News

Starbucks sees future with beer, wine

October 17, 2010

In celebration of its 40-year history, Starbucks Corp. is hoping to boost evening sales with the offering of beer and wine. The company also is looking to evoke that restaurant feel with the addition of cheese and cured meats as menu items, and will serve the new menu items on china.

According to a story in USA Today, a Starbucks location in Seattle has already added alcoholic beverages and undergone a three-month renovation designed to give the location a more neighborhood feel.

From the story:

Most conspicuously, the place looks less like a Starbucks and more like a cafe that's been part of the neighborhood for years — yet that's "green" in design and decor. This is the calling card of independent java joints that have been eating and sipping away at Starbucks' evening business for decades.

While beer and wine may be new for the chain, its focus on looking more like a community coffeehouse is not.

Late last year, the company renovated at least two locations and changed the name of each to reflect their respective neighborhoods rather than the corporation. The locations also feature detailed designs centered around the areas where they exist.

Starbucks also has introduced a new feature to its Starbucks Card Facebook App.

The app is available in the United States and Canada, and gives users of the app the ability to load through Facebook $5 to $500 directly onto a friend's registered Starbucks Card as a gift. The Give a Gift update to the Starbucks Card App takes the honor of being the 100th launched idea from the community site, My Starbucks Idea.

In addition to loading money onto a friend's Starbucks Card through the app, Starbucks users can use the app to access and manage their Starbucks account.