Mothers Rejoice! Starbucks Plans To Serve Alcohol

Starbucks coffee may suck – sorry, it really does – but that doesn’t stop moms from spending hours there with their little ones in tow. I am one such mom. I actually detest Starbucks and yet I find myself there constantly on cold winter days when I have an hour to kill with my children. I’ll order a latte, my boys get the kids’ hot chocolate (no whip), and we’ll share a slice or two of banana bread. I’ll pull out stickers from my purse, or a handful of Bakugans or Go-Gos or whatever else is lurking in there, and tell them to go nuts.

Or, when I was on mat leave (twice), my big destination would be my local Starbucks (walk time: 7 minutes). I’d meet fellow mat-leave friends there and we’d change our babies in the giant bathrooms and nurse them discreetly at the back tables. I felt like such a cliche and a bit of a loser – but what else was I to do in the dead of winter?

Anyway, we used to joke that we wouldn’t mind exchanging our coffee for a nice glass of Pinot – especially during the dreaded witching hours of 4-6 p.m. Now that dream will become reality for at least a handful of Starbucks locations in Atlanta and Southern California. The company has announced plans to begin selling beer and wine in these test markets. Roll your eyes all you want, but this is brilliant! (Um, hello? Wine and coffee – staples of motherhood!)

If I didn’t have children, I’d scoff at the idea. I mean, don’t you want to enjoy your wine in a more sophisticated environment, or at least one that has more of a “vibe?” Uh, yeah. But when I’m with my kids, at least during these early years, I don’t care where I am. As long as it fits a stroller and I don’t get dirty looks for having my boys run free, then bring it on.

The company is simply “testing” wine and beer sales at this point, and it does not expect to sell alcohol in all of its nearly 11,000 U.S. locations. But, hey, here’s hoping. They can add a mini-play center to the mix and they’ll have the most loyal following around. Just sayin’…

(Photo: ksee24.com)