Last Starbucks Standing During Hurricane Sandy Mobbed By Thirsty Midtown Caffeine Addicts

Hordes of people traipsed to midtown Manhattan Monday, traveling by foot and by cab to stand in long lines for an important commodity that Hurricane Sandy had made suddenly scarce.

The must-have item was neither batteries nor bottled water, however: These New Yorkers had journeyed to Times Square for Starbucks coffee.

"It was scary not having Starbucks,” said Bethany Owings, who told the New York Post she walked 10 blocks with her 18-month-old daughter Ava to get her daily dose.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Starbucks Corp. closed all of its New York City and Long Island locations at 4 p.m. Sunday so its employees could return home before the MTA shut down all trains.

Stores were supposed to remain closed on Monday, but the Starbucks on the main floor of the Marriott Marquis on West 45th Street was catering to a steady stream of caffeine-obsessed patrons.

Owings told the Post she found out about the rogue store via Facebook, but word spread quickly on other social media networks, including Twitter.

Only Starbucks open, probably for miles around, are the ones in the Marriott Marquis on W. 45th, including the one where we usually meet.
— StudentRush Org (@StudentRushNYC) October 29, 2012

For those who made the trip, the long lines were a small price to pay. Alex Mwangi, a Starbucks "gold card" holder, walked more than 20 blocks looking for a store -- a trek he said was totally worth it.

“I’m a Starbucks fanatic," he told The New York Post. "I go four or five times a day. I like the way they make their coffee and the way they present it to you. Elsewhere is standard, regular coffee.”

Other chains like Dunkin Donuts were closed on Monday, Gothamist reports.

However, those closings meant more business for shops that planned to stay open during the storm.

When local 7-Eleven manager Khagendra Bhattarai heard the Dunkin Donuts across the street would be shutting its doors, he immediately put on extra coffee. He told The Huffington Post he planned to stay open all night.

Visit The New York Post to read what other "coffee junkies" had to say about getting their Starbucks fix.

Also on HuffPost:

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Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy
A resident makes their way through a gauntlet of downed trees and wires at Jane St. and Palisade Ave. in the Weekhawken Township of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy passed through wreaking havoc with high winds, rain and flooding on Tuesday October 30, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy
A pole supporting power lines was blown over at 30th St. and Central Ave. in Union City New Jersey during the onslaught of winds brought on by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday October 30, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy
A pole supporting power lines was blown over at 30th St. and Central Ave. in Union City New Jersey during the onslaught of winds brought on by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday October 30, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Gets Hammered By Superstorm Sandy
Hurricane Sandy batters the New York City skyline as the Lower Manhattan streets are inundated with flood waters from Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL) Correction: A previous caption for this post was misdated as Oct. 30.
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Brazilian tourists Zequiel Oliveira, left and Walter Soares take photos at the Esplanade in Lower Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
The Plaza Shops in lower Manhattan have prepared for Hurricane Sandy's arrival with sandbags piled high as their is expected to be flooding from the storm surge associated with the hurricane. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Brazilian tourists Zequiel Oliveira and Walter Soares take photos at the Esplanade in Lower Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
New York City sanitation trucks are lined up at Cooper Square in New York for the anticipated cleanup from Hurrican Sandy. New York City braces for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Spanish tourist Amaranta Amador, left and Spanish student Imanol Lekue take time out from the storm to have coffee and a muffin as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Onlookers make their way around Lower Manhattan's Battery Park as Hurricane Sandy makes her way north. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approached the east coast of the United States and was slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Brazilian tourists Walter Soares take photos at the Esplanade in Lower Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Erin Hillmar, left and Steve Seltz check out the sites at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Lower Manhattan subways stations have been boarded up and sand-bagged with the impending landfall of Hurrican Sandy expected to bring flooding with the storm surge brought on by the hurricane. New York City braces for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Chilean tourists Juan Irarrazaval, left and Pilar Ferrada check out the sites at Lower Manhattan's Battery Park as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Onlookers make their way around Lower Manhattan's Battery Park as Hurricane Sandy makes her way north. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approached the east coast of the United States and was slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Onlookers make their way around Lower Manhattan's Esplanade as Hurricane Sandy makes her way north. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approached the east coast of the United States and was slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Brazilian tourists Zequiel Oliveira, left and Walter Soares take photos at the Esplanade in Lower Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City. New York braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approaches the east coast of the United States and is slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
NYPD officers take time out to pose for a portrait at Lower Manhattan's Battery Park before Hurricane Sandy arrives. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approached the east coast of the United States where it was slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)
New York City Prepares For Hurricane Sandy
Onlookers make their way around Lower Manhattan's Battery Park as Hurricane Sandy makes her way north. New York City braced for Hurricane Sandy as the storm approached the east coast of the United States and was slated to make landfall in New Jersey on Monday October 29, 2012. (Damon Dahlen, AOL)