CHICAGO — Alongside its flashy array of triple espressos, foamy cappuccinos and half-caf extra-hot flavored lattes, Starbucks Corp. unveiled its newest coffee drink Tuesday: a cup of average, instant joe served up for the equally proletarian price of about a dollar a cup.
Aiming to lure back recession-shocked customers, Starbucks is at first offering instant coffee only in Chicago and the chain’s home base of Seattle.
Executives hope the water-soluble “Via” — sold in three- and 12-packs — will reinvigorate the chain’s sagging sales and profits and give it an edge in the globe’s $17 billion market for instant coffee. Sleepy-eyed commuters in Chicago’s Loop clamored for free samples of the brew in stores Tuesday morning. And 15 “Ready Brew” vehicles hit the streets to hand out samples to the uncaffeinated who trudged to work. The Associated Press
