Community group rallies against recently opened Little Village Starbucks

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Some neighbors in Little Village rallied outside of the grand opening of their new Starbucks, demanding the coffee giant leave.

The beloved Discount Mall plaza on 26th Street in Little Village has seen a lot of changes, and one community group says it's not for the best.

Baltazar Enriquez is the Director of the Little Village Community Council and at a rally outside of the new Starbucks, said gentrification is a real threat to his community.

“We have learned from Humboldt Park. We have learned from, from Pilson. And that's why we're very protective of Little Village,” Enriquez said.

He's asking locals to boycott the coffee giant.

“There's great coffee shops down Little Village with better coffee, better pastry, fresh stuff, nothing is frozen. And we're asking them, also, that if they wanna be a good neighbor, they should have asked the community first if we wanted it.”

Enriquez also wants the coffee shop to hire local and reinvest its profits into the community.

The coffee giant opened its doors on Sept. 20 and says it has made several local hires from the community.

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