US-based coffee chain Starbucks will serve beer and wine in its store in central London. This will become the first store in the capital to serve wine and beer.
'The outlet will be called Starbucks Reserve bar. In this outlet, customers will receive at-table service from iPad-wielding waiters.
Wine and beer will be served in the evening menu. Pastries, salads, cheeses, meats and flatbread platters make up the food offerings at the coffee chain.
This move comes after rival firm Pret A Manger tested a similar initiative earlier this year.
At the new bar, customers need not stand in queue; rather they can sit down and enjoy their drinks and meal. They can also place orders from a handheld device.
Five coffee brewing systems will be used at the bar. These include Clover that uses vacuum press technology, a hand-crafted manual espresso machine Black Eagle, Syphon, Chemex and Pour Over, The Guardian reported.
With the use of upgraded brewing technique, the price of certain offerings may go up, reported The Telegraph. It is also offering more up-market options in coffees such as Madagascan vanilla lattes and mint espressos. These items will be displayed on digital boards, which will change thrice a day.
The beers will come from London breweries in Hackney and Battersea while the wines from Washington state vineyards in the US.
Starbucks vice-president of the store design for EMEA region Ad De Hond was quoted as saying by The Guardian: "We wanted to create a buzz with the design that focuses on a sensorial experience and reflects our commitment to creating and presenting the highest quality and innovation."
This Starbucks outlet will also offer latest technologies such as mobile order and pay, wireless charger for mobiles and tablets and Wi-Fi with 100MB speed per second, reported The Guardian.
The outlet will sell coffees made from exclusive beans sourced from across the world. Besides, it will sell specialty drinks such as shakeratos, an espressos blended with ice cubes and syrup, reported The Daily Mail.
Image: Wine is now on the menu at Starbucks. Photo: Courtesy of zdiviv/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
