Starbucks Looks to Cut Back on Rent

Fast-food places have plenty of little-known options

(NEWSER) - In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu” (veggie burgers, etc.) has gotten way too famous to really be considered a secret anymore—but Coupon Sherpa rounds up little-known items at other fast-food joints:

• Chili’s: Though it’s not on the menu anymore, you can in fact still order the restaurant’s namesake dish.
• Long John Silvers: Ask for a side of crumbs and you’ll get—for free—a box of fried batter parts that fell off the fish or chicken.

Falling banks, rising government shifts real estate market

(NEWSER) - Washington, DC, is on the verge of passing New York as the priciest place to rent an office in the country. Rents were down pretty much across the board in the latest figures from Reis, a New York-based research firm, but DC saw only a mild 3% decline, to an average $41.77 per square foot, compared to a whopping 20% dive in the Big Apple, to $44.69 per square foot. More»

In throes of recession, rent dispute, the Big Apple landmark will shutter its dining hall

(NEWSER) - New York’s vaunted Rainbow Room will shut down its dining hall next week amid the recession and a rent conflict, the New York Daily News reports. With the Rainbow Grill’s closure, the tourist hotspot at 30 Rockefeller Plaza will—temporarily or otherwise—be 40 employees lighter and limited to a bar and banquet hall. "It's such a classic New York place," one fan laments. More»

Owner of legendary amusement park can't strike deal on lease

(NEWSER) - The iconic Astroland, one of two theme parks on New York’s Coney Island, will close for good on Sunday, the New York Post reports. Owner Carol Albert said she couldn't strike a lease deal with the 46-year-old site's developer and landlord. The park’s historic (and bruising) Cyclone rollercoaster will survive, a bitter victory for summer fun enthusiasts. The developer promises that a new park will be in place by next year. More»

Companies are bearing the brunt of a price surge for commercial leases

(NEWSER) - The price of office space has surged nationwide due to a dwindling store of vacant commercial property and picky landlords increasingly keen on attracting well-heeled tenants. Across the country, leases spiked an average of 3.1% in the second quarter, following an increase of 2.8% in the first. More»