North End cafe owners rally against proposed Starbucks
A planned overhaul of the historic community's "gateway" would put the national coffee chain on the corner of Hanover Street. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many local business owners aren't too happy.
A Starbucks could be coming to the “gateway” of the North End, and some of the neighborhood’s most prominent business owners are not too keen on the idea.
The proposal by Charter Realty & Development to overhaul the portion of Cross Street along the Freedom Trail had already proved controversial among some residents. And now, the Connecticut-based firm’s plans to put a Starbucks on the corner of Hanover Street as part of the development project has brought several North End cafe, bakery, and restaurant owners to speak out.
“People are coming into here for a reason — not to go to a Starbucks or a McDonald’s.” Angelo Papa, the owner of Mike’s Pastry, said in a recent video produced by Lynn filmmaker Rocco Capano.
From Mike’s to Modern Pastry to Caffé Vittoria to Polcari’s to Carmelina’s, local business owners in the video expressed concern about both the aesthetic and economic effects of the behemoth coffee chain’s presence in the historic neighborhood.
“They’re going to take away, not only from the coffee shops, but from the bakeries, the pastry shops, lunch spots,” Mivan Spencer, the co-owner and manager of Caffe Dello Sport, said. “They’re going to ‘conform’ into the neighborhood, and that’s gonna take a lot away from a lot of people.”
In truth, a number of large chains have already made inroads in the North End. A Peet’s Coffee shop is already a block away on the corner of Salem and Cross Street. There are two 7-Elevens along the north half of Hanover Street, a CVS Pharmacy around the corner of the proposed Starbucks location, and several national bank chains. There’s even already a Starbucks on the periphery of the North End on Atlantic Avenue.
However, opponents say the proposed 198 Hanover St. location is too front and center — as well as needless.
An online petition against the proposal notes that Starbucks already has 10 shops within a half-mile. Additionally, it argues that the planned location could detract from the community’s independently held businesses.
“We believe the proposed project and location will negatively impact the [neighborhood’s] many locally owned family businesses, while severely eroding the history, culture and aesthetic of an area that attracts so many visitors each year,” the petition reads.
Backers of the development have launched a petition of their own.
https://www.facebook.com/NorthEndPiazza/photos/a.221712411943469.1073741830.213238882790822/221705535277490/?type=3&theater
A Facebook page called “North End Piazza on The Greenway” began circulating renderings of Charter’s proposed development and pedestrian plaza. The page is also promoting an online petition, which argues the current gateway “is not representative of the culture and charm found within the historic community.”
“The North End is brimming with charm — all it needs is a welcoming gateway that mirrors this unique character,” read one Facebook post Tuesday.
NorthEndWaterfront.com reported in April that Charter was seeking permits to bring a Starbucks to the Hanover Street corner storefront, one of the planned development’s three commercial storefronts. A Citizens Bank is currently located on the corner and is reportedly expected to move to the center Cross Street space. As NorthEndWaterfront.com noted, the Greenway-facing block has been “oddly desolate” since the Big Dig and “most of the storefronts never gained much momentum” on the stretch, despite its seemingly appealing location.
Charter and Starbucks did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposed store Tuesday.
Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, whose district includes the North End, is “deferring commentary on the proposal until after she speaks with constituents directly about the issue,” according to Joel Wool, her director of policy and communications.
The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services is holding a public meeting on the proposed Starbucks at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Nazzaro Center in the North End. Edwards is planning to attend the meeting, Wool said.
It seems likely that she won’t be the only one.
