Sorry folks, there won't be any comfy oversized chairs at some new Starbucks locations, which will forgo tables and chairs entirely in favor of a drive-thru and walk-up model.
The stores, an eco-friendly experiment, will be tiny. The first, which is already open in Denver, Co., is just 500 square feet and fits only three to five people and work equipment. Made of local materials including Wyoming snow fencing, the small building is certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Fast Company Design recently profiled the move, officially considered a "pilot program," which aims to be "a confluence of all these various impulses. The environment. Localism. Market growth. Low-cost, low-risk expandability."
Starbucks has done a fair share of other experimenting in recent months. In March, the company announced it would open its first-ever juice bar location in its biggest move ever outside of coffee.
This past summer, Starbucks also launched its first line of energy drinks, Starbucks Refreshers.
Starbucks plans to replace several of its current locations with these new eco-conscious models, although it's unclear how many that will be.
