SEATTLE -- Starbucks Coffee Co. here is pushing forward with the full-menu, full-service restaurant experiment it launched earlier this fall.
The coffee company has opened its third full-service restaurant, dubbed Cafe Starbucks, here and is set to open another one downtown before the end of the year, officials said. Credited with introducing people across the country to cappuccino and other trendy espresso-based drinks, the company is now serving up the likes of old-fashioned meat loaf and chicken pot pie, made on-site, at its Cafe Starbucks locations.
Extending the menu from double latte to meat loaf and mashed potatoes may seem a big leap, but company officials said the restaurant test has been driven by customer demand and by the company's desire to take advantage of an expanding market for meals, said Alan Gulick, Starbucks spokesman.
"This is still very much a test," Gulick said. He added that Starbucks has deliberately positioned the new-concept cafes in different types of areas -- from a downtown mall to residential neighborhoods -- in order to help the company evaluate what works and where it works.
The first Cafe Starbucks was opened just after Labor Day; the most recent, the first week of November.
The Cafe Starbucks concept includes a wait staff, seating for up to 65, and a menu that covers all dayparts beginning with full breakfasts. In addition to a repertoire of espresso-based drinks, Cafe Starbucks serves wine and beer.
