Though plans are in place to bring small plates and merlot to “thousands of stores” overall, only 30 Starbucks stores out of 20,000 currently pour beer or wine, so it’s a big deal, maybe, that the coffee chain has confirmed it’s seeking a liquor license for its next Williamsburg location. “Just as every customer is unique, so are our stores and we consider a broad range of products and services for each location,” a spokesperson explains, noting tentative plans also include bringing in pricier “reserve” coffee.
The push to serve alcohol is obviously a move on the chain’s part to siphon business away from the area’s restaurants, just as the whiff of fancier beans is aimed at the neighborhood’s cafés; the expanded menu in general is part of Starbucks’s long-term growth strategy. But given the lackluster response to Williamsburg’s first Starbucks, it’s doubtful that its next store represents a serious threat to the competition on either front. The North 7th Street Starbucks may end up being, however, the only place where you’ll be able to score a secret, off-menu Pumpkin Spice Latte-flavored chardonnay.
Starbucks goes part-bar for second Williamsburg foray [Brooklyn Paper]
Related: Williamsburg’s Next Starbucks Will Serve Beer and Wine