Officials: no wine and beer at Starbucks

Starbucks has drawn the ire of the City Council and State Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky after it filed an application last month with the State Liquor Authority for a wine and beer license, part of an initiative to drum up business in the evenings.

The popular coffee shop chain is looking to expand its menu at select locations to include small dinner fare, such as truffle macaroni and cheese, bacon-wrapped dates and flatbreads, as well as alcoholic beverages.

Though a number of residents and customers support the proposal, others have panned the idea of serving beer and wine at Starbucks. The council and Kaminsky have written letters to the SLA asking that the application be denied. The license is pending.

“The thought of Starbucks serving alcohol is simply unacceptable,” Kaminsky said. “This café is one of the few spaces in Long Beach where teenagers and families alike can socialize in an alcohol-free zone. Long Beach is not lacking for establishments where alcohol can be consumed. We must protect the few spaces where residents, and especially teenagers, can gather without feeling unsafe or pressured to drink alcohol.”

Starbucks first announced that it would add wine, beer and dinner items in 2010, and rolled out its Evenings menu in August at two dozen locations around the U.S., including one in Manhattan and another in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

The Long Beach location is one of four Starbucks on Long Island that have applied for the licenses, all of which are still pending, the SLA said. Starbucks had not responded to a request for comment as the Herald went to press.

City Council members and others said that Starbucks is a popular place for kids, who often meet there after school, and for families who attend nearby events at the library and Kennedy Plaza. “A wine tavern license issued for this location would be a serious cause of concern for the city and its many families,” the council wrote.