Viral Image Of LI Starbucks Tries To Compare US, Europe; It Lacks Context

HICKSVILLE, NY — A picture featuring a Long Island Starbucks recently went viral as a comparison between how Americans and Europeans get coffee. But, as with many things online, things aren't as cut-and-dry as they appear.

The post, titled "30 people getting coffee vs 30 people getting coffee," features two images. The top image shows cars wrapped around the block waiting in line for a Starbucks drive-thru. The bottom image shows people sitting under umbrellas outside of a Parisian cafe.

Traffic is undoubtedly a problem on Long Island, and long lines do often form at Starbucks drive-thrus. However, the viral picture is lacking context.

The top image is of the Starbucks at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville, located on North Broadway. The picture was taken by a Getty News photographer on May 2, 2020 — when all restaurants were still closed to indoor dining. It was a photo showing how COVID-19 was changing the way Americans did things, like getting coffee.

The bottom photo also has more of a story to tell. It is an image of Les Duex Magots, a famous cafe and restaurant in Paris that used to be the go-to spot of artists and writers like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and many more. Today, it doesn't host many luminaries, but is a very popular tourist destination.

The people shown sitting around and enjoying their coffee aren't going there every day — they're on vacation.