Starbucks’ next big idea brewing: Selling beer and wine in Austin area

AUSTIN (KXAN) –More than two dozen Texas Starbucks locations have applied for their beer and wine retailers’ license, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

“Each location needs to obtain what we call a 60 day sign,” Chris Porter, spokesman with the TABC said. “It gives residents a chance to protest or file a complaint to the TABC if they have objections to alcohol being sold at that location.”

The next step, Porter said, is getting approval from the local government, who will make sure the locations are more than 1,000 feet from a school or church.

“Then the application is given to the TABC and we will process it,” Porter said. “During that time we will conduct an interview at that location, talk to the people that would be selling the alcohol, and we will inspect the location to make sure that it meets all the criteria set up in the alcoholic beverage code. Once that happens, assuming that there aren’t any protests by residents or any other concerns by the commission, we will issue that license to the location.”

Mohit Mehra, owner of Barley Bean, a central Austin coffee shop, said he has been practicing the concept of craft beer and coffee in his shop for over four years.

“Coffee is a lot of people’s daily dose, it makes their day,” Mehra said. “They can have a fight with their wife but they can’t have a bad coffee.”

Mehra said he doesn’t see Starbucks implementing the same trend as competition.

“Starbucks does not do specialty, but they have so much craze and following behind them, that they like to expand, and that is what they are doing,” Mehra said.

Currently, Starbucks sells alcohol at a select few cities across the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Starbucks locations issued the 60-day signs