Manhattan, I was amazed at the number of Starbucks locations there. Seems like they have one on every city block. But their difficulty begs the questoin: If even Starbucks, with their overpriced lattes and frappucinos can't afford the rents to put their retail shops there, that does not bode well for other retailers in that space.

Oh well, the rents in the Bronx and over in Newark, NJ are much cheaper and they could always move more of their stores over there. That would fit in better with their "race together" campaign.

[MeshugeMikey]

Racetogether....to a cheaper neighborhood

sounds like THE plan!

[willywill]

i’m quite sure that mr schulz’ politics embraces rent control, so he should have no problem explaining he should pay dirt low rents, no matter he’s a billionaire.

[ErnBatavia]

The whiff of Starbucks still reminds me of that of a car battery being charged....way too acidic.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hahahaha! I could sell any merchandise on a New York City sidewalk for free, no rent required.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/licenses/094.shtml

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

#rentistoodamnhigh

It's time for an honest conversation about rent.

[Star Traveler]

SO ... what other store is going to go in there if Starbucks can’t make it?! ... LOL ...

[Cowboy Bob]

If starbucks can’t afford the rent, who can? The article seems to indicate there is an endless supply of people who are willing to step in and pay $600 per sq ft, or $1 million per year for a storefront location.

[chajin]

It’s the end of Starbucks as we know it, and I feel fine...

[BunnySlippers]

Starbucks in LA [and other places] are slated to become wine bars for evening hours with small plates for food.

[ClearCase_guy]

Wait a minute ... wait a minute!

I think I know how we can turn this situation around! What if we passed a law that manadated a $15/hr wage for all barristas? Would that help?

[skeeter]

I can already read the byline for stories about Starbucks leaving the market - racist America can’t handle honest discussions about race.

[doorgunner69]

#STFU!

[ansel12]

They can just reopen their shops in black areas, where the rent is cheaper.

[Svartalfiar]

But their difficulty begs the questoin: If even Starbucks, with their overpriced lattes and frappucinos can't afford the rents to put their retail shops there, that does not bode well for other retailers in that space.

The way the article reads, I get the impression that the rent affordability isn't a question of if Starbucks can afford it, but if it's worth doubling their rent when they can find a cheaper place slightly off the main roads. People still Google search 'Starbucks', and will still find them. Now that they're so well established in people's minds, being in the high-visibility, high-traffic areas isn't as needed anymore. So instead of doubling rent costs, they may just close on 1st street and reopen on 3rd.

[livius]

Starbucks has very good coffee (well, depending on the brew you pick - but it’s usually fresh, except for a few sub-par shops). I buy the K-cups of French roast and Verona for home use.

Some of the stores in NYC are sort of horrible (hostile staff, stale pastries) and some are nice, so you have to know which one is okay.

But after this “Race Together” thing, I honestly think I’ll be avoiding the shops. Who wants to go in to get a cup of coffee and have the staff start talking about “race” when all you really want to do is get a cup of coffee and go to work or maybe go sit down and read the paper.

Plus, how is this going to affect the service? We all have to stand and wait while some twit “explains race” to the customer in front of us?

[only1percent]

Starbucks margins and traffic don’t sustain those kind of rents. An ex-Starbucks location in Manhattan will become a bank branch (thanks to the Federal Reserve, nothing’s more profitable than taking deposits), cell phone outlet, or a restaurant with higher margins and a stronger evening / weekend business.

[kingu]

They should raise the salaries of the employees to at least $15 an hour too; hey, in for a penny, in for a dollar...

[Flick Lives]

The asking rent is $600 per square foot...

Memory of the housing crash from 2006 appears to have vanished. A rental at $600 / sq ft! Insane.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Have they considered coffee and taco carts in Harlem? Cheap and can go with the flow if the race discussions get out of hand!

[RockyTx]

$600 per square foot.

is that, per month, or per year?