Starbucks wants to sell beer, wine in Des Plaines
If you don't feel like a cup of coffee, you soon may be able to have a glass of wine or beer at a Starbucks in Des Plaines.
The coffee chain is hoping to expand its Starbucks Evenings program throughout the suburbs, including the location at 1427 Lee St., where they plan to offer single servings of wine and craft beer, along with small plates like truffle mac and cheese and bacon-wrapped dates.
The pilot program is already at 13 locations in the Chicago area - most in the city, but also at The Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg, Burr Ridge, Yorkville, Winnetka and Evanston. Others have been proposed in recent weeks at locations in Naperville and Algonquin.
Harlan Powell, an attorney representing Starbucks, said the Starbucks Evenings concept is meant to bring existing daytime customers back to the store later in the day.
Other Starbucks locations are only selling an average of six to eight servings of beer or wine per day, but that's actually helped to drive sales of coffee and tea, Powell said.
"It may be counterintuitive, but if you look at it in the sense of perhaps you're meeting a group of friends and one of those individuals would like a glass of wine, while the other four or five would like a cup of coffee, it just gives them an option now," he said.
The Des Plaines city council this week voted 5-3 on an early preference, first reading of an ordinance to establish a new Class P liquor license permitting the sale of wine and beer at coffee shops. The council will make a final decision Sept. 8, after which Starbucks would still need to apply for a license.
The proposed rules would only allow Starbucks to sell alcohol from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Employees would be required to complete the state's training program to be able to sell alcohol.
"At first glance I can see bristling and resistance to it, but it's a new concept," said Alderman Denise Rodd. "And I think for Des Plaines to be chosen as part of this pilot program identifies that we have a market for it and something that can be successful."
But Alderman Dick Sayad was worried that allowing Starbucks to serve liquor would open the door to other coffee shops that want to do the same.
"So in other words Dunkin' Donuts can get liquor now? And my Panera, I can get a shot of cognac while I'm having my bagel?" Sayad said.
City officials said as many as four coffee shops may qualify for the proposed Class P liquor license, including the Panera at Metropolitan Square, but not necessarily Dunkin' Donuts shops.
However, Peter Friedman, the city's general counsel, said the city council would be under no obligation to grant more licenses if only one Class P license is made available in the ordinance.
Starbucks officials say they have plans to serve liquor at their other location in Des Plaines, at 2655 Mannheim Road, by 2017.