Checkout

Say Goodbye to Your Local Coffee Shop in America’s Cafe Shakeup

  • Starbucks and other chains gain ground as independents falter
  • Number of cafes shrink in U.S. and Canada in pandemic year
A worker wearing a protective mask stands behind a plastic barrier inside a cafe in Hudson, New York.Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Starbucks Corp. and other coffee chains are expanding their grip on America’s coffee culture as independent cafes struggle to survive a pandemic-fueled industry shakeup.

The number of coffee shops in the U.S. is shrinking for the first time in nine years as sales plunge and Covid-19 forces the industry to rethink its business. That’s helping coffee-serving chains such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and even McDonald’s Corp. gain ground at the expense of independent outlets fighting to keep their doors open.