Starbucks is partnering with Arizona State University to create a new research and innovation facility that will find new ways to design, build, and operate Starbucks stores.
“Over the last several years we have been reinventing Starbucks for our future and transforming the way we drive innovation at Starbucks,” said Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO, in a statement. “As we continuously focus on elevating the Starbucks experience, introducing new and exciting beverage innovation, and reimagining customer experiences both in-store and through more personalized digital relationships, we constantly challenge ourselves to find new ways to give back more than we take, using our power at scale to create a better society in which we all live.”
Scheduled to open in December 2021 on ASU’s Tempe campus, the ASU-Starbucks Center will focus on four areas: greener stores that minimize environmental impact, alternative menu items including plant-based offerings and protein sources, community betterment, and innovation test stores. ASU’s four campuses in the Phoenix metro area will act as innovation labs to test and evaluate the strategies that result from the center’s research.
“ASU and Starbucks are aligned in our missions to be of complete service to the communities we serve and build a better future for both people and the planet,” said ASU president Michael M. Crow, in a statement. “Through this new center, ASU will provide unique value in terms of research and transdisciplinary expertise in order to collaborate with Starbucks to develop, test and validate strategies that can ultimately be scaled to stores and communities globally.”
Related: Starbucks Pilots Completely Plant-Based Menu; Raley's Sponsors California Food Lab.
Image: Starbucks