SEATTLE – Starbucks announced last week that it will begin selling bottled wine and beer at thousands of its U.S. store in a program called Starbucks Evenings, UPI.com reports.
Under the Starbucks Evenings program, alcohol will be available after 4 p.m., a move designed to attract customers in the evening. Starbucks will offer only bottled beer and wine with a selection that reflects local preferences.
"The concept is a natural progression for Starbucks as we seek to create a new occasion for customers to gather, relax and connect with each other in the evenings," said spokeswoman Lisa Passe.
Starbucks began selling beer in Seattle in 2010 and expanded that to 26 locations. The new initiative will make alcohol available across thousands of stores. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that a typical customer spends $5 at the cafe and liquor sales could easily boost these numbers.
"We are in the early stages of our growth and development," Schultz said. "If we're a 20-chapter book, we are only in chapter four or five.”
The program has already been tested in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C.