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Maximum Starbucks density

Justin notes that he's got 43 Starbucks within a 5-mile radius of his apartment and now he's looking for the highest concentration:

I’ve got 43 Starbucks locations within a five-mile radius of my apartment. First of all, what the fuck? Second of all, and I can’t help but to get competitive here, can anyone beat that?

Update: 162 is the new high (from the top of Regent’s street in London).

My old work address in Manhattan (45th and Madison) has 169 stores within 5 miles. Put your address into the Starbucks locator and see what your Starbucks density is. (Note: to find the number of stores, scroll to the bottom of the search listings and find the "(Showing 1-20 of xxx Stores)" text.)

Reader Comments
177 comments
Don says:
165 w/in 5 miles of 55th and bwy
» by Don on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:21 PM
James MacAonghus says:
You can get 165 around Cambridge Circus, London. Also 170 around Broadway 10010.

Although that was when I checked 10 minutes ago, by now those numbers are probably higher.
» by James MacAonghus on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:25 PM
plemeljr says:
164 w/in 5 miles of Sutton/Meeker - Greenpoint Brooklyn

Proximity to MidTown (as the bird flies) artificially boosts my density.
» by plemeljr on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:25 PM
Joao Paglione says:
Luckily, we only have 1 in the vicinity. There are still some good ol' fashioned coffee houses where I can buy ultra-over-priced Brazilian coffee, support my homeland, and not feel guilty about being a corporate whore.

Viva o Cafepitalismo!
» by Joao Paglione on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:28 PM
Jeremy Sparks says:
I have 0 in the vicinity, I decided to try 50 miles and still 0.

There are three local coffee houses, but who am I kidding, I live in the sticks.
» by Jeremy Sparks on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:30 PM
Dale Cruse says:
55 within 5 miles of 02118 in Boston.
» by Dale Cruse on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:33 PM
JP says:
I've got 63, but with a Caribou Coffee right across the street, I try not to notice.

Two things are pretty common in D.C.: Starbuckses and liquor stores.

(Yes, I said Starbuckses.)
» by JP on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:36 PM
Americano says:
69 in Seattle, (say, that's kinda sexy) but I wouldn't travel five miles for a Starbucks.
» by Americano on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:40 PM
Benjy says:
97 -- and where I live in Chicago, there is nothing east of me other then a park and Lake Michigan. So it could have been much higher...
» by Benjy on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:43 PM
Gregory says:
169 within 5 miles of 1123 Broadway (@25th Street)
» by Gregory on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:44 PM
Brian says:
I have 167 within 5 miles of my office, in Times Square.

Fear me.
» by Brian on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:46 PM
Feaverish says:
51 Starbucks within 5 miles of my home in Portland, Oregon.
» by Feaverish on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:47 PM
Brian says:
11 within 5 of my office (zip: 46280), 8 near my home (46220). Fortunately the only coffee shop that actually counts (Cornerstone, née Moe & Jonnies' [grr; stupid Eats Shoots & Leaves!]) is two-tenths of a mile from my house.

My child home (14883) only has one in 50 miles! Huzzah for rural areas!
» by Brian on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:48 PM
r. says:
166 here (59th/Park)... whee!
» by r. on Jan 24, 2005 at 03:48 PM
Jason says:
89 within 5 miles of my apartment on First Hill in Seattle. I feel like I should have won this one, but I am outside of the downtown area. At least I can claim that the first Starbucks ever is within 1 mile of my apt. I also think that if we were to take a count of coffee shops in general, Seattle would come out on top. Add 17 Tullys to the 89 Starbucks, plus 6 Seattle's Best, plus 4 Torrefazione Italias....you get the idea. Those are just the major ones. Keep in mind that every building in Seattle from theaters to gas stations to health clinics have a neon "espresso" sign in the window. I fear for my life should anyone here realize I hate coffee.
» by Jason on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:00 PM
Ben says:
45 here in Denver (80209) -- who knew?
» by Ben on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:00 PM
jkottke says:
It's probably going to be hard to match the density of New York or London, although this article from May 2003 states that NYC is not particularly Starbucks-rich:

Currently, Starbucks operates 161 stores in New York City or one store for every 57,852 people. Glass estimates, however, that Starbucks will not approach saturating the city's market until it has opened at least 466 stores and could manage to open as many as 515 stores.

In fact, compared with other United States cities, New York's Starbucks are few and far between. Seattle - the company's home - boasts the highest concentration of stores, with one for every 13,340 people. San Francisco houses the second highest density.

On the other end of the spectrum, Glass found other metropolises in which Starbucks was all but non-existent. Philadelphia, for example, has only 41 stores.


Is Starbucks particularly popular in any of the ultra dense cities in Asia or South America?
» by jkottke on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:00 PM
Courtney Rau says:
12 within 10 miles of 02062. Again, with the lovely Perks holding court within walking distance of my apartment, who nees Starbucks?
» by Courtney Rau on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:02 PM
dan says:
I have 20; cnr Victoria and Hobson Streets, Auckland City, New Zealand.
» by dan on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:02 PM
Lalitree says:
Only three for me (Durham, NC). I can think of more than 3 cool locally-owned places to get a good cup of coffee w/in five miles also, which is nice.
» by Lalitree on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:03 PM
Laura says:
33 in a 5 mile radius. Guess it's too hot in Houston for coffee.
» by Laura on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:10 PM
David says:
165 within 5 miles of my work (Broadway/W 55th St), but only a measly 146 within 5 miles of my home (2nd Ave/E 79th St).
» by David on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:12 PM
Jon Henshaw says:
46 in a 5 mile radius (Denver, CO)
» by Jon Henshaw on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:14 PM
chris says:
40th and Madison, NYC = 169 Starbucks in a 5 mile radius.

But that seems like too big a radius for NYC, so I tried 2 miles to see what percentage of the 169 is even closer. Answer:

112 stores (66%) within a 2 mile radius. Beat that.
» by chris on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:19 PM
Mouser says:
Hrm there's only one in Los Alamos, but that's a density of 1 per 15,000 or so people. So our SB density is huge! Take that New York!
» by Mouser on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:22 PM
Matt Simpson says:
Only 13 stores in the area where I live now, but I now live in the boon docks of Greater Vancouver (aka Burnaby). If you enter my last address in Vancouver proper, it finds 72 stores.
» by Matt Simpson on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:26 PM
Seth says:
Only 19 here in Midtown Atlanta at Turner Broadcasting, across the street from Georgia Tech.
» by Seth on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:34 PM
danica says:
71 in the area of my home in vancouver (quebec & terminal). I am very suprised. I think I've actually seen 20 at the most.
» by danica on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:34 PM
tina says:
only 2 within 5 miles of westwood, ma.

different story if you asked about dunkin donuts....
» by tina on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:35 PM
Quadsk8 says:
Closest one is in Essen, Germany about 226 km away, sorry skip the coffee this time...
Lawrence from The Hague Holland
» by Quadsk8 on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:40 PM
Eric says:
21 stores in Atlanta, GA (druid hills/emory). We're definitely not as L33T as NYC and elsewhere. :(
» by Eric on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:41 PM
David Ely says:
There are 71 in the radius around my apartment in Arlington (Ballston).

Oddly, there only 61 for my office in downtown DC (555 12th St. NW), which is just 3 blocks from the White House and 5 or 6 from the Capital. Still more proof that DC just isn't that happenin'.
» by David Ely on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:42 PM
TheMatt says:
8 of them around JILA (80309). My sister at the ESB (10118) has 165-169 (depends on address for some reason).
» by TheMatt on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:42 PM
Andrea says:
Only 5 within 5 miles of 64111 (Kansas City, MO)
» by Andrea on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:44 PM
lopolis says:
My old work address in Seattle (Capitol Hill) gets the total up to 91. I wonder if their search tool includes Seattle's Best Coffee locations too (which Starbucks owns). Also, considering the layout of Seattle's metro area (West Seattle, the East side, etc...) and how much water is between these areas, the 5 mile radius won't reach that far. We just can't match the raw density of a square block of Manhattan, London or Chicago.
» by lopolis on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:48 PM
Ryan Prins says:
87 Stores from my location in Seattle. They just put one in down the street from me too.
» by Ryan Prins on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:52 PM
Jason Rhyley says:
Charleston, SC only has four, and I can't think of a single other coffee shop in the area. Maybe it is just too hot in the south. Personally, I'd rather make my own dang coffee anyway.
» by Jason Rhyley on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:53 PM
Anthony Bosio says:
TWO, within 5 miles of my house in Virginia Beach, VA and only 24 within 50 miles. We're so unhip here. :-(
» by Anthony Bosio on Jan 24, 2005 at 04:57 PM
jkottke says:
different story if you asked about dunkin donuts...

Using the Dunkin Donuts store locator, I found 75 locations in a 5 mile radius in Boston.
» by jkottke on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:00 PM
Catherine says:
I have 74 within five miles of my Downtown San Francisco office! I have a scant 15 within that radius from my home in San Francisco. Have you ever seen www.starbuckseverywhere.net?
» by Catherine on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:01 PM
cboone says:
0 within 50 miles, thank the gods...
» by cboone on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:10 PM
Gary Potter says:
One, and it's in a Kroger grocery store.
» by Gary Potter on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:11 PM
todd says:
167 - 58th and 1st Ave. I wish Tasti-D-Lite had one of these, I pass 4 on my 7 block walk to work
» by todd on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:11 PM
Glenn says:
17. I think that if I counted all the non-Starbuckses (thanks JP :-) I would have more than 17. Yay Austin!
» by Glenn on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:11 PM
Mike says:
The only thing more plentiful in Washington, D.C. than grande caramel macchiatos is bottom-feeding corporate lobbyists. There are 69 stores within 5 miles of my apartment.
» by Mike on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:12 PM
Tom says:
Wow. I'm amazed my 162 on Regent's Street has been topped... scary.
» by Tom on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:17 PM
Brian says:
26, that's pretty pathetic. I'm a little embarrassed. There's 3 within about 1000 feet of each other right next to my apartment, so it must be the other 4.9 miles that are slacking.
» by Brian on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:22 PM
Ariel says:
There are 84 Starbucks stores within five miles of my office in downtown Seattle -- no surprise there, really.
» by Ariel on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:25 PM
Brian Mitchell says:
I've got 12 within 5 miles and 288 within 50 miles. BTW, I live in Everett, WA, just north of Seattle.
» by Brian Mitchell on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:27 PM
Afsheen says:
68 within five miles of my office on Hollywood Blvd (90028) and only 64 if you start from my apartment (90036).

NYC gets the Starbucks bragging rights, but here it's 66 degrees outside right now.
» by Afsheen on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:28 PM
Chad Baker says:
1 at work (32746 - Heathrow, FL) and 3 at home (34711 - Ocoee, FL)
» by Chad Baker on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:29 PM
Steve Nelson says:
To extend the concept, calculate the Relative Starbucks Density, which is obtained by dividing the Starbucks Density by the Coffee Houses & Cafes Density for the same location using Google Local.

For instance, the R.S.D. at work in Berkeley is .29 versus an R.S.D. of .71 at home in Walnut Creek. This is to be expected.
» by Steve Nelson on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:42 PM
Geoff Stearns says:
165 in the east village (NYC) - looks like nearly everywhere in manhattan is that high.
» by Geoff Stearns on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:50 PM
Emily Petrick says:
7 on the east side of Milwaukee - 53211
» by Emily Petrick on Jan 24, 2005 at 05:55 PM
Steve Portigal says:
I'd like to see a density comparision against ABC stores in Waikiki
» by Steve Portigal on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:18 PM
Jeff says:
I've only got nine within five miles of me. I'm in Austin, Texas. Thank you!
» by Jeff on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:26 PM
Maria says:
11 in Suburban Bay Area.
» by Maria on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:35 PM
joshua says:
Oh, I thought I was winning there for a moment.

196 in Tokyo! But then I realized that was for all of Tokyo, not just a five mile radius.

The Starbucks website doesn't separate them out by distance...
(Granted, most of those are fairly close together, but Tokyo's a big city).
» by joshua on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:42 PM
Nick Douglas says:
How can we find the US location farthest from any Starbucks? We'd need to map out all Starbucks locations and triangulate it somehow...I know nothing about network and triangulation mathematics. Can someone offer a solution?
» by Nick Douglas on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:53 PM
bjorn says:
Only 19 within 5 miles of 55405 (Minneapolis, Minnesota). I have, however, been feeding a growing addiction to Sebastian Joe's coffee, also home to the Twin Cities best ice cream.
» by bjorn on Jan 24, 2005 at 06:59 PM
Hans says:
132 w/in 5 miles of home in Brooklyn...BUT, in the new downtown Brooklyn Target mall just over a mile from my apartment, there's TWO Starbucks -- one in the mall, and one in the Target store itself. That's sort of like the Starbucks on two corners of an intersection, right?
» by Hans on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:06 PM
heather says:
66 w/in 5 miles of my office.
» by heather on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:12 PM
rg says:
168 - chelsea square, london (also knightsbridge). But only 158 from my apt.
» by rg on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:13 PM
jkottke says:
I'm only going to say this once:

Any discussion of the pros and cons of Starbucks, big box stores, globalization, anti-globalization is so far off-topic and posts discussing any of the above will be deleted. Thanks.
» by jkottke on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:21 PM
Tom says:
2 mile radius is more interesting:

"112 stores (66%) within a 2 mile radius. Beat that."

50th and 7th Ave, NYC: 114
» by Tom on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:23 PM
jon says:
As I said before and it was summarily deleted in it entirety the location farthest from STarbucks in the US is north slope of Alaska. One of the small towns up there.

As for Continental US it could be more interesting. My bet would be eastern Montana. There are only 2 company starbucks in ND and 4 in MT. The ones in ND are in eastern part and the ones in MT are in the western part. SD is pretty sparse too.

Outside of Central Alaska it is the least densley populated, large area in the US
» by jon on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:33 PM
ess says:
Three, two of which are across the street from each other.

All are to the South of my home - perhaps because the neighborhood gets more hood as you move north from my house.
» by ess on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:36 PM
hunted says:
0, have to go out to the 20 mile radius to find the first (and only) one...38632
» by hunted on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:40 PM
David Nemesis says:
Where I live (in Chicago's hipsteriffic Wicker Park-Bucktown neighborhood), there are 97 'Buxes within five miles. I find this funny, as I'm about a mile from either of the two nearest ones.

Even funnier, there are only 90 stores within a 5-mi radius of where I work on Michigan Avenue, and only 86 from my old apartment down on State Street in the Loop.

So my question is: where the hell are these Starbucks stores??

» by David Nemesis on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:50 PM
D says:
The state of Oregon has an independent coffee stand that is even more concentrated than Starbucks - it's called "Dutch Bros." coffee, I'm sure the world will be learning of it soon enough, as it moves down to California slowly but surely.
» by D on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:52 PM
Mike Cohen says:
69 within 5 miles of the hotel I stayed at last week in downtown Vancouver. At least two of them are accross the street from each other (on Granville street). There are only 6 within 5 miles of my home in Fort Lauderdale.
» by Mike Cohen on Jan 24, 2005 at 07:59 PM
Tara says:
High Melton, Doncaster, UK - 36 in 50 miles, 3 in 20 miles, 1 in 10 miles. Living in the secluded lifestyle, I didn't think I would find that many...though having no car it doesn't make me want to go to any. Besides, I'm in England - shouldn't I be drinking tea?
» by Tara on Jan 24, 2005 at 08:02 PM
Matt says:
My corner of Tucson, AZ has only 3. I have to admit I'm happy that there's as many of the local coffee chain in the area as Starbucks.
» by Matt on Jan 24, 2005 at 08:30 PM
Daniel says:
1. The Starbucks in my college town is the second stand-alone store in the ENTIRE state and only opened last year. Hey, if you want to live off the grid, move to Iowa. Heh.
» by Daniel on Jan 24, 2005 at 08:33 PM
tcm says:
Cambridge, MA 02140
59 Starbucks + 44 DDs = 103!! Lots o' caffiene!
» by tcm on Jan 24, 2005 at 08:47 PM
jeff says:
I've got 52. NW 23rd area Portland, OR.
» by jeff on Jan 24, 2005 at 08:52 PM
Adam says:
Dude! 170! (East 30th St, NYC)
» by Adam on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:03 PM
mark says:
My Starbucks density is 87 (I live in Seattle).

Starbucks' most recent annual report listed revenue from retail outlets at just under $4.5 billion with 8,569 stores in operation. That's about $520,000 per store putting the annual value of my five mile circle'o'Starbucks at $45.2 million.

» by mark on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:11 PM
Than says:
No Starbucks within 50 miles for me in northern Minnesota.
» by Than on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:13 PM
eric says:
84 around my old dorm at Jefferson & Broadway in Seattle.
» by eric on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:17 PM
sps says:
3 within 50 miles of Lewisburg, Pa (center of the state...the Bible/rural belt of the NE). However, we have a campus coffee house (at Bucknell Univ.) that rocks as a hang out, especially for those of us who are independently minded (BU is something like 60% or more Greek...uh...fraternity/sorority people for those of you that do not know anything about US college culture). We get small time coffeehouse performers almost every weekend and we hold things like open mic nights and poetry slams 3 or 4 times a semester.

Lewisburg is also one of those small college towns that has about 4 or 5 coffeehouses/cafes. I think, however, the most recent one should have been a late night pizza place. It's right on street that lead down from campus to the bar and right next to most of the houses that off campus students live in. Why the owners decided to try to compete in an overcrowded niche market and against the school's own cafe (where students can use their meal plans) is beyond me. They would have made a killing if they made decent pizza. Being from NJ, I mourn the loss of a good slice of pizza from a non-chain store.
» by sps on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:18 PM
Jena says:
My old work address in the Fremont district of Seattle gives me 86. These numbers are insane.
» by Jena on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:22 PM
DAve says:
"Only" 19 w/in 5 miles of me, here, in the Brookhaven/Buckhead area of Atlanta.
» by DAve on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:23 PM
netcowboy says:
Who was the dude who said he only had four Starbucks within five miles of his house?

C'mon, man! Even .8 Starbucks every square mile is a lot!

On other note, I hopped on eBay and bought my wife a Starbucks apron for our sex games.

"Here's your frappuccino, sir!"

» by netcowboy on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:27 PM
Tweaq says:
lol i have 1 in 50 mile radius. but i live in crap town TN. lol
» by Tweaq on Jan 24, 2005 at 09:39 PM
Paul Kidd says:
There are exactly 4 Starbuckses here in Melbourne, Australia, one per 950,000 people.

But four is probably more than enough -- Melbourne is already a coffee-drinker's paradise. Coffee shops on every street corner, down every side street, everywhere. Even McDonald's sells espresso here.
» by Paul Kidd on Jan 24, 2005 at 10:38 PM
Bc9b says:
What's sadder than a Starbucks across the street from a Starbucks? They are both full! Ha Ha, humor.

11 in 5mi, I thought it would be more.
» by Bc9b on Jan 24, 2005 at 10:57 PM
Joshua Hamilton says:
I've got 43, which is surprising, frankly, but my proximity to Vancouver International boosts that up. It's all just eye pollution and wasted space to one who doesn't even drink coffee.
» by Joshua Hamilton on Jan 24, 2005 at 10:59 PM
fluffy says:
169 within 5 miles of where I work (25th and Broadway... hey, I work right next to other commenters here! Howdy daytime-neighbors!)

Only 17 within 5 miles of my apartment (in Ridgewood, Queens) though. Weird. Though I haven't actually run across any of them, which is fine by me.
» by fluffy on Jan 24, 2005 at 11:33 PM
Waldo Jaquith says:
0, in the countryside of Virginia, and I couldn't be prouder of that fact.
» by Waldo Jaquith on Jan 24, 2005 at 11:47 PM
robin says:
46 within my house in the hipsterdom that is the los feliz/silverlake nabe of los angeles, ca (eastside represent!), and only one coffee bean & tea leaf (an LA chain; leo dicaprio goes there).
» by robin on Jan 24, 2005 at 11:55 PM
JB says:
0 within probably 500 miles :)
» by JB on Jan 24, 2005 at 11:56 PM
Alexa says:
With all these stores, why do I still have to wait in line?
» by Alexa on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:16 AM
a says:
24 in Pasadena. More interesting, though, is the spatial distribution. They trace out the two main streets very clearly, with a few isolated malls. You could probably map the main streets of America by plotting Starbucks locations. Bummer.

» by a on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:44 AM
Stewart says:
But wait - this is all about density, right? I can't imagine anywhere denser than Vancouver where we often have two Starbucks across the street from one another, so let's turn that dial down to 2 (Vancouver would do even better with one, the downtown being a small penninsula surrounded by water).

5 mile radius = pi*25 = 78.53981625 square miles

170 in 78.53981625 square miles is 2.16 per square mile

Within 2 miles of 1400 W Broadway in Vancouver, there are 48 stores.

2 mile radius = pi*4 = 12.5663706 square miles

48 in 12.5663706 square miles is 3.82 per square mile
» by Stewart on Jan 25, 2005 at 02:25 AM
Tim says:
8 starbucks in 545,630 square kilometers. All located near Paris, so good to be in France ...
» by Tim on Jan 25, 2005 at 07:27 AM
Chris says:
Just 4 Starbucks in Vienna; but there are zillions of cafes here. And I love that.
» by Chris on Jan 25, 2005 at 09:17 AM
waylan says:
1 Starbucks and 1 Dunkin Donuts each within 50 miles from 14772. Interestingly, each is at the extreme limits of that 50 miles in opposite directions.
» by waylan on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:12 AM
Paladin says:
Very interesting concept but what if less was more?
» by Paladin on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:17 AM
bark says:
Zero within fifty miles of home in beautiful rural Idaho. Man I love this place.
» by bark on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:34 AM
Trevor May says:
169 within 5 miles of W2 4QH: Queensway, London.
» by Trevor May on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:38 AM
mel says:
zero....there are actually no starbucks within a 5 mile radius of me (sub. of roch, ny) and there are only 17 in a 50 mile radius....BUT there is a growing dunkin doughnuts population that is bordering on obscene.
» by mel on Jan 25, 2005 at 11:25 AM
Garrick Van Buren says:
I'm going to start measuring distance in 'Starbucks' when giving directions.

e.g. "...the Dunn Bros is about 8 Starbucks away. Go down 4th, past 3 Starbucks, turn left and it's after the 5th Starbucks"
» by Garrick Van Buren on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:04 PM
Andrew says:
Forty-three within a 5-mile radius of my home (Rogers Park, Chicago), 87 near my old office (Michigan & Illinois, downtown) including one on the first floor. Contrast that with just six within the range from my current office (northwest suburbs). I guess Starbucks density matches population density?
» by Andrew on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:06 PM
The Tube says:
Only 19 from Downtown Minneapolis.

Brilliant!
» by The Tube on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:24 PM
Chris Anderson says:
Only 4 within 5 miles of my house in Oakwood (Dayton), Ohio - 45419.
» by Chris Anderson on Jan 25, 2005 at 01:15 PM
Eric Rolph says:
If I recall, the theory is that saturating an area will shut down competition from other coffee shops, even if it makes one starbucks suffer in revenue to another just blocks away.
» by Eric Rolph on Jan 25, 2005 at 01:24 PM
Kaleberg says:
There was a neat article on coffee density in the New York Times on 18 April 2001. There are two Starbucks across from each other at Astor Place, and then a new competitor opened a coffee truck, The Mudtruck parked in between them.

The reporter got the story from Starbucks:

'"What we've learned is that people won't cross the street" to get coffee, said Alan Hilowitzi, a regional spokesman for Starbucks. The Mudtruck, he said, has not hurt sales. "It just increases awareness of coffee in the area. Everybody does better."'

and the story from the Mudtruck:

'If Starbucks opened two franchises so close together, said Ms. Berott, who until recently worked in advertising, it must know something.'

Out in Washington State, the home of Starbucks, there is the rural phenomenon of the espresso shack. These are small wooden shacks, just big enough for a full sized espresso machine and an operator. You will sometimes see them a block apart, which is pretty dense out in the country. Sort of like next door in the city.

How does it work? Apparently, they get their followings. A friend of ours describes one as the "Hooters" of espresso shacks. She says they get the pickup truck guys who like the buxom barristras.
» by Kaleberg on Jan 25, 2005 at 01:45 PM
Bill W says:
Within 20 miles of my home in Sunderland, MA (near UMass) there are only 2 Starbucks and 5 Dunkin's. There are way too many good local coffee shops that roast their own beans--off the top of my head, three within 10 miles.
» by Bill W on Jan 25, 2005 at 01:50 PM
Teresa says:
There are NO Starbucks within five miles of downtown Durham, NC, the home of Duke University and two local coffee roasters, Counter Culture and Broad Street. There are quite a few coffee houses, though, and even some new ones opening, but no Starbucks!

Before you despair that Corporate America is losing it's touch, there are three Starbucks near the new mall in South Durham and one in Chapel Hill. You have to go to Raleigh to find any kind of density-there are ten. So the total for the Research Triangle Area, with a population of 1 million plus, and a 20 mile radius, is 14. That's a number I can live with!
» by Teresa on Jan 25, 2005 at 02:42 PM
irry says:
165 for me. Mind you that's not surprising as I live within 10 mins walking distance of Jason's location (Covent Garden).
» by irry on Jan 25, 2005 at 03:10 PM
Jennifer says:
Only 17 w/in the five miles of my home in south Minneapolis, but one listed is actually closed, and a non-listed one has opened this week -- and I have been to all but two of them. That does not inherently make me a bad person, right? Right?
» by Jennifer on Jan 25, 2005 at 03:22 PM
james says:
We're lightweights in Canada. 53 within 5 miles of my place in midtown Toronto.
» by james on Jan 25, 2005 at 03:22 PM
Shaun Kelly says:
Ya know, you might not want to mention if you have zero Starbucks in your vicinity. Someone may be watching, and you may have a new neighbor soon, very soon...
» by Shaun Kelly on Jan 25, 2005 at 03:23 PM
jnl says:
Home has 73, and work has 80 (work = downtown Chicago on S. Michigan ave).
» by jnl on Jan 25, 2005 at 03:35 PM
David says:
Five within five miles of us here in Barcelona, Spain. Just so nobody thinks Southern Europe is being left out in the cold.....
» by David on Jan 25, 2005 at 04:13 PM
Stacey Knowles says:
5 miles... none. 10 miles... none. 20 miles... none. Welcome to coastal Scotland, folks.

D*mn. I'd kill for a coffee. Where's the instant...?
» by Stacey Knowles on Jan 25, 2005 at 04:25 PM
Marshall says:
There was a hilarious article in the Onion sometime back (now a "premium" content aticle) that began:

"New Starbucks Opens In Rest Room Of Existing Starbucks
CAMBRIDGE, MA—Starbucks, the nation's largest coffee-shop chain, continued its rapid expansion Tuesday, opening its newest location in the men's room of an existing Starbucks. "Coffee lovers...
3320 | 27 June 1998 | News"

My magic number here in Toronto is 50.
» by Marshall on Jan 25, 2005 at 04:55 PM
Jenny says:
in los angeles, at 6565sunset blvd, home of "the surreal life". we have 47 within 5 miles.
» by Jenny on Jan 25, 2005 at 05:21 PM
Blake says:
Only 15!!! Bah, Miami is a stinkin' hole.
» by Blake on Jan 25, 2005 at 05:30 PM
Clete R. Blackwell 2 says:
Within 50 miles of my house (one of the houses on Mallet Hill Rd. in Columbia, SC, USA 29223), I have a small 4.
» by Clete R. Blackwell 2 on Jan 25, 2005 at 05:31 PM
Trixie says:
I think mine is pretty much the same place as your top one, I just checked my work..

But with slightly more of a reference point...

162 from BBC Radio 1 in London

Too many starbucks! Blame the beeb :D
» by Trixie on Jan 25, 2005 at 06:13 PM
Nicole says:
From some quick math and the Starbucks locator, I calculate that there are 8 total Starbucks in my home state of South Dakota and about 10 total in Montana. There are no actual stores in western South Dakota, just kiosks in grocery stores.

Lucky for me, there are 3 locations within 5 miles of downtown Helena, MT.
» by Nicole on Jan 25, 2005 at 06:15 PM
Stuart says:
138 from Queens...
» by Stuart on Jan 25, 2005 at 06:25 PM
Nathan Logan says:
I'm in Boise, Idaho and we have 20 within a 50 mile radius, 9 of which are inside grocery stores...

For some reason, I feel just slightly less tainted as I would if I had 170+ Starbucks within 50 miles.

Funny story, though. I was in SB about 2 months ago and saw Troy McClain (from the 1st Apprentice) in there. Perhaps there's more connection between NYC and Boise than we think (but we probably both hope not)...
» by Nathan Logan on Jan 25, 2005 at 06:45 PM
Jackie says:
I have 1 within 5 miles and 3 within 20. I have an anti-Starbucks shop within one mile that claims to be rehab for the Starbucks addicted. It's a step above Folgers, how is that better?
» by Jackie on Jan 25, 2005 at 07:15 PM
Annie says:
Hm, only 1. But it's northern idaho, so yeah.
» by Annie on Jan 25, 2005 at 07:18 PM
robin says:
just to represent for asia too, there is one starbucks i know of in the 5 to 10 mile vicinity of where my mom lives in tarlac, an area north of manila on the main island of the philippines (not listed on the locator). i think there are about 14 in manila, tho.

this reminds me of the movie "best in show," where parker posey's character and her yuppy husband talk about how they met at starbucks in new york, "not the same starbucks. starbucks across the street from each other."
» by robin on Jan 25, 2005 at 08:01 PM
JS says:
There are two Starbucks across from each other at Astor Place, and then a new competitor opened a coffee truck, The Mudtruck parked in between them.

Three. There's one inside the Barnes and Noble, one opposite the cube, and one on the corner of Third Ave.
» by JS on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:29 PM
Yvonne Adams says:
3 in Santa Fe - 6 if you count the ones inside Albertson's stores.
» by Yvonne Adams on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:39 PM
Woody says:
Um, I'm confused. There's a Starbucks just down the road from me, but the store locator says there are none in my town, Tifton, GA (31794). I know its there, it really is! It's been there over a year! I'm not imagining it!

Funny thing is, this is very rural south Georgia, and this town is so small that it only last year got a second zip code (31793). I also thought that the South is too hot for much coffee consumption, but Starbucks and the Coffee Corner, the local home-grown shop, seem to be doing quite nicely.

There is, however, a surplus of Waffle Houses here -- including two that are on opposite sides of the same exit on I-75. Of course, the coffee there is not of the same calibre.
» by Woody on Jan 25, 2005 at 10:56 PM
ace bhattachar says:
166 Stores from my friend Cosmo's place at 10 Jane Street! And he doesn't even drink coffee (he's a Corgi).
» by ace bhattachar on Jan 26, 2005 at 12:27 AM
josh says:
there are "only" eighty-seven within a five-mile radius of my Seattle apartment, but I'd estimate that there are at least three independent stores for every Starbucks. I'm glad that the city's reputation is vindicated by the stores per person statistic.
» by josh on Jan 26, 2005 at 01:55 AM
Joey "Accordion Guy" deVilla says:
While looking at the map of the 51 Starbucks within a five-mile radius of my house, I noticed that a number of them were part of a personal history and decided to annotate them.

I have a life, I swear!
» by Joey "Accordion Guy" deVilla on Jan 26, 2005 at 02:04 AM
Norbert says:
Why 5 miles? You really want to waste $2 on gas just to get some coffee? How about 10 minutes walking distance? That would be 18 coffee shops for my corner of San Francisco - and most of them better than Starbucks :-)
» by Norbert on Jan 26, 2005 at 02:06 AM
Rutger says:
WTF, no stores in Holland :(
Only the EMEA headquarter, boehh...
» by Rutger on Jan 26, 2005 at 04:22 AM
Frank says:
166, and I couldn't tell you where a single one is because my mind blocks them out when I walk past ;-)

Just one Monmouth Coffee Company on the way to work is worth more than all the Starbucks in the world.
» by Frank on Jan 26, 2005 at 06:24 AM
Wes J says:
A whole 2 in liverpool
» by Wes J on Jan 26, 2005 at 06:42 AM
The Cotb says:
0 Starbucks within a 20 mile radius. I did't feel like I'm in the boonies, but now, with the help of the Starbucks Store Locator, I can truly appreciate just how soulless and empty my little valley can be. And I am raising my children here! How will they ever adapt to the outside world?
» by The Cotb on Jan 26, 2005 at 08:16 AM
GilbertZ says:
I'm in manhattan and got 166
» by GilbertZ on Jan 26, 2005 at 08:28 AM
Sarah says:
162 in a 5 mile radius of where I work - central London (UK). And we have a Starbucks brewer in our staff restaurant, so I actually only need to go downstairs!
» by Sarah on Jan 26, 2005 at 09:11 AM
maesie says:
Chattanooga got a new Starbucks midway through last year on Broad St, and their web store locator isn't even updated with it. How silly.
» by maesie on Jan 26, 2005 at 09:32 AM
Frank Leahy says:
Cornwall: 0 (big surprise)
» by Frank Leahy on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:09 AM
Adam Bardsley says:
I only manage 15 and that's within 50 miles! (none within 5 and glad)
» by Adam Bardsley on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:16 AM
Seth says:
88 from the U-district in Seattle
» by Seth on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:18 AM
mark says:
There are only 4 within 5 miles of my south side Chicago apartment, which seems very low. On the other hand, there's only one Dunkin Donuts (and it's cobranded with some sub shop I've never heard of: Togo's).
» by mark on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:26 AM
Andrew says:
41 in Shanghai, CHINA.
» by Andrew on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:33 AM
Matt says:
139 around 103rd and Riverside Drive in Manhattan...It's like a cancer...albeit a very green one.
» by Matt on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:34 AM
bbcuebert says:
163 at Broadway and Bond in NYC, although the one next to my office is closed for remodeling, so technically I guess that's 162 with an asterisk.
» by bbcuebert on Jan 26, 2005 at 12:42 PM
thomas marban says:
Wish i had a starbucks within the next 150miles :(
» by thomas marban on Jan 26, 2005 at 12:46 PM
george says:
166 w/in 5 miles of w 15th btw/5th & 6th, NYC
*and* w/in 5 miles of 54th & 5th, NYC
» by george on Jan 26, 2005 at 12:52 PM
Henry B. says:
167 near my job (9th ave & 14th st). I walk by 4 of them on my way to work.
» by Henry B. on Jan 26, 2005 at 01:11 PM
TWM says:
Only three out here by the office in Geneva, Illinois, but with a city population of 19,155 that works out to one per 6385 peoples.
» by TWM on Jan 26, 2005 at 01:31 PM
Andrew says:
2!!

The nearest Retail Stores in your area are listed below.
1. Chapters - Bayers Lake
188 Chainlake Drive
Halifax NS, B3S 1C5
Canada

2. Chapters-Mic Mac Mall
41 Mic Mac Blvd.
Dartmouth NS, B3A 4N3
Canada

» by Andrew on Jan 26, 2005 at 02:13 PM
deeter says:
In Peoria, AZ (northwest suburb of Phoenix) there are 10 Starbuckses (thanks JP!), or 1 for every 10,836 people. The only oneses I can remember seeing are inside grocery storeses. But we are getting our fair share of Dunkin' Donutses/Baskin Robbinses with drive-thruses. Drive thru ice cream? You betcha!
» by deeter on Jan 26, 2005 at 03:26 PM
Rusty Birchall says:
South Tampa, Florida - 16! Seems like not many until you realize that South Tampa is a peninsula less than 3 miles wide.
» by Rusty Birchall on Jan 26, 2005 at 03:43 PM
Amory says:
128 within 5 blocks. i live in manhattan though, upper west side. and, for the hell of it, 189 within 10 miles. i dont even drink starbucks though.
» by Amory on Jan 26, 2005 at 03:54 PM
Adam Villani says:
I live in Long Beach, CA, and there are 16 Starbuckses within 5 miles of my house. I don't drink coffee, though. There are zero Dunkin Donutses within 50 miles of here, though --- it's a chain that's stayed out of Southern California.

Adam
» by Adam Villani on Jan 26, 2005 at 04:43 PM
Alan Levine says:
You've hot the peaks, how about turning the game around? Who has the longest reach to get a 5 dollar iced latte? (old coffee on ice)

Like, what are some of the maximum radial distances one has to go to get an area of 5 Starbucks?

I am too lazy to try
» by Alan Levine on Jan 26, 2005 at 07:18 PM
Ari Paparo says:
158 within five miles of the Lower East Side, but only 1 within a mile and its in DUMBO!
» by Ari Paparo on Jan 26, 2005 at 07:40 PM
Mark Smith says:
I live in the other, pathetic, un-wanted Manhattan... Manhatan, Kansas. We currently have 0, but they're putting one in at a local Kroger grocery store. I also believe that the student union at Kansas State (which basically defines the reason the town exists) serves Starbucks product, but is not technically Starbucks.

We have two independent coffee houses in town and one of them seems to want to be Starbucks (contrasting the bright, sterile, safe decor and poor teas to the other shop which is small, intimate, and comfortable).

Growing up in the Kansas City suburbs Starbucks was pretty uncommon. From my parent's house there are 7. At least 2 or 3 are in grocery stores . The rest are all relatively recent (i.e. the last 5 years or so).
» by Mark Smith on Jan 26, 2005 at 09:05 PM
mentaldent says:
3 in five. Could only find three within five miles of my hometown of Pawtucket, RI. As mentioned before, saturation of my state by Dunkin Donuts is another story.
» by mentaldent on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:37 PM
Bea says:
One Starbucks. And eighteen Tim Hortons. (I'm in Canada, if you can't tell.)
» by Bea on Jan 26, 2005 at 11:39 PM
Paul Baron says:
Bloody Hell! 194 from central Tokyo in 5miles radius. Go to any video store in Tokyo and most American movies they have are the worst pieces of crap that nobody else wants to buy... So they just ship them to Japan... Japan is not a fucking dumpster , is it?!
» by Paul Baron on Jan 27, 2005 at 12:11 AM
Richard Cruz says:
For a third world country where a tall caramel macchiatto costs about 1/3 of the minimum wage, we've got about 21 stores in the central business district of Manila.
» by Richard Cruz on Jan 27, 2005 at 12:17 AM
Eric Wallace says:
I'm in Portland, Maine--the state's largest city (which ain't saying much): we've got 6 in the whole Greater Portland area (10 miles from my house, which is right in town). Funny to compare with the previous comment from Manila...

But there's a reason, you see: Portland is fiercely independent; there a few chain/franchise restaurants but countless family business-type eateries. We (I mean this in the larger sense, not the specific) kept throwing bricks thru the big picture windows of the first Starbucks downtown for years after it was planted there. The plucky owner never gave in, to the dismay of more than a few residents who still look upon the franchise with disdain.
» by Eric Wallace on Jan 27, 2005 at 02:12 AM
giorgia says:
we have 0 in the vicinity, too.

of course we do, we live in espressoland (italy).
» by giorgia on Jan 27, 2005 at 03:23 AM
Yabby says:
32 within a 5-mile redius - ok, so not so impressive, until you realise that Singapore is under 700 sq kms in total.
» by Yabby on Jan 27, 2005 at 03:55 AM
Jon says:
I've got 66 in the five mile radius of my house in the Adams Morgan Neighborhood in Washington DC. Pretty ridiculous. No wonder I drink so much of it...
» by Jon on Jan 27, 2005 at 09:00 AM
Sven tBH says:
Cape Town here! Not in a 1000 miles radius (i kid you not). Like to keep it that way. When is Coffee Bean coming this way?
» by Sven tBH on Jan 27, 2005 at 10:35 AM
Chris says:
We've got 0 within a 70 mile radius. Only 2 coffee shops within a 30 mile radius, 1 of which puts whipped cream on everything coffee and smoothee related. I guess NW Ohio is not important enough.
» by Chris on Jan 27, 2005 at 11:09 AM
Chris Choate says:
I've got 7 from my house, and 24 near my work. 12 where I used to live. I feel like such a loser!
» by Chris Choate on Jan 27, 2005 at 11:13 AM
jacque says:
321, from my address in kent, washington. it's a suburb about 10 miles outside of seattle. no wonder we all act like we're on speed!
» by jacque on Jan 27, 2005 at 11:27 AM
scott says:
3 in Little Rock, Arkansas. . . 4 counting the Barnes & Noble Cafe "proudly brewing Starbucks Coffee."
» by scott on Jan 27, 2005 at 11:35 AM
Rachel says:
There is only ONE Starbucks in a five-mile radius of my house. And it's in the mall. I live in Akron, which is a fairly large city, and the next closest Starbucks is about ten or fifteen miles away. It's actually kind of annoying---I'd like to get Starbucks without battling the mall traffic. Argh. So there's an open market here if anyone wants to franchise it up...
» by Rachel on Jan 27, 2005 at 11:37 AM
Antonio says:
61 right next to Harvard Sq. in Cambridge, MA, 02138, "the most opinionated zip code in the world"
» by Antonio on Jan 27, 2005 at 02:05 PM
Sam says:
13 from my work address in downtown Salt Lake City,
10 from my home address in suburban Salt Lake County
(Some were the same outlet, so I must live less than 10 miles from work) Not too bad for non-coffee-drinking Utah.
» by Sam on Jan 27, 2005 at 02:50 PM

 
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