Starbucks To Test Out Coffee Trucks On College Campuses This Fall

Because heaven forbid you need to walk more than 50 feet to find a cup of coffee, Starbucks wants to try to bring its brews just a little bit closer. The coffee colossus has announced it will be dabbling in the food truck business this fall when it rolls out mobile versions of its stores on a trio of college campuses.

The Seattle Times reports that Starbucks is partnering with foodservice behemoth Aramark to bring Starbucks trucks (Startrucks? Buckstrucks? Carbucks? The Caffeine Machine?) to the campuses of Arizona State University (which also happens to be Starbucks’ partner in its recently announced college degree program); James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA; and Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.

The menus on these trucks will be “nearly identical” to what you’d find if you walked to the Starbucks on your corner… or the one across the street… or the one down the block…or the one in the lobby of your office building.

The trucks may be able to offer Starbucks more flexibility than it would get from a fixed retail location. A food truck can relocate to different parts of a campus depending on foot traffic and could stay open later.

If these three tests are successful, you can expect Starbucks to expand its fleet of rolling caffeine retailers.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.