• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, May 22, 2013

Seattle’s Best Coffee has simultaneously opened 10 “drive-thrus” in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

This marks the first multi-store market launch for the new format. (A prototype in Seattle, near the chain’s headquarters, opened last November, and there’s also a drive-thru in in Northlake, Ill. -- but that one has internal seating, and is larger than the true drive-thru format.)

The drive-thrus, opened on May 20, feature a menu that includes the brand’s premium coffee beverages (including hot, iced or frozen specialty drinks), plus “dashboard-friendly” foods in 12 different combos priced under $5. The combos offer quick picks like a medium cup of coffee or soft drink paired with an egg sandwich, stuffed pretzel melt or handheld “Tasty Pies.” 

The new drive-thrus are designed to “create a different kind of coffee culture -- one that combines the quality and passion of a coffeehouse with speed, convenience and value,” said Frank Sica, VP and general manager for Seattle’s Best. “This concept is for coffee drinkers who are purchasing coffee outside of cafes at places such as convenience stores, gas stations and fast-food restaurants.”

The drive-thrus -- which were built in DeSoto, Texas before being transported on flatbed trucks to their Dallas/Fort Worth locations -- enable the brand to cut entry-time in a market significantly, establish a presence at high-traffic locations not suited to its traditional-size shops, and reduce initial investment costs.

In total, the 10 new stores employ about 150 full- and part-time staff, trained to provide efficient, friendly service, according to Seattle’s Best.

The chain will also open an additional four drive-thru locations in Dallas/Fort Worth late this summer.

To promote the openings, the brand is using a theme of “Welcome to Seattle, TX – There’s a new town in town.” Drive-thru customers in the region are being offered a free hot or iced brewed coffee of any size during “Free Coffee Week,” May 20-26.