Tell Letitia James to stop Capital One's Unfair Trade Practices
Demand that the OCC enforce its regulations
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"Part Bank, Part Cafe" = 100% illegal and unfair
Welcome
BOYCOTT CAPITAL ONE CAFES BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
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Across New York City, enormous Capital One Cafés are taking over prime neighborhood corners. There are already six — and more are no doubt on the way. Inside, they sell (or give away) the same cappuccinos, matcha lattes, and avocado toast you’d find at your favorite independent coffee shop.
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But there’s a problem: banks aren’t supposed to be coffee shops.
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Capital One has ignored this fact and decided to go into the cafe business anyway. It hopes to lure you in with cappuccinos, then sell you credit cards and other financial products. This marketing scheme competes unfairly with local small businesses and blurs the line between banking and hospitality — a clear violation of federal regulations.
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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE IF CAPITAL ONE GOES UNCHECKED?
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The reason banks are turning into coffee shops is simple: no one goes to branches anymore. People bank online, not in person. This makes it harder for Capital One to sell people on its credit cards, loans and other money-making financial products. So Capital One is turning to lattes and couches to draw people in.
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But where does it stop? Capital One can serve coffee, but Wells Fargo can’t serve pizza? Citibank can’t sell burgers? Now that Capital One has cracked the door open, other banks are sure to follow. And suddenly independent neighborhood businesses—the places that built these communities—will be replaced with corporate, bank-branded cafés and restaurants.
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That’s why the law draws the line where it does. Because if not at lattes and avocado toast, then where?
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Here are a few of Capital One's LEGAL VIOLATIONS that the regulators are ignoring:​​​
Violation #1
Engaging in
Unlawful Nonbanking
Activity
The law prohibits banks from engaging in activities not “closely related to banking.”
Serving coffee, matcha, and avocado toast is not banking.
Violation #2
Misleading Consumers About Who’s Selling the Product
The law requires that any “other business” in a bank space be “conspicuously, accurately, and separately identified.”
Capital One Cafés use the same name, logo, and branding as the bank, creating intentional confusion.
Violation #3
Unfair Competitive Advantage Through Subsidized Rent
The law requires that leases be negotiated “at arm’s length” for fair market rent.
In NYC’s high-rent market, these massive café spaces couldn’t survive without bank subsidies — giving Capital One an unlawful advantage over independent coffee shops.
WHY THIS MATTERS
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Hurts Local Businesses: Small coffee shops can’t compete with a multi-billion-dollar bank subsidizing café operations.
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Destroys Fair Competition: Federal regulations exist to keep banks in their lane and ensure a level playing field.
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Erodes Community Character: Replacing independent cafés with bank-branded coffee shops erases neighborhood character.
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Manipulates Public Trust: By posing as a friendly coffee shop, Capital One lures unsuspecting customers into a sales funnel for its money-making financial products.
