Nearly two months after Starbucks launched a test of its “Green Apron Delivery” concept at the Empire State Building, the coffee giant’s drinks have hit the streets of select Seattle neighborhoods. While the service could no doubt be a welcome convenience for some, the added fee creates a bit of sticker shock. 

Starbucks announced its first neighborhood delivery service on Wednesday, noting that the option would be operated by Postmates and available through the Starbucks app — but only on the iOS version.

The service has been long been seen as a way for the coffee company to attract more customers and increase its mobile footprint, but the option comes with a hefty $5.99 delivery charge, Re/Code reports.

While it’s not surprising that you would have to pay extra for the convenience of delivery, the current fee effectively doubles the cost of many single drink orders from Starbucks. The charge will do less per-drink damage to your wallet if you’re ordering along with a bunch of co-workers.

Starbucks says the service will work much like the one currently being tested at the Empire State Building, which comes with a $2 fee: individuals simply select “delivery” when placing an order on the company’s iOS app.

Once the order is placed, a Postmates courier is dispatched to the closest Starbucks store. During this time, customers can track the progress of the delivery by watching a real-time map.

Unlike the Green Apron Delivery at the Empire State Building, Starbucks lovers in Seattle may have to wait up to 60 minutes for their drinks to arrive, at least initially. However, the company notes that most orders should arrive in less than 30 minutes.

The company doesn’t specify how close a delivery order must be for it to actually go through, only that the systems will select the closest location to ensure
“customers receive the highest quality product.”

Whether or not that product is piping hot by the time it gets to your hands is another question.

[via Re/Code]

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