Stephen Rex Brown The sign on the door of the Starbucks at 145 Second Avenue.

The Starbucks at Second Avenue and Ninth Street has been closed by the Department of Consumer Affairs for “operating illegally,” according to a sticker on its darkened window.

When a tipster sent word earlier today, we wondered if it was a hoax, since Starbucks became a target of neighborhood scorn after it replaced the Bean at 49 1/2 First Avenue in February. But a walk past the Second Avenue location confirms that it was indeed shuttered by the D.C.A. We’re waiting to hear back from the agency about the circumstances of what will likely be a temporary closure, and will post any updates as we get them.

Update | 2:57 p.m. Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson explained that the coffee shop failed to renew its sidewalk cafe permit.

Stephen Rex Brown The Starbucks on Second Avenue at East Ninth Street.

“Our store at 145 Second Avenue will be closed May 14 -16 as a result of an administrative oversight in renewing our permit with the City for outdoor seating. We worked very closely with the City to resolve this matter and we are reviewing our internal processes to prevent a similar situation from happening at another store in the future. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and invite them to visit our nearby store at Astor Place in the meantime.”

This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: May 14, 2012

An earlier version of this post misidentified the avenue where the shuttered Starbucks is located. It is Second Avenue, not First.