Starbucks is taking it to the streets

Getting a quick caffeine fix or on-the-go snack will be easier than ever at three university campuses this fall. Through a pilot with Aramark, students at Arizona State University, in Phoenix, James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Va. and Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, S.C., can stop by one of the Starbucks mobile trucks that will be roaming around campus.

Serving a nearly identical menu as a traditional Starbucks café, the trucks will move to multiple locations each day to meet the campus’s needs. “Customers can expect the same beverage quality and Starbucks experience as other licensed store locations,” says a Starbucks spokesperson. “The mobile truck is an example of how Starbucks is uniquely positioned to serve customers through various innovative store formats and using the right partner to bring this concept to life. Trucks will move to various locations on campus throughout the day, making it easy for busy students to grab a snack or beverage.”

Prices at the truck will be the same as traditional Starbucks cafés, and students can earn Starbucks loyalty rewards at the mobile units as well. “Pricing is the same and customers can make purchases at the mobile truck using a number of payment methods including cash, credit cards, Starbucks Card, Starbucks mobile app and declining balance dollar,” the Starbucks spokesperson says. “Customers that use a registered Starbucks Card or Starbucks mobile app at the mobile truck can earn stars towards their loyalty rewards but cannot redeem rewards. Customers can redeem their rewards at their neighbored Starbucks stores.”

At this point there is no “set length of the pilot program,” the spokesperson adds. “Starbucks does not intend to enter the mobile truck market. While this is a pilot program only, Starbucks is excited about the opportunity to go mobile on campus and hopes that the mobile truck is a gathering place for students, university employees, faculty members and campus visitors too.”

With a total of six licensed Starbucks cafés and three smaller footprint We Proudly Serve sites between its Tempe, Phoenix, West and Polytechnic campuses, the Starbucks mobile truck at Arizona State, “will be placed at a location where a traditional store is not nearby,” says Mike Mesenbrink, resident district manager for Aramark at the university. Four employees will man the truck each shift after undergoing the standard Starbucks employee training.

“Students have responded very well and are excited about the truck,” Mesenbrink adds. “We’ve received nothing but positive feedback via our Sun Devil Dining social media outlets.”