Wondering Where the Furniture Went in Cos Cob Starbucks?

Starbucks is looking different lately. Spacious, in fact.

On Thursday, a barista acknowledged that much of the seating, including tables, chairs and the comfy purple velvet armchairs had recently been removed. The table for two preferred by Peter von Braun has also vanished, and in its place on Thursday was a man standing and eating a croissant by the window.

The reason the furniture was removed is that Cos Cob Starbucks was approved for just 12 seats. Cos Cob Starbucks is a Retail Food establishment, and the maximum number of seats allowed is just 12. Plus, they don’t have parking for more than that.

Certainly, those who frequent Starbucks in Cos Cob’s hub will attest to the popularity of the coffee house, with its rich roasts, lite bites and free wifi. They will also acknowledge the notorious queue of cars spilling onto East Putnam Ave as customers wait for a parking spot to become available.

Will fans of Starbucks continue to frequent the Cos Cob location at 147 East Putnam Ave? Will they simply take their coffee to go? Will they take their laptops and caffeine pangs to the Starbucks on Greenwich Ave, which is a restaurant and therefore allowed more seats.