Forego that afternoon cup of Joe for a more relaxing glass of wine at Starbucks 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea. The Uber Caffeine dealer opened it’s first location under the new name and will serve from a rotating wine list priced from $5- $7 a glass and beer offerings from $4-$5 at 3 test stores in Seattle.

‘Starbucks decided to build a new type of coffeehouse that would serve customers throughout the day, and in the true spirit of a traditional coffeehouse this store would serve beer and wine’

This coffeehouse design is reminiscent of a European mercantile and draws inspiration from the original Starbucks location opened in Seattle’s Pike Place Market 38 years ago. It’s eclectic and raw, featuring locally sourced and reused materials that are one-of-a-kind.

They decided to offer the following wines to start:

Gruet Blanc de Noirs, New Mexico
2007 Wallee Brook Pinot Gris, Oregon
2007 Drouhin Macon-Villages, France
2007 Delas Cote du Ventoux, France
2006 DeLoach Cabernet Sauvignon, California

and the following beer:

Stella Artois
Red Hook Brewery

Blackhook
ESB
Slim Chance

Widmer Brothers

Broken Halo IPA

Alaskan Amber

The overall idea seems good, building these stores on is what people original wanted in a coffeehouse. But can this corporate powerhouse break into the hearts of those who choose local?

The Seattlest [Seattlest.com] wrote some first impressions of the store.

15th Ave Fact Page [Starbucks.com]

streetlevelcoffee.com [Official Website]