Starbucks is expanding serving alcohol and small plates

The coffee giant Starbucks has announced plans to expand the number of shops that sell the alcoholic beverages from several dozen today to 40 by the end of the year. With this come practical costs like liquor licenses, training staff, washing dishes – but former Starbucks executive John Moore, who runs the marketing consultancy Brains on Fire, says here’s the big concern: “There is an old saying that is so true. There is no ‘and’ in brand.’ If you try to stand for everything, you ultimately stand for nothing,” he says.

This beer and wine move comes after Starbucks spent hundreds of millions to expand its reach into juice, baked goods and tea. The risk, says Moore, a diluted brand – a word no coffee company ever wants to touch.