Will there soon be a “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea” on every corner? Starbucks said Thursday it is wiping its name from one of its Seattle-area stores and adding alcohol to the menu. The Seattle-based gourmet coffee chain said it is changing the name of one of its existing stores in its hometown to a name that reflects the neighborhood location. The store will be called “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.” It will open next week and will serve coffee and tea as well as wine and beer.
The new names are meant to give the stores “a community personality,” said Tim Pfeiffer, senior vice president of global design. Starbucks’ logo will be absent, with bags of the company’s coffee and other products rebranded with the 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea name.
The company said it will then open two more Seattle-area stores without the Starbucks name in locations that aren’t currently Starbucks stores. The chain said if the rethought coffee shop is a success it will consider replicating it in other cities. “It’s interesting,” said Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy, “especially since the Starbucks brand has been such an integral part of their success.” Some reporting from AP