Starbucks' (SBUX 2.23%) Seattle's Best Coffee simultaneously opened 10 drive-thrus throughout the Dallas-Forth Worth area at 4:30 a.m. yesterday, using a store model that the company says "significantly cut its market entry time, reduced initial investment costs and developed locations that previously were not suitable for a traditional sized coffee shop."
The 10 stores that opened "overnight" were built in DeSoto, Texas, before being transported on flatbed trucks to their current locations across Dallas/Fort Worth. Tthe 10 new stores employ approximately 150 full- and part-time workers and four more stores are planned in the area in late summer.
In each drive-thru, customers can choose from arabica coffee beverages and food including egg sandwiches, pretzels, and pies. Seattle's Best Coffee also features 12 different combos priced under $5. To kick off the launch, Seattle's Best Coffee launched Free Coffee Week at the 10 drive-thrus from May 20-26.
The Dallas-Forth Worth area is one of the fastest-growing and most populous coffee markets.
