Starbucks locations around the country will close today at 5:30pm local time and remain closed until 8:30pm to undergo some sort of barista re-training. There’s speculation that this may have something to do with the AT&T / iPhone deals that have been announced over the past year.
Though they claim to be doing it for other reasons, Dunkin Donuts is offering a 99 cent small latte, cappucino or espresso from 1pm to 10pm today as well. Since there’s only one Dunkin Donuts location in Austin (183 between Duval and McNeil on the south side of 183, 258-6560) and eleventy bazillion Starbucks locations (well, 40 or so), I’m guessing not too many people will take advantage of this….and you’re an outright caffeine fiend if you’re craving a latte between 5:30 and 8:30 in the evening, but who am I to judge?
On a somewhat related note, I caught the Sundance Channel show, Iconoclasts, for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it happened to feature Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with Norman Lear. They pair two celebrities and draw parallels between their careers. The show is currently in its third season. Some of the pairings are downright strange.
Now where’s my coffee cup?