Montague Street Starbucks: Not Dead Yet

By on July 14, 2008 5:21 pm in News, Real Estate

Starbucks announced a couple of weeks ago that it would close 600 stores nationwide.  Today the first 50 stores in the dead pool were announced.  While 3 are in New York, the long rumored to close Montague Street branch is not one of them. Yet.

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  • Monty

    I’m glad. Anyone else upset that the new Tazza thinks its a restaurant and not a cafe?

  • nancy

    The staff is surly and unfriendly, not to mention the ridiculous prices, you can give me Starbucks anytime!!!

  • CJP

    Not sure how the rumors of the Montague Street Starbucks’ demise ever got going. I for one don’t ever patronize the place simply because the lines are too long. (And then there’s the philosophical objection asking for a coffee as a tall, grande or venti when large, medium or small have worked pretty well over the years.)

    I go next door to Lassen where a cup of reasonably good coffee is cheaper than Starbucks and I can be out the door in a lot less time.

    That said my wife loves Starbucks. I just object to the lines, the cost and the lingo. I realize I’m in the minority and obviously their business doesn’t seem to be hurting on Montague and I bet if they opened another branch they’d still have plenty of business.

    Starbucks has also been a great neighbor on Montague. The outdoor seats create a feeling of neighborhood and they never bat an eyelid when a non-customer like me might venture in to use the rest room.

    I hope they don’t go out of business. Anyone remember the Korean deli that used to be there?

  • No One Of Consequence

    I never use their proprietary names for sizes, and I only get regular coffee from them, which is not so unreasonably priced.
    Dump enough sugar and half-and-half into it and it’s just as good as any $5 beverage they come up with.

  • vfd

    agree totally on new tazza. table service? what the f? can’t get a waitress and can’t get your own food. and have to hassle with getting someone’s attention again just to pay and leave.

    just let people pay at the counter and sit down, like in normal tazza.

    could end up being a huge mistake if they don’t get rid of that.

  • Mike W

    Not a huge fan of S’Bucks but this one is a gem. I’ve bought a small coffee here and camped out with my laptop for several hours. This would be a huge loss for the neighborhood in my book.

  • JGM

    Despite being a chain (obviously a Tazza would be better), Starbucks is the least of Montague’s enormous list of problems. The place is always full and I have found the employees to all be very friendly.

  • Topham Beauclerk

    CJP, I’ve lived in the Heights since ’91. I remember the Korean deli very well. I still mourn its passing.

  • LD

    I hope everyone is going to give Tazza a chance to succeed. Yes, I think they are working out some kinks, but a cafe/restaurant is better than nothing there! From what I’ve observed, it has a nice-sized crowd in the mornings, but it’s awfully quiet in the evenings after work. Perhaps a liquor license will change that.

  • Monty

    JGM, Tazza is also a chain. Considering it has had 100% growth this year while Starbucks is closing 600 locations, it will overtake Starbucks in a few years. Say what you will, but Starbucks trains the hell out of their employees and they handle a huge flow of customers with extraordinary speed and accuracy. I was in the new Tazza the other day when it was half-empty and it took 15 minutes to get a waitress’ attention. I want them to succeed, but they will need a lot of fine tuning.

  • jw

    agreed – really poor set-up at the new Tazza….should have the cash register better situated – the other day was in there and some guy with a stroller was blocked by the post right by the register – should move the stroller closer to the door and the waiter/ress service is ridiculous

  • Jason

    Agree that new Tazza needs to ditch the table service model. It’s a cafe… you should order and pay at the counter. But Monty, if Tazza is a chain it’s a pretty short one (two links).

  • Jen

    Tazza also really needs to offer more than one size for iced coffees. I’d love to give them my business, but I need more than a small iced coffee in the morning.

  • LD

    Geez, for people who love to rail on the chain-ification of Montague street… you sure have a lot of complaints about a mom-and-pop cafe that has had some success in the neighborhood and is now looking to expand! I’m sure that it was the high price of rent for that large space on Clark St that forced 4 businesses to abandon it in the last 5 years. Would you prefer it became a Blimpie’s or a Boston Market? Maybe it’s naive of me, but I bet the owners would be open to local residents’ suggestions on the new space.

  • http://brooklyn.about.com Henry-ette

    I agree with LD — Let’s give the new Tazza a chance to work out the kinks. I think they’ll figure things out in the next few weeks… Hopefully they’ll remove some of the tables (I think it’s way too crowded in that space), stop the table service (which I don’t understand, either), etc. The coffee and the baked goods are still delicious… I think the place definitely has potential, and I’m happy to support it.

  • Andrew

    It’s not that anyone’s unhappy that Tazza is open on Clark St. (it is a great thing!) but that the Tazza on Clark St. is inferior to the Henry St. original because of conscious changes to the concept. Tazza classic is great because it’s a simple cafe. Tazza mk. 2 is laid out to make walking in and getting a cup of coffee inconvenient.

    Sadly, for Montague St., this average Starbucks is a step up for the community than most of the other businesses on the block.

  • No One Of Consequence

    Only 3 NY locations listed on Starbucks website as part of the 600+ store closings. Does not include the Montague St. location, or any in Brooklyn, for that matter.
    http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=880