Starbucks is trying to brew up new business by offering bottled beer and glasses of wine at one of its Seattle stores next week — with a view toward expanding its version of European-style coffeehouses to other cities.
The 16,000-store chain hopes to offer a more traditional coffeehouse, with live music and poetry readings and espresso made from a manual machine rather than an automated one. It would also offer bottled beer and glasses of wine for $4 to $7.
Starbucks officials would not say whether they’ll launch their own brand of alcohol. The coffee company plans to test its new approach in two additional Seattle stores — and then will decide whether to expand.
Starbucks hasn’t even chosen the location for two of its three test-market stores. But if the company wished to enter the New York market, it would need to notify the local community board for each store 30 days in advance before it seeks a beer and wine license from the State Liquor Authority, experts said.
An SLA spokesman said there would be no major legal obstacle — noting that several of Greenwich Village’s famed coffeehouses for years have sold wine and beer.
Some Starbucks fans here would welcome the expanded drink menu.
“Beer and wine will be great because it gives them something other to offer than the typical latte. This will cause sales to go up,” said Patricia Coleman, a Starbucks customer three to four times a week. “As long as they regulate the behavior [of customers], I’m all for it.”
But others said the addition of beer and wine just messes with a good product.
“That’s horrible, because it’s a coffee shop. It’s a place to get an awesome vanilla bean,” said Alisha Anderson, 18, pointing to the Frappuccino in her hand.
“I don’t want the atmosphere to change. At Starbucks, you can just chill and get WiFi.”