Starbucks Plans to Launch Express Stores

Are you always bummed out about the inevitable afternoon line at your local 'Bucks? Then we've got great news for you busy coffee-fiends. Don't worry, we really get it. It's okay to be obsessed with Starbucks.

Starbucks has just announced that it plans to launch smaller, express stores of the popular coffee chain. These new Starbucks stores will feature a more limited food and drink menu and even include the company's new digital payment system. Starbucks also plans to implement mobile ordering to make purchasing coffee even more efficient.

This announcement is unsurprising considering how successful drive-through Starbucks stores have become for the company. According to the Wall Street Journal, Starbucks drive-throughs account for about 40 percent of its American stores and even report higher sales than stores without drive-through service. Starbucks also intends to open up 100 new stores over the next five years, which will be dedicated to its Starbucks Reserve small-batch arabica coffee line.

Starbucks also plans to open up a tasting room in December dedicated to coffee education and roasting techniques. The tasting room has been in the works for a while. This is not the first surprising announcement Starbucks made this year. Not too long after the coffee giant announced that it would be raising its coffee prices, Starbucks also announced that it planned to pay for its employees to attend college via online courses.

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