Starbucks is offering free samples of its new Vanilla Blonde coffee in several different venues for a limited time starting Tuesday, according to a report.
The new coffee blend is a follow up to its Blonde Roast coffee, which debuted in autumn 2011. The chain is offering free 12 oz "tall" cups of Blonde and Vanilla Blonde coffee via a new Facebook app for the purchase of "eGifts." If you sign up for the app, you can send yourself and a friend an electronic coupon redeemable for a free cup of the light-roasted coffee, according to QSR Magazine.
"Starbucks Blonde Roast is a new roast curve for Starbucks that celebrates our coffee heritage and roasting expertise and introduces new customers to our coffee," says Craig Russell, senior vice president, Global Coffee, for Starbucks.
"For those who think Starbucks coffee is too dark, we now have an answer. We're excited about the response we've seen over the past year and are looking forward to bringing the taste of our milder, easy-drinking Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee directly to even more consumers nationwide."
Starbucks Mobile cafés will pop up in Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas, where, for three weeks each, they will offer free samples of Starbucks Blonde Roast and Vanilla Blonde coffee along with vouchers for a free Tall (12 fl. oz.) Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee or Vanilla Blonde and $1 off Starbucks packaged coffee and Starbucks K-Cup packs to passersby.
A dozen ambassadors donning coffee-filled jet packs will also hit local streets in these cities to share tastes of Blonde Roast coffee with those who can't make it to the mobile cafés.
More than 8,000 food, drug, and mass grocery retailers will offer Starbucks Blonde Roast to shoppers down the aisle-the biggest sampling effort down the aisle in Starbucks history.
