Booze and bar snacks? Welcome to the new Starbucks
The coffee shop on every corner is officially expanding to happy hour.
In 2010, Starbucks launched “Evenings” —”a curated menu of wine and craft beer, coffees, and tea beverages as well as shareable small plates” — at its Olive Way location in Seattle. And now, the coffeehouse giant is bringing its late-night menu to multiple stores across the United States.
As of Wednesday, August 19, the Evenings menu will be available at over 70 Starbucks locations, including its new North 7th Williamsburg storefront in Brooklyn, New York. A spokesperson for Starbucks told HelloGiggles that Evenings is perfect whether you want to “gather, relax and connect with friends or be alone in a trusted, comfortable environment” — and we can’t wait to check it out.
“Currently we have around 70 stores that offer the Evenings menu – Washington, Oregon, Los Angeles, Chicago, Florida, Atlanta, and most recently, expanded into Denver, Miami, Orlando and Northern California,” the spokesperson said in a statement to HelloGiggles.
According to a press release, the menu will offer everything from mushroom flatbread to bacon-wrapped dates with balsamic glaze to truffle mac and cheese. (We’re drooling on our keyboards.) All plates are shareable, under 500 calories, and designed to complement what you’re drinking — whether alcoholic or caffeinated.
A small team of “sensory experts” whittled down over 500 wines to the ten that are ultimately featured at Evenings locations. (Where do we get that job?) According to a press release, the drinks menu at Evenings will vary by location, and will reflect the preferred tastes of the region: For example, a Goose Island IPA in Chicago, versus an Old Seattle Lager in, well, Seattle.
While a few other fast food chains have dabbled in adding alcohol to the menu, Starbucks is the first to really attempt it on a larger scale. The announcement comes after about five years of careful consumer testing, and we’re curious to see how, if at all, it changes Starbucks’ vibes. As multiple sources have pointed out, it’s a tricky transition to pull off: Starbucks doesn’t want to scare off its normal consumer base, and people might be hesitant to hit up a coffee shop for an after work drink of a very different kind. But the company is confident in its decision.
“We learned resoundingly that our customers want to come to Starbucks and have a glass of wine or a craft beer,” Rachel Antalek, Starbucks VP of Concept Innovations and in-house sommelier, told USA Today. “There aren’t that many places to go in the evening where you can go very relaxed, very casual. It’s not loud. You can actually have a small group and hear yourself talk.”
According to USA Today, Starbucks has already submitted liquor license applications for hundreds of its locations in the U.S., and hopes to expand the Evenings menu on a larger scale by the end of the year.
(Images courtesy of Starbucks.)
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