George Howell, who sold his 24 coffee shops to Starbucks in the 1990s is looking for a flagship space in downtown Boston.
Thomas Grillo
Real Estate Editor- Boston Business Journal
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George Howell may have sold his two dozen Coffee Connection shops to Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX), but the man responsible for launching a gourmet coffee revolution in Greater Boston in the 1970s is not done yet.
With his non-compete expired with Starbucks, the 68-year-old coffee guru is looking for a flagship space in downtown Boston. Brokers and landlords with prime spots should contact Howell or his broker, Conviser Property Group, in Dedham.
“There are lots of people looking for cafe space,” said Howell. “It’s no longer the Coffee Connection world when we opened Boston. Now, everyone is into it. I take much of the credit for that. People are coming from around the country looking at Boston. I expected to be open in Boston by spring, but now I’ll be lucky to sign a lease by the fall.”
Howell’s coffee journey started in 1974 when he and his wife arrived in Boston from Berkeley, Calif. At the time, Howell was frustrated by the lack of good coffee he left behind. Boston’s coffee scene, he said, was a desert of “stale, liquefied ground sawdust.”
Howell opened his first Coffee Connection in Harvard Square in 1974 with a $100,000 investment and the rest is history.
For more, read “Gourmet coffee guru Howell brews up new concept” (premium content).
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