Joe, no!
Coffee-crazed New Yorkers were left with a case of the java jitters this week after bean juice giant Starbucks suddenly shuttered dozens of local stores — as part of a controversial $1 billion restructuring plan.
A whopping 54 Gotham shops out of a total of just under 200 will be wiped off the retail map, according to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection — leaving plenty of latte lovers across the five boroughs trudging elsewhere for their fix.
At least it’ll be a short walk — data published in July by local caffeine catering pros Brewani revealed that the city that never sleeps can at least partially blame its insomnia on the 1,744 coffee shops and 956 cafes the Big Apple boasts.
Translated, that means that NYC currently has the highest density of espresso parlors and frozen latte factories in the U.S., surpassing west coast hotspots like San Francisco and Seattle — even without a Starbucks on every corner.
Need help finding a new morning favorite? The city’s full of great independents, of course.
New York is home to two of the country’s best coffee roasters — Sey Coffee and Dayglow, both worth a trek to Bushwick — as well as pilgrimage-worthy neighborhood faves like Suited Coffee in the Financial District and sip-worthy mini-chains like Black Fox Coffee.
But, bearing in mind that most only-got-a-minute commuters don’t ride the subway to get their morning cup, we’ve selected five of the most popular and ubiquitous coffee chains in New York City right now — sampling their wares to come up with a list of the best Starbucks dupes to add to your daily routine.
For your Frappucino fix
Krispy Kreme has always been a prime spot for donuts and coffee, with prime locations in Times Square and at Penn Station — but the sugar slinger has lately been taking aim at Starbucks Frappuccinos with their line of frozen lattes.
The star — an Original Glazed, which is essentially a creamier Frappuccino that tastes like a Krispy Kreme donut. Seasonal frozen lattes in Brown Butter and Pumpkin Spice flavors are also worth a try.
Latte lovers are in Luckin
Recent NYC transplant Luckin Coffee isn’t the world’s biggest chain just yet — with about 26,000 worldwide stores to Starbucks’ roughly 35,000.
Should trends continue, however, the China-based concern could soon swoosh past the Siren — and for many making the switch, it’s down to Luckin’s coconut latte, made with raw extracted coconut milk for that real-feel taste and selling into the billions.
Bonus: Unlike Starbucks’ increasingly watered-down points system, fans say Luckin’s app can be a goldmine of deals.
A refresher-ing change
Starbucks Refreshers aren’t the only caffeinated non-coffee beverage on the block — Dunkin’s own line of zippy sippers, which currently come in Strawberry Dragonfruit and Mango Pineapple, are fine stand-ins.
These drinks also contain more caffeine — approx. 66 mgs in Dunkin’s 16 oz. Small to 44-55 mgs in Starbucks’ same-sized Grande. They’re made with B vitamins and green tea.
Dunkin’ Refreshers made a considerable splash earlier this year with Sabrina Carpenter’s limited-edition Strawberry Daydream Refresher.
A classier cup
When it comes to a simple and satisfying cup of drip coffee from a chain, Starbucks hasn’t been your best bet for a long time now, New York — Blue Bottle, increasingly found all over Manhattan, easily takes that prize.
Once a Bay Area indie darling and now owned by Nestlé, it’s not quite what it used to be, but compensates for that fact by being nearly everywhere.
This is also one of your best bets for a custom-brewed pourover coffee, at any time of day, without complaints.
The perfect match-a
Suddenly everywhere, Blank Street Coffee doesn’t nearly serve New York’s best bean, but those in the know are hitting up the ubiquitous overnight success for their series of ceremonial-grade matcha drinks.
There are nice, normal hot matcha lattes, but also bizarre but worth-a-shot mashups such as the Matcha Carrot Cake Latte, which blends carrot, honey, cinnamon and vanilla icing with oat milk — along with gobs of the good green stuff. A sweet iced treat for what’s left of the warm weather.
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