In an effort to attract more evening customers--reportedly, Starbucks gets 70% of its business before 2 p.m.--the coffee franchise is looking to offer regional beers and wines.
A location in Seattle is the first to offer alcohol in its newly revamped store. Kris Engskov, a region vice president for Starbucks, said, "What we've done is we've tried to create a variety of options that you might find in more of a restaurant at night."
If the Seattle location does well, it likely will only be a matter of time before other locations start offering beer and wine, as well as a wider variety of food. And don't worry about feeling out of place in a traditional Starbucks with a glass of cabernet in your hand--the stores are reportedly being remodeled for a decidedly un-Starbucks look.
So could there be any new-Starbucks drawbacks (or drawbucks, as NewsFeed likes to think of them)? Definitely. It's largely thanks to Starbucks that paying $5 for a cup of coffee became normal--who knows what could happen to the cost of a pint. (via USA Today)