Starbucks' Version of Happy Hour Plays to Its Strengths

Friday, May 6, is the official beginning of summer -- at least from a Starbucks' customer's perspective. That's because it's the first day of a ten-day celebration of the Frappuccino.

"Frappuccino Happy Hours" will run from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time in participating Starbucks stores, during which all Frappuccino iced coffee beverages will be half-price. If you're ever-so eager to take advantage of the offer every single day, just text MIXIT to 44264 for a daily text message reminder (of course, your text messaging rates are your own concern).

It's really in Starbucks' best interest to get its customers worked into a daily sugar frenzy in expectation of a summer of Frappuccino buying. The months between seasonal winter drinks (think eggnog lattes and holiday blend coffees) and summer (think iced mochas and Vivanno smoothies) are long and dreary for the coffee giant, and the Frappuccino, as Howard Schultz repeated over and over in his recent hoo-rah business book, Onward, was the innovative caffeinated success that put Starbucks on the map and added years of oomph to its growth stock story. In other words: You drink it, and Starbucks investors will keep on flocking Seattle-ward.