NYC Landmark Prohibits Chain Stores From Leasing Vacated Space

Next month, a New York City landmark is embracing small business in a big way.

When a Starbucks lease within the east wing of Grand Central Terminal ends in May, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will prohibit any chain stores from taking the space.

Instead, the independently-owned Café Grumpy, which operates four locations in New York City, is moving in.

"It's part of our effort to keep the space unique," an MTA spokesman told CNN, adding that 100 retail spaces in Grand Central Terminal are already home to local businesses.

If Café Grumpy sounds familiar, that’s because it is the workplace of Lena Dunham’s protagonist in the hit HBO show, Girls.

Related: Crowdfunding's Next Hot Frontier: Real Estate