NEW YORK – Starbucks plans to open its first Tazo tea store later this year in a measure to expand beyond its famous coffee shops. The Seattle based coffee shop chain said the store will renovate its flagship store to will include a bar area where guests can make their own mixes using a company employee, who is called an “associate of tea”. The store will offer over 80 varieties of loose leaf tea, tea lattes, iced tea, packaged chocolates, sugar, and flavored honey. They will also serve pastries and other food items just like in their other shops. However, Starbuck’s tea shop will not carry the company’s signature green logo.
This step is Starbucks’ latest attempt to expand its 17,000 cafes that can be found all over the world. Earlier this year, the company also announced plans to open their first Evolution Fresh branch which sells only fruit juices. Starbucks also plans to start selling single cup coffee makers to allow people to prepare Starbucks lattes and other drinks at home. The company already offers other options for making a single cup, including k-cups by Keurig Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
Starbucks says that they don’t have any plans of establishing additional Tazo tea stores at the moment. But they are hopeful that Tazo will make it big in the market. Perhaps as big as Starbucks Coffee.
