Back in the summer of 2009, Starbucks began a strange experiment: caffeine dispensaries that were Starbucks-owned and operated, but had different branding and were decorated similarly to other neighborhood businesses. Like the coffee shops your neighborhood had before Starbucks came along. This is a sad month for the experiment, though: the first stealth Starbucks, 15th Ave. Coffee and Tea in Seattle, is closing at the end of January. It will become just another Starbucks.

The other stealth Starbucks shops will remain open for now.

Starbucks returns: The 15th Ave Coffee & Tea experiment is over [Capitol Hill Seattle] (Thanks, Tony!)

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The Only Thing Left For Starbucks? To Just Stop Being Starbucks
Meet The First Stealth Starbucks: Seattle’s 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea

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