Starbucks is one of those places that, no matter where you live, you most likely know exactly what it is and what they sell. Although you may associate Starbucks with strictly coffee in its many different forms, that is not the extent of its identity.

Starbucks will soon be spreading its wings with the addition of another line of beverages to its already expansive menu: alcohol.

Starbucks will be launching a new marketing scheme to increase sales during times when people aren’t typically looking for the caffeine buzz that coffee-derived drinks provide.

New to the menu will be beer and wine, with many variations in between.  Also, there will be a wide selection of premium foods including small cheese plates, hot flat breads and other savory snacks to pair with the mature drink choices for those with a more sophisticated palette.

This idea, however, isn’t a new one. Starbucks has been experimenting with the sale of alcohol since October 2010 starting in a café in its headquarters of Seattle, Washington. There are currently five Starbucks in the Seattle area that have since introduced the new menu and another location in Portland, Oregon.

Starbucks representatives have reported that, for now, the sale will only be expanded to five – seven locations in each: Atlanta, Georgia; Southern California, and Chicago, Illinois. The company is planning for the expansion to take place by the end of 2012.

The company has not yet announced the brands of wine or beer the local menus will feature, but customers can expect their alcoholic beverage to cost them between $5 and $9.

The intent behind the new changes is not only to attract customers at all hours of the day, but to “create a warm and inviting place [for customers] to unwind and connect with the people they care about,” Starbucks’ senior vice president of US operations Clarice Turner said in a news release.

The response to the change has been mixed and usual Starbucks-goers can’t always seem to wrap their heads around the idea of the coffee shop selling alcohol.

“It seems weird to me since I since consider Starbucks a place you would go in the morning for coffee,” said junior Sydney Brick.

Students agree with Brick in that a bartender of sorts at a coffee shop just seems odd.

“It will definitely be a little strange seeing people with beer or wine in a place that is known for its coffee,” said junior Carly Vanderheyden.

Although the change will be something to adjust to, students can see the positivity beyond the initial confusion.

“I guess I can see the appeal since Starbucks is a place people go with friends and now they can share a glass of wine or beer instead of just coffee,” Brick said.

Also, customers note that the change may not even have a major effect on the current operation of Starbucks cafes.

“Even though it will be different, it’s not like Starbucks is becoming a bar. It will probably just be friends casually drinking and it shouldn’t really affect the environment of Starbucks too much,” Vanderheyden said.

The expanded menu in the trial locations has proved prosperous and ultimately customers are pleased with the new options they have.

Whether you go to Starbucks to wind up in the morning or now to wind down in the evening, the new additions should provide some options and possibilities customers may have never expected to have at a coffee franchise like Starbucks.

The company has no plans to bring the extended menu to all of its nearly 11,000 locations across the U.S.