Starbucks probably shouldn't have been anybody's only third place to begin with. Their mandate is not to be a community resource, as it turns out. It's a public company, it was always going to change to maximize other variables than your mental health. All that stuff about being a third place drops away really quickly when put to the test. This is not advanced math, it's pretty common sense. Instead, try to pick a spot that's owned by someone in the community, who actually cares about the community they're a part of.
"Oh, but there aren't many other options, Starbucks put them all out of business". Well, at least it's cheap and convenient, I guess. Revealed preferences. Better hope that's enough!
Totally agree. And I honestly don't think Starbucks removing seating has much if any impact on reducing "third spaces" since almost everyone buying Starbucks was getting it to go anyway. This article reads more like someone being annoyed about Starbucks changing than any real evidence that third spaces are going away.
If anything, if more people are now using coffeeshops as remote offices we are likely to see new shops catered to this opening up.
"Oh, but there aren't many other options, Starbucks put them all out of business". Well, at least it's cheap and convenient, I guess. Revealed preferences. Better hope that's enough!