Junkies just don’t loiter around the Jou Jou Cafe the way they used to.
“People were lying around, nodding off," as co-owner Edin Musabegovic told The New York Times.
Nowadays, the indie java joint in Washington Heights is dealing with a far more pesky brand of retail parasite — Starbucks, which moved in two doors down this past September:
“I can’t believe they opened in our own building,” said Mr. Musabegovic, whom the Times credited with making "the neighborhood safe for coffeehouses."
“It’s a direct attack on us," he said.
Since the ubiquitous Seattle chain showed up, the dueling coffee shops have been feuding like the Hatfields & McCoys, battling over competing sandwich boards on the sidewalk and even use of the term "Frappucino."
And the winner of this heated brew battle: the landlord, Ron Shoshany, who happily applauds the competition. “Isn’t that what America is all about?"
