Starbucks Puts to Rest 'Evenings' Program
SEATTLE — Starbucks Corp. will end its "Starbucks Evenings" program and stop selling beer and wine at 439 stores in the United States on Jan. 10.
The coffee chain first tested "Starbucks Evenings" in Seattle in 2010 before expanding to Chicago, Atlanta and southern California. In 2014, it announced plans to expand the program to thousands of locations as part of Starbucks' long-term plan to nearly double its market value to $100 billion and counteract declining evening sales, as CSNews Online previously reported.
"Starbucks Evenings" were planned for urban areas where people are out at night, and expanded as a way to drive sales beyond the morning rush, reported the Associated Press.
In 2014, Starbucks said it planned to expand alcohol to "thousands" of stores. Now it says it will integrate beer and wine into its higher-end retail format, such as Roastery stores.
Along with beer and wine, "Starbucks Evenings" offered small plates of upscale food, such as bacon-wrapped dates and truffle macaroni and cheese.
The program may continue overseas or in some of the nine licensed stores where it is offered, the AP reported.