North End businesses oppose Starbucks moving into the neighborhood

BOSTON - Business owners in Boston's quintessentially Italian North End are apprehensive about a coffee chain setting up shop in the neighborhood.

To say many are opposed to having a Starbucks amid local and mostly family-owned coffee shops and restaurants is an understatement.

Longtime locals have been handing out fliers, ahead of what's expected to be a heated meeting with city officials. Their goal is to stop the coffee giant from establishing a chain store on the corner of Hanover Street.

"You’re not part of the neighborhood Starbucks you never will be," said Damien DiPaola, the owner of Carmelina & Vito's and North End resident. "We’ve established a neighborhood for 100 years, they're willing to screw every business and every neighbor."

DiPaola is leading the force of fired up family-owned businesses in their efforts against Starbucks coming to Boston's Little Italy.

While developers are promising to build an Italian heritage monument, the community is not buying it at all.

“You want to come down here and make us poor stupid Italians happy cause you’re going to give us a monument," said DiPaola.

"Families came from Italy to build this neighborhood from scratch [when] they had 10 cents in their pocket," said David Riccio Jr., owner of Caffe Vittoria and Stanza dei Sigari since the 80's.

Those drawn to the North End for that preserved culture fear this would open the door for corporate America to appropriate itself of the quaint little neighborhood.

“True authentic places you can't find anywhere else," said Vanessa Lasso, a North End tourist.

"There's going to be a McDonald's, then Burger King," said Katie Torrence, a North End regular. "You don't want to take it away, it's too amazing to lose."

Even Italian tourists agree with business owners and residents.

A recent video produced by Lynn filmmaker Rocco Capano portrays the growing fear that the North End's charm is in jeopardy of being "conformed".

"We're the last of the Italians, there is no other Little Italy that is like this in the country," said DiPaola.

A spokesman for Charter Realty and Development has declined to talk about the specifics about a Starbucks coming to the entrance of Hanover Street.

The Connecticut-based firm is expected to attend a public meeting with the mayor's office of neighborhood services on Thursday night at 6 p.m.

Business owners and long time locals plan to turn out in numbers and passion.

RELATED: Starbucks raises price of a brewed coffee in most US stores

Cox Media Group