Starbucks (SBUX) is finally testing a service its says customers have been clamoring for for years: delivery to your office.
The coffee company said on Tuesday it would pilot its “Green Apron Delivery” service at New York City’s iconic Empire State Building, a skyscraper that holds 12,000 workers, offering Starbucks the density it needs to make the service work logistically and financially, not to mention some buzz given the building’s fame.
Starbucks had said in the spring that it would test delivery in New York in the latter half of 2015, as part of a plan to spur growth at a company with goals to be worth $100 billion one day but not given details. At the time, Starbucks’ market cap was $75 billion, and is already up to $90 billion in just six months.
The ESB has 150 tenants; workers at those companies can place orders from a limited drink and food menu via a specific website. Orders are capped at 15 items, and Starbucks charges a $2 delivery fee. Delivery from a green apron-clad barista occurs within 30 minutes.
“I cannot think of a better location to launch one of the most frequently requested services,” said Cliff Burrows, Starbucks group president, U.S. and Americas in a statement.
As previously announced, Starbucks plans, in partnership with leading on-demand delivery service Postmates, to allow customers will to order via the Starbucks mobile app and get on-demand delivery in certain areas. This pilot will begin in Seattle in the second half of 2015 in the coming weeks.
These are just the latest efforts by Starbucks to speed up service and give customers more options for getting their orders. Last month, Starbucks rolled out a new mobile ordering and payment feature to 7,400 stores nationwide that lets customers place their order and pay for it on their phones, then just arrive at the store to pick up their coffee when the order is ready.
