If that happens, it’ll leave small-business restaurants, bars and coffee shops like The West, hoping their customers remain loyal, their product proves superior and Starbucks fails to find its own versions of Matthew, Janel or Fred.
Advertisement
I chalked it up to opening-night jitters. “There are so many little coffeehouses everywhere, I would think people who are attracted to that niche will go elsewhere, and I think Starbucks is OK with that and wants to appeal to a bigger audience”.
According to SF Eater, the coffee company has submitted an application to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell beer and wine in stores across the Bay Area, including Santa Rosa (11), Petaluma (8) and Napa (7.) KTVU-TV searched the ABC’s database and found that Starbucks has applied for a license at 39 stores in California.
I hopped on the train to Williamsburg to see for myself if Starbucks has what it takes to be a nightly social hub. Most items we tried fell somewhere in that zone between adequate and nearly good. (And I certainly don’t come for great food – it’s primarily a coffeehouse, after all.) But I do come to chill out, with or without laptop, or maybe meet a friend. The worst was a flatbread pizza with chicken sausage and mushrooms – it tasted a bit like what you’d expect if Olive Garden came out with a line of frozen pizza. In the past, when I’ve visited a Starbucks, I’ve tended to get an iced tea (again, I’m not a fan of the coffee). Because let’s face it: We all like to go out for drinks. It looks like Starbucks could use bartenders instead of baristas as it is set to add alcohol to its menu in 70 branches all over the US. The beverages will range in price from $6 to $15, and the menu becomes available about 4 p.m. each day. And most importantly, there are more communal tables that can be reserved with a store manager. The selection of beers will depend on the location.
Advertisement
The scene at the Starbucks in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. If it stayed open at least another hour, I’d have certainly enjoyed another round.
