Starbucks Steps Up

Say what you will about the Seattle-based coffee giant. No really, go ahead. Complain about the sheer volume of locations, the price for coffee or the long lines at peak hours in big cities. But then, think about how much the brand is fine-tuning what they have going to create a place for people to comfortably consume what they need in order to be productive in a nice environment. Mellow but quality music, unique spaces with different types of furniture and art, and now: two more tweaks that will draw in, yes, even more people. In an attempt increase the comfort of patrons even more, Starbucks will post each beverage’s caloric count on menus across the nation beginning June 25. The megabrand is beating a federal regulation that will require all restaurants to practice menu labeling by the end of 2014, a wise move if it was going to have to happen either way. Now, if you’re torn between an Iced Cinnamon Dolce latte (200 calories) and White Chocolate Mocha (400 calories), you can decide if you’re hankering for that cinnamon flavor enough to a lot an additional 200 calories on your morning beverage. In addition to providing customers with all the information they need, Starbucks is continuing to unroll dinner and lunch options in an attempt to lure people in for lunch and dinner, not just a caffeine fix. The brand launched a couple of new sandwich and salad options in April, with choices that span the worlds of turkey, harvarti , veggies and rice. Really, something for everyone. If the explosion of Starbucks felt a bit overwhelming or even annoying, it’s nice to know the brand takes note of what their customers want. If we can see how much a drink costs in monetary amounts, why not let us see how much it costs calorically? Touche, America. We might finally be figuring out to fight obesity: with our brains.