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Richmond Hill's First Starbucks Quietly Opens on Metropolitan Avenue

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | April 9, 2015 5:22pm | Updated on April 10, 2015 6:19pm
 Starbucks opened its new location at 132-40 Metropolitan Avenue, near Jamaica Hospital.
Starbucks opened its new location at 132-40 Metropolitan Avenue, near Jamaica Hospital.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — Coffee giant Starbucks has quietly opened a new location in Richmond Hill.

The store, which opened late last year near Jamaica Hospital and the Jamaica—Van Wyck subway station on the E line — is the first Starbucks location in Community Board 9, which also covers portions of Kew Gardens, Woodhaven and Ozone Park.

But unlike in other neighborhoods, where new Starbucks stores often create a lot of buzz, some locals in the area said Thursday that they were not aware of the new location.

“There’s a Starbucks? Really?,” said Andrea Crawford who lives in nearby Kew Gardens and is a member of CB9. “I think it’s awesome.”

The store is part of a small retail complex at 132-40 Metropolitan Ave., which also includes Walgreens Pharmacy and Planet Fitness. A banner which reads “Starbucks Now Open” hangs above the store.

"Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers," a spokeswoman for the chain said in an email.

Lisa Gomes, district manager for Community Board 9, said she also didn't know about the new location but noted that it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

“It brings jobs and contributes to the economy of that area,” Gomes said.

Currently, the closest Starbucks store is located at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike, on the border of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens.

Local Business Improvement Districts in nearby Jamaica have been hoping to entice Starbucks to open a location in their neighborhood as well.

But the spokeswoman for the chain said Thursday that “at this time, we remain focused on serving customers in Queens at our existing stores and have no store-opening plans to announce.”