In the mood for an extra-hot grande latte? What about a short cabernet sauvignon, or a venti pale ale?
Coffee giant Starbucks, which announced in June that it would run a test market selling wine and beer at three stores in its corporate hometown of Seattle, opened the first fully renovated store to showcase the new concept on Tuesday.
Apparently, Starbucks stores in the United States garner 70% of their sales before 2 p.m., making alcoholic beverages a good way to boost revenue into the late afternoon and evening “day parts,” as they say in the quick-service industry.
No word on whether this might extend to the coffee-loving nation of Canada, which has more per capita drinkers of the hot beverage than in the U.S., evenings included.
“This is the natural evolution of the brand,” Arthur Rubinfeld, global development chief at Starbucks, told USA Today. “This is all about elevating the brand’s position worldwide.”
Hollie Shaw
