Starbucks will roll out free wireless Internet access at all of its locations in the United States on July 1. The news was announced via the company's Twitter feed yesterday morning.
Free wi-fi is the first stage in a two-part plan for Starbucks. The second phase, known as the Starbucks Digital Network, will give customers free acess to paid content Web sites like The Wall Street Journal. The digital network is expected to be available in the fall of this year. In addition to the WSJ, Starbucks' content partners include iTunes, the New York Times, and ZAGAT.
Currently, Starbucks is like McDonald's to me, which also has free wi-fi in a number of area locations. Despite passing both regularly, I never stop there unless it's my only option.
Starbucks is never my first choice to hunker down with my laptop; in large part because their wireless currently costs money. But when I lived in Brooklyn and Boston, the Starbucks in the area were owned by the regulars. If I failed to arrive before the start of a traditional work day (10 a.m. in Brooklyn), I wasn't getting a seat because of the squatters that nursed a cup of coffee for the better part of the day while clacking away on their keyboards.
The culture seems different in Kansas City. I've never had difficulty sitting down in a Starbucks. But might that be changing. I'd be more inclined to work for a few hours at Starbucks when Internet access is free. How about you Fat City readers? Do you even think of Starbucks if you're going to need a mobile office or spot to hack away at the next great American novel? And is free access to the Wall Street Journal and other paid sites enough to make your reconsider a stop into Starbucks?
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I try to avoid chain restaurants in general, but the free wi-fi will definitely make Starbucks more attractive. I like the location and space of the Starbucks on the Plaza, almost as much as The Filling Station on McGee.
Next, they need to make more stores open late and 24 hours. In Sarasota, I lived right near a big Starbucks that was open 24/7 and also did one free refill on any drink in a "for here" cup. That place was packed (sometimes I couldn't get a table) after midnight almost every night of the week. In fact, it was never slow any time of day, and it was not even in a shopping district.
The only coffee shop open 24 hours in KC is YJ's, which doesn't have wireless, so I never work there.
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