Starbucks Hand-Crafted Soda Being Tested At Select Stores
Starbucks could soon get into the soda game. The coffee giant has started testing hand-crafted sodas at a few select stores in Atlanta and Austin.
Starbucks hasn’t officially announced that it was working on a few new sodas, but photos of the carbonated drinks have popped up on several blogs. Starbucks Melody, which is not affiliated with the chain, writes that the company first started testing out the soft drinks in April at a few stores just north of Seattle. The company expanded its test to Atlanta and Austin this month.
Starbucks Melody writes: “In June this year, Starbucks entered its second phase of testing carbonated beverages, including their own proprietary handcrafted root beer and ginger ale. The new test includes a limited number of stores in Atlanta and in Austin, Texas.”
USA Today reports that the hand-crafted sodas are made on site by the baristas with a special carbonation machine. The drinks are priced similar to the coffee drinks with a Tall going for $2.45 and a Venti for $3.45.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lisa Passe confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that the company was working on hand-crafted sodas but didn’t give any additional details.
Passe said: “Definitely not something we wanted to talk about… It is a test in a couple markets. We test products to help us understand how new product extensions can fit within our customers daily routine.”
Starbucks has slowly been expanding its menu over the years, but this is the first time that the company has dabbled with its own sodas. According to John Sicher of the Beverage Digest, the soda industry is the biggest drink category in the United States.
Sicher said: “Starbucks is a smart company and smart to test these products. This may help bring in customers who want something other than coffee, especially at some part of the day when many consumers don’t drink coffee.”
What do you think of Starbucks hand-crafted soda? Do you hope this product goes nationwide?
[Image Via StarbucksMelody]
