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Starbucks is leaving, but Government Center’s steaming kettle will stay
The building owner says the landmark fixture will remain even as the cafe closes.
The Starbucks in Government Center once buzzed with baristas calling out orders and a steady stream of customers pushing through its doors. Now the lights are dark — but the giant steaming brass kettle hanging above will stay, the building’s owner said Monday.
As nearly 20 Starbucks locations closed over the weekend in the Greater Boston area, amidst the company’s restructuring, questions swirled over what would happen to the iconic steaming kettle.
The steaming kettle, made as a publicity stunt for Oriental Tea in 1873, was a fixture in Scollay Square until it moved to its current location at 65 Court St. in the 1960s. It overlooked the construction of City Hall, and sat above a Croissant Du Jour and a Coffee Connection until the storefront became a Starbucks in 1997.
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The building’s owner, who requested to remain anonymous as the trust 63-65 Court Street LLC, says the speculation that the kettle may go was “nonsense.”
“The kettle will be there forever,” he added.
The building’s owner said he was “shocked” to learn Starbucks planned to leave, noting the busy Government Center location has given the company free publicity for years.
He said Starbucks has not contacted him about ending the lease, and until he finds a new tenant, the cafe will remain in the space even if it’s closed. He hopes to secure a replacement soon — ideally, a business that serves better food, he said.
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The owner, who has operated the building and its upstairs dental offices since the early 1990s, added that the closure is Starbucks’ decision to make.
“They’ve built a wonderful business through the years,” he said. “Of course, our relationship will be fine. I’m sure.”
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