ROSWELL, Ga. — Several metro Atlanta Starbucks stores will soon feature beer and wine on the menu.
Metro Atlanta is part of a small test market where the coffee shop will start to sell alcohol. It will arrive at three stores in Atlanta and Roswell as early as this fall.
On Thursday, Roswell officials approved an alcohol license and Sunday sales for the store on Alpharetta Highway.
"I think it's a great idea, actually," customer Gabriel Sedlak told Channel 2's John Bachman.
Customers will be allowed to buy alcohol from the store starting at 2 p.m.
"I think it's intriguing. During the night, I don't want to come for coffee to keep me up. I want something more relaxed, and the environment at Starbucks is great for visiting,"
customer Allison Howell said.
Another customer also supported the idea.
http://bcove.me/bscuteaf
"I don't want it to turn into a bar scene, where people are here just to meet, but it would be nice to have a glass of wine and enjoy that," Joy Burnham said.
But numerous online users expressed concerns about drinking and driving on WSB-TV's Facebook page. One mother at the Roswell store told Bachman she's worried about her teen son.
"I have an 18-year-old son that meets a lot of his buddies at Starbucks in the evenings. I feel real comfortable knowing he's there. I don't think I'd feel quite as comfortable if he went to one serving alcohol," Allison Howell said.
A Starbucks spokeswoman told Bachman over the phone the company wants to provide an alternative to the bar scene and keep the coffeehouse feel, with beer and wine as options. The store also plans to add live music and some extra items on the menu, such as small plates and cheese to go with the wine.
"And not everybody likes coffee only, so it kind of opens up the palette a bit," Sedlak said.
Beer and wine will also be available at a Starbucks stores on Howell Mill and West Paces Ferry roads in Atlanta.
WSBTV
