Big news, Starbucks devotees: As of October 2, there were 11 Valley locations of the popular coffee chain with pending liquor license applications. What does this mean? Starbucks Evening stores are coming to metro Phoenix.
Starbucks Evening isn't exactly new. The first location opened in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 2010 and served wine, beer, and small plates along with the traditional Starbucks coffee menu. There are now Starbucks Evening stores in Seattle, Chicago, and New York, and before long, Phoenix will be able to join in the fun, too.
There already are several Valley coffee shops that serve both coffee and alcohol — Cartel, Urban Beans, Lux, and 32 Shea among them — and the introduction of Starbucks Evening stores will surely add to the fierce competition for customer loyalty.
Starbucks has stated that the creation of Evening stores was intended to provide customers with more late-night options. By offering wine, craft beer, and small plates that are more substantial than daytime pastry selections, Starbucks hopes to attract a clientele desiring more than caffeine at night.
Starbucks' in-house sommelier, Rachel Antalek, is responsible for the beer and wine selections in each store, which vary by region. Typical menus include domestic and foreign selections of the usual suspects: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and other varietals for $6 to $14 per glass. Craft beer selections usually cost $4 to $5 and vary by store.
Food offerings at Starbucks Evening stores have included items such as truffle mac 'n' cheese, bacon-wrapped dates with balsamic glaze, and meatballs with tomato basil sauce, as well as traditional meat and cheese plates.
Along with the 11 potential metro Phoenix locations, additional locations across Arizona appear to be transitioning into Starbucks Evening stores, including one in Prescott and another in Lake Havasu City.
The full list of metro Phoenix Starbucks locations with pending liquor license applications is as follows:
Starbucks Coffee #5837
455 N 3rd Street, Phoenix
Starbucks Coffee #19764
2802 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix
Starbucks Coffee #5435
1641 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix
Starbucks Coffee #19281
650 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix
Starbucks Coffee #5622
8225 W Bell Rd, Peoria
Starbucks Coffee #14520
4409 E McKellips Rd, Mesa
Starbucks Coffee #23311
3530 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale
Starbucks Coffee #5327
15811 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale
Scottsdale Coffee #22718
7369 N Via Paseo Del Sur, Scottsdale
Starbucks Coffee #21646
1741 E Warner Rd, Tempe
Starbucks Coffee #15746
4985 W Ray Rd, Chandler