Headline News is headline news

The Christmas period is a time characterised by acts of generosity as an overwhelming sense of goodwill spreads through the air. People tend to give rather than take. As they say, it’s a wonderful time of year.

Unless you’re the owner of a long-standing family-owned coffee shop in a swanky office complex and somebody in a lofty boardroom somewhere decides to turf you out.

That’s exactly what happened to Pete Patel who had his lease terminated and was forced to shut up shop on Christmas Eve after his notice period had lapsed.

Readers may well remember that a similar story of a fellow New York-based coffee shop being evicted made the press last year.

Patel operated Headline News, a coffee stand in the lobby of 770 Broadway at Astor Place and served employees of some well-known businesses – Billboard, Adweek and Huffington Post/AOL to name but three – that were based there.

Yet according to some commentators that have aired their opinions, it appears that one social media giant was unhappy with the presence of the small outlet.

Some people believe that Facebook, which moved into the building in 2013, want to see an ‘established’ coffee brand take up residency.

“Facebook wants an espresso joint so when visitors come [they] have a place to take them” one anonymous individual told the New York Post’s PageSix.

Others have spoken out in support of Headline News and a petition has been started to raise awareness about the issue. At the moment 995 people have pledged their support.

But with the tenancy moving to the Australian-influenced Bluestone Lane it seems that all the good will shown has fallen on deaf ears.

One person who backed the petition said: “[Headline News is] such a big part of 770, they can’t go! #savethelittleman.

Facebook however have distanced themselves from the rumours. “While we do work with Vornado we have not approached them about the coffee shop,” a Facebook representative said in a statement.

Photo: Beyond My Ken – Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons.