The Starbucks at 2045 Broadway, now closed
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Sweet fancy Moses! When we reported that the iconic Starbucks from You’ve Got Mail was closing on September 26, we did not anticipate a domino-like effect, with news reports of hundreds of other Starbucks locations shuttering across the country.
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Reading the tea leaves, ILTUWS saw warning signs about the coffee trade, such as when President Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee beans — a source that Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee chain, has been tapping into since it was founded in 1971. Dr. Pepper and Keurig are separating their 2018 merger, but before that, they bought Peet’s Coffee for $18 billion. Under the split, Dr. Pepper plans to handle cold beverages like Snapple, soda, and energy drinks, while Keurig manages the coffee side. Luckin Coffee, the dominant chain from China, recently opened its first NYC location in the midst of Starbucks’ woes. Be on the lookout — they might be popping up in numbers soon.Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced on September 25 that the company would close underperforming North America coffeehouses as part of its “Back to Starbucks” plan, reducing its overall company-operated count in the region by about 1% in fiscal year 2025 before resuming growth in 2026. Nearly 18,300 total Starbucks locations will remain across the U.S. and Canada, and more than 1,000 stores are slated for upgrades over the next 12 months. Partners at closing stores will be offered transfers where possible or provided severance, while non-retail operations will be cut by roughly 900 roles. Niccol said the steps, though difficult, are intended to focus resources closest to customers, strengthen the company’s long-term growth, and create more opportunities for partners, suppliers, and communities.
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Here are the UWS locations that have closed (so far):- 159 Columbus Avenue, between West 67th and West 68th Streets (this was a test location where customers could only order using a credit card through the Starbucks app). Employees said they loved working here and that the store had a cult-like following among customers, but they weren’t sure it generated enough revenue to justify the rent.
- 2045 Broadway, between West 70th and West 71st Streets.
- 2252 Broadway, on the corner of West 81st Street.
An employee at one location told us during our visit that there are rumors among staff that more UWS closings could be coming soon.
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