Does Barnes & Noble have a Starbucks? (Are they a joint venture?)
Nothing beats a good book and a cup of coffee! Especially when that book and a cup of jo are at Barnes and Noble.
You may have noticed that many Barnes and Nobles offer Starbucks drinks at their locations. So do all Barnes and Nobles have Starbucks? We looked into it and this is what we found..
Does Barnes & Noble have a Starbucks?
Barnes and Noble cafes serve Starbucks beverages, but they are still separate entities. In fact, you can’t use a Starbucks gift card at Barnes and Noble because they’re different companies, even though the menu looks pretty much the same.
This article looks at the partnership between Barnes & Noble and Starbucks: what it actually is, when it happened, and what it means for customers.
Are Barnes & Noble and Starbucks a joint venture?
Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Starbucks Coffee House joined forces in 1993 to offer an in-house bookstore coffee shop, a partnership that will benefit both retailers.
Do all Barnes & Noble stores have Starbucks Cafés?
Beginning in 1993, all Barnes and Noble locations were designed to include a café that would sell Starbucks handcrafted beverages. This means that these cafes are not actually Starbucks cafes. They are Barnes & Noble Cafe, licensed to sell Starbucks drinks.
The agreement also means that Starbucks will own and operate stores with joint access to the Barnes & Noble bookstore. So they are still two separate companies, working together.
What can you get at a Barnes & Noble cafe?
The Barnes & Noble website has a online cafe menu. You can click through the different menu categories, but you can’t order online like you can on the Starbucks website.
Barnes & Noble Cafe menu available for dining. The menu is divided into 6 categories:
- Espresso beverages and teas – including a range of artisan coffees and teas as well as hot and cold beverages
- Seasonal Favorites – Unique handcrafted beverages that are unique each season
- Frappuccino Mixed Drinks – “Original Iced Coffee” (yes, you can customize them)
- High-quality pastries and cakes – including cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies and cafe favorites
- Cafe Specials – wholesome snacks to enjoy with coffee: including sandwiches, soups, quiches, filled pretzels and flatbreads
- Premium Brands – A range of Starbucks retail coffees and teas in a variety of flavors. The café offers free whole bean coffee grinding upon request.
Most coffee snacks and specials are exclusive to Barnes & Noble and prepared by Barnes & Noble.
Can you sit and read at the Barnes & Noble café?
Barnes & Noble welcomes readers to their shops and cafés every day. They offer free Wi-Fi and encourage customers to bring their Nook devices and read a selection of free e-books in-store.
If you’re a Barnes & Noble member, you can also get 10% off your purchases at any cafe. Many students take advantage of the relaxed and quiet atmosphere of the B&N store and the availability of snacks and coffee.
It is important to remember that you are not in the library. In other words, books and other reading items are sold, not rented, and B&N staff ask customers to respect this.
It’s also a good thing to be considerate of others: keep quiet, clean up yourself, and if you’re going to use the cafe, make sure you buy food and drinks there.
Can I use my Starbucks gift card at Barnes & Noble?
Unfortunately, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks are two completely different companies. This means they cannot identify each other’s gift cards.
Barnes & Noble Cafe Yes Selling Starbucks products, and the baristas who work on those products Yes Starbucks is trained, but that’s where the connection ends.
It can be confusing to distinguish which cafes are Starbucks and which are Barnes and Noble cafes that sell Starbucks products. This is because there are some Starbucks coffee shops right next to the B&N bookstore – these are independent Starbucks locations.
Barnes & Noble Cafe is smaller and not divided within the store. Instead, they are doorless parts of the store and are always set up near books and other merchandise.
Your gift card (and member discount) were able At Barnes & Noble Cafés are the ones actually issued by Barnes & Noble.
Why did Starbucks partner with Barnes & Noble?
Fans of Barns & Noble believe that the bookseller chain needs to “upgrade” their in-store experience to survive among the big online booksellers like Amazon.
To this end, B&N has added non-book items, music, educational toys for children, books and reading activities, and a Starbucks coffee shop.
The in-store café is particularly popular, attracting young readers and students to enjoy free Wi-Fi and cosy café service with familiar products.
The strategy also helps Barnes & Noble enter a new era of creative bookstore space, combining venues with the retail shopping experience.
Want to learn more about Barnes and Noble? Check out our related post to find out when Barnes & Noble restocks and why is Barnes & Noble so expensive?
in conclusion..
It can be confusing to understand how the partnership works when two large chains work side by side. Barnes & Noble and Starbucks have agreed to be neighbors, and Starbucks will provide Barnes & Noble Cafe with its signature line of beverages.
The partnership proved popular, as coffee junkies and reading junkies flocked to take advantage of the new combo.
