'Who Died?' 'It's the Starbucks.'

"Plus, it was nice - spacious and bright, recently renovated, and just a little fancier than the other locations a few minutes away. Aerin would go on weekends and come home with stories about friends she saw there and a barista named Brittany. Once, she even brought home one of Brittany's signed cups. Alisa looked stricken when she tried to break the news. "Who died?" Aerin asked. "It's not a person," Alisa told her. "It's the Starbucks.""

"This month, Starbucks closed just over 2 percent of locations across the country, but 8.5 percent of those stores were in New York. According to one count, more than half were in the five boroughs. Landlords fumed. ("No warning, no heads-up.") The city sent a strongly worded letter suggesting a failure to comply with labor laws. Unionized workers claimed retaliation."

"The chain that had pummeled mom-and-pop cafés, ruined a generation of palates with its burned dark roast, and as of late been in various standoffs with its unionized workers has also somehow gained the status of a beloved neighborhood haunt. In the 31 years since the first New York store opened on West 87th and Broadway, Starbucks had, at least to some, become a character in the city, as ubiquitous as the hot-dog cart and more dependable than the corner newsstand,"

Alisa's 11-year-old daughter, Aerin, treated the nearby Starbucks as a safe weekend hangout and mourned its closing. Starbucks closed just over 2 percent of U.S. locations while New York experienced a disproportionate share, with many closures concentrated in the five boroughs. Landlords complained about abrupt shutdowns and the city raised labor-law concerns. Unionized workers alleged retaliation. Many New Yorkers reacted strongly, emphasizing Starbucks' role as a familiar neighborhood fixture. The chain reshaped local coffee culture, endured in changing neighborhoods, and has been present in New York for 31 years since its first store opened on West 87th and Broadway.

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