Mayor Walsh, city councilors Michael Flaherty and Michelle Wu and state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry this morning backed residents opposed to a Starbucks at L Street and East Broadway, saying there are already enough coffee options in the area, that a Starbucks would exacerbate morning traffic woes at the intersection and would help to eat away at the family-oriented, mom-and-pop nature of the commercial district east of Perkins Square.
"There's not really a public need for another coffee shop," John Allison, the mayor's neighborhood liaison for South Boston, said at a Boston Licensing Board hearing this morning.
City Councilor Bill Linehan (South Boston) was the only elected official to voice support for the proposed Starbucks. An aide told the board that Linehan has "always supported retail use for that part of Broadway;" he pointed to the neighboring Tasty Burger and Dunkin' Donuts, which Linehan also supported. State Rep. Nick Collins (D-South Boston), neither attended nor sent an aide to testify.
The board decides tomorrow whether to grant Starbucks a food-serving license for a 39-seat Starbucks open from 5 a.m to 11 p.m. - or grant residents the 30-day deferral they asked for. Developer Michael Norton had originally proposed a sit-down restaurant for the space, but shelved that plan when the licensing board wouldn't give him a liquor license.
At the hearing, residents said L and Broadway is already a morning battlefield for kids walking to school, people getting on a T bus to downtown and commuters coming all the way from the South Shore on L Street.
But beyond that, residents said City Point doesn't need another coffee shop, especially not one controlled by a distant corporation in a neighborhood where most shop owners live locally.
Residents noted at least five outlets within 700 feet of the location that already serve coffee. The owners of three of those businesses - Molly Moo's, Boston Bagel Co. and Cranberry Cafe - testified against the proposal. Molly Moo's owner Mohammed Nahas predicted Starbucks would put him out of business and that it would suck money out of South Boston and send it out of town to "a big entity," never to return.
Other residents said the locally owned shops - and the locally based owner of the Dunkin' Donuts - always give back to the community, something they said the big chains such as Rite-Aid, CVS and Starbucks never do.
"There's only so many cups of coffee you can drink," one opponent added.
Starbucks supporter Kenny Jervis, though, begged to differ. "I drink eight cups of coffee a day," and in pursuit of a java jolt, he said, he's noticed that Starbucks has actually promoted the development of a "coffee community" in other neighborhoods, such as the Fenway, where they've opened up.
"We can't discriminate against which businesses move into the city," Jervis said, comparing Starbucks to GE, which the city actively pursued.
A Starbucks official denied the coffeehouse would kill off nearby shops. "It's a different kind of coffee shop," one that would be open late at night as an alternative to nearby bars, unlike the other local coffee servers, all of which close by early evening, she said.
She said that Starbucks has considerable support in the community. She said workers collected 100 signatures in suppoort in just a half hour standing at the nearest T bus stop.
When asked by board Chairwoman Christine Pulgini if she could agree to a 30-day deferral to try to reach some sort of armistice with neighbors, the offical said she didn't know how to answer, in part because "we were definitely caught offguard" by the opposition. Unusually for a large chain going before the licensing board, Starbucks was not represented by a local licensing and zoning attorney, or any attorney at all.
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Comments
Please
By bosguy22
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:45am
"Molly Moo's owner Mohammed Nahas predicted Starbucks would put him out of business and that it would suck money out of South Boston and send it out of town to "a big entity," never to return."
Would that be the Mohammed Nahas who is from Quincy? Does he spend all of his money in Southie before he goes across the border?
I was wondering where Molly Moos went
By Nancy
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:54am
It wasn't in the best location in Quincy. It was on a side road off of Quincy Shore Drive where most of the traffic is trying to get to Beale Street and points beyond.
Now I know where not to go for my ice cream sandwiches.
Consumer decide?
By johnmcboston
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:25pm
If Molly Moo's is so good, why would all their customers flock to starbucks?
good ice cream, terrible food
By manbearwolf
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:57pm
their sandwiches are awful and service is super slow. they should probably dedicate time to their menu and staff efficiency rather than worry about Starbucks.
Starbucks doesn't even sell
By anon
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:16pm
Starbucks doesn't even sell ice cream. This guy is delusional. I went in there once with my roommate, and he kept trying to push me to eat a free cookie. He can't give his shit away, because he doesn't realize most people in the city just don't eat ice cream and cookies anymore past the age of 12.
You don't eat cookies or ever
By Anin
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:29pm
You don't eat cookies or ever eat icecream??? Boring
Thanks, guys
By Waquiot
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 3:47pm
Now I'm craving an ice cream sandwich. Maybe I'll go to Southie after work.
Average age of those not in support
By SoBo-Yuppie
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:52pm
just curious. at the meeting at Tynan, what was the average age of the people that were against the starbucks?
You don't know
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:39pm
Or is this a rhetorical question from the dog walker?
Hey Anon or anyone for that matter
By Bailey
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 9:29am
I am the dogwalker you speak of . If you want to discuss anything with me please just stop me on the street as you seem to know who I am and be a man or woman and stop hiding behind the Internet. I have been here 15 years and I bought a single family and didn't flip and sell out like all your friends did i am staying ..my kids are OFS ... And. Am a proud NFS. So please say hi to me .
If Southie gets a Starbucks
By Don
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:42pm
If Southie gets a Starbucks then Eastie will follow, because a lot of developers building in Eastie are the same developers who have built high end apartment buildings in Southie, Southie Eastie partnership lol,
*if* Southie gets a Starbucks?
By Ralph Boston
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 12:39am
There's already one at Broadway station. Four more in the Seaport section of South Boston.
Starbucks owner is a greedy
By Tim
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:16pm
Starbucks owner is a greedy bastard!!! I don't think you can purchase a Starbucks as a franchise. Guy is making billions from all the yuppie bastards from all over.
This guy opened an ice cream
By anon
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:06pm
This guy opened an ice cream shop next to a park in a city that has 6 months of winter. He will be out of business by next year either way. Maybe Starbucks can take over his location?
Yeah, this town sucks for ice-cream places
By adamg
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:16pm
Anybody remember that JP Licks place? It's a wonder it stayed open as long as it did.
Really? Do you mean Boston
By different anon
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 6:05pm
Really? Do you mean Boston specifically? There's a bunch of great ice cream stands in the Boston area.
"saying there are already
By DPM
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:50am
"saying there are already enough coffee options in the area"
The only person with any authority to make that claim is the consumer speaking with their wallets.
"Already Enough"
By piscis
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:02pm
That phrase is like nails on a chalkboard.
yeah
By slowman4130
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:13pm
why would I go to Starbucks when I can go to Cranberry and get the most miserable AF attitude from the off-the-boat irish staff, likely because I "didn't grow up here"?
yeah
By Steeve
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:40pm
I'm sure off-the-boat Irish staff are really concerned that you "didn't grow up (there)".
How would they know?
By Lmo
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 3:31pm
How would they know?
Sad that out of state
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 4:30pm
Sad that out of state transplants have to be bigoted about it. Feel free to move back to the part of the country you left and no one cares about.
Pssssttt
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 9:11pm
y'know, townies can laugh at a few people who've lived around the country, but the whole rest of the country is laughing at townies. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening.
Townies are above average
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:11pm
Townies are above average compared to the rest of the country, you would know that if you ever traveled.
Townies are from Charlestown
By A.S. Merrimac
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 4:07pm
Townies are from Charlestown sport.
Every place on that block has
By anon
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:10pm
Every place on that block has the worst customer service. I live 2 blocks from "bustling" E. Broadway, and I head out to the S. End every weekend, straight to Starbucks or Cafe Nero where the kids who work there are nice and there are other people who like to sit and read or chat politely.
Southie is still filled with a bunch of anti-social drunks, so I guess it's no loss to me not to have someplace to go where I could accidentally meet them.
Nail salons and banks
By GoSoxGo
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:38pm
Imagine limiting those on Centre Street in West Roxbury. It is beyond ridiculous that anyone should have any say on what particular business can open in a particular location, as long as it is properly zoned and licensed. Let the market decide.
If it weren't for our puritanical and arbitrary liquor license laws, we would have had an Italian restaurant in that location. Oh wait a minute, Capo just opened up nearby and there are hundreds of other Italian restaurants within 3 miles. We can't have that either.
As for the other point that too many people double-park or the intersection is too busy/dangerous, then that is up to the city to fix/enforce (see yesterday's 60 comments).
EXACTLY
By Marco
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 8:53am
I am no fan of Starbucks, but I hate that the city is constantly crying poor and I see nothing but double parked cars and delivery trucks on my commute from Mattapan to Charlestown via Morrisey, Day blvds, L /Summer St, and Surface road. If every double parked vehicle along that route got a ticket every day they probably would NEVER have to raise property taxes to residents in Boston ever again.
I guess we can expect Marty to now demand that
By MC Slim JB
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:55am
Stop & Shop and Rite-Aid sell out to local, mom-and-pop owners as well, what with the heinous detrimental impact of chains on the area and all.
yes!
By bosguy22
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:57am
but for the time being, please buy your coffee at Cumberland Farms. Gotta support the mom and pop businesses.
Why do you hate farmers?
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:35pm
Salt of the earth folks who founded this great nation (after the Naitve americans were all killed or moved)
No farms, no food!
I am heartened to see that there's nothing on Marty Walsh's plate which is more important than this coffee shop crisis though. Guess everything else is going great.
Oh - how I wish that Stop &
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:52pm
Oh - how I wish that Stop & Shop would be forced out. Hair found in fish, molded produce. It's just so awful.
As for Starbucks, let em come—but it'd be great if some of the great local coffee spots that are expanding elsewhere in the city set up shop there instead.
It's perfectly ok to have a
By Bob
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:56am
It's perfectly ok to have a Walgreens, Cvs, dollar store, McDonald's, h&r block, super cuts, ups stores, wouldn't anyone think these nationwide chain stores are also taking business away from mom and pop stores. You can place Starbucks in the list of chain businesses that are already in Southie
A week ago Walsh expressed
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:11pm
A week ago Walsh expressed outrage over Amazon providing same-day delivery everywhere except one particular area. Now he's saying that Starbucks should stay away from a particular area? Seems kinda hypocritical.
Maybe the mayor is right.
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:27pm
The coffee bubble is going to pop eventually.
When the coffee bubble pops
By Nancy
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 11:18am
It's time for the bubble tea places to take over.
Starbucks
By Coffee mate
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:33pm
So old southie and the mayor are against a Starbucks coming to town. Last time I checked Starbucks were providing health insurance for employees long before it became law. As for old southie and back in the day shit. Why is there no mention of while the neighbourhood was so perfect and protected by a rat were our young boys and girls doing swan dives off the projects roof high as kites with.....wait for it.....drugs sold to them by their so called protector of the streets. Ya know folks if you really want to help out the point put a methedone clinic there. Cuz ya got more junkies that need help than coffee. Just shove your head in the sand frauds one and all.
Starbucks rep
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:35pm
Stated at the community meeting that the build out at this site was almost complete. I looked in the door and only the rough framing is complete and they were installing insulation. So an Italian restaurant could still go there.
Why Italian?
By zetag
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:35pm
There is already Cafe Porto Bello a block away, Capo which just opened, and Strega in the seaport. Not to mention that most people who want an Italian meal are probably going to the North End anyway.
Yup
By bosguy22
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:54pm
we don't NEED any more Italian restaurants. Plenty of Chinese too. There's a sushi place across the street, a couple real estate offices. We definitely have more than enough liquor stores, wine shops, and bars. Guess the owner of the building is out of luck, he'll just have to wait until someone retires or sells their building before he's allowed to open anything in his space.
No strip clubs though
By zetag
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:00pm
Maybe we could try proposing one of those?
No, please! It would be all
By anon
Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:13pm
No, please! It would be all flat-assed, bad attitude "local" Southie dancers.
The World Class City that Can Say NO!!
By Stevil
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:44pm
No more liquor stores for you!
No Wal Mart for you!
No FIOS for you!
No Chik Fil A for you!
No CVS in Roslindale for you!
No Starbucks for you!
No Indy Car for you!
No Olympics for you! (OK - I'll give us that one!)
Sometimes no is fine
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:47pm
Wal-mart, Chik Fil A were social / political but I'm fine with it.
Indy Car and Boston2024 couldn't prove they weren't going to pork us with huge cost overruns without a big enough payoff
CVS, Fios and the liquor stores is just stupid though but also local politics mostly.
Is your fine my fine?
By Stevil
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:04pm
I get the Olympics - and the Indy Car was just a massive screw up by an inexperienced mayor that didn't know how to get buy in.
Not saying I philosophically disagree with you on any of these businesses - but government should not be in the business of telling otherwise law abiding businesses when and where they can do business. Create a level playing field and get the hell out of the way.
You and Shirley both
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:11pm
Here's a column by Shirley I found (when googling Walmart + Boston) about how great Walmart is
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/08/01/ne...
Everything's so cheap which is awesome says Shirley, conveniently ignoring the fact that Walmart can afford to offer low prices by getting federal/state aid to subsidize their employees through footstamps, section 8 housing, etc... What an incurious dummy...
I kind of agree with you though, but the answer to the Walmart problem is to ensure that they'd have to pay their employees a living wage, along with all other city employers, not to unilaterally block them.
What makes you think Walmart
By DPM
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:55pm
What makes you think Walmart pays its people less than its competitors?
Never mind the ridiculousness that is the argument that the government is subsidizing Walmart by providing low wage workers with subsidies.
But no is no
By Waquiot
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 1:50pm
It would be one thing if these businesses failed the consumers didn't care for them for whatever reason, but time and time again we are the major metropolis that seems to enjoy stagnation. Want to build housing next to commuter rail stations in West Roxbury or Hyde Park? Sorry, too much traffic, but we do feel bad that the next generation is getting priced out of the area. You want exciting events? Sure, but no part of the city wants to put them on (see Roadman's take on the Boston Marathon.)
I have no love of Starbucks and wouldn't shed a tear if there were none in the city (disclosure, I don't drink coffee) but blocking them, just like blocking chains in our fair neighborhood, does not send a good signal. Supporting local businesses or businesses that support whatever is very different from having elected officials oppose new businesses.
There is not stagnation here
By anon
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:14pm
There is not stagnation here compared to most other parts of the country.
But are we "world class"?
By Waquiot
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:31pm
I mean, would New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, and the like really be against the things we are against?
And I know I went off topic with the opposition to new housing, but if we don't resolve that, we will stagnate.
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