A variety of adorable Pocket Monsters have already served as the inspiration for delicious-looking drinks.
There are two competing theories about how Pokémon GO is going to affect consumer businesses. One is that having a restaurant near a PokeStop or desirable Pokémon will encourage people to come in and buy something, while the other side of the debate holds that a geographic connection to the hit mobile game will just cause people to come in and loiter, getting in the way of both the staff and real customers.
If there’s any company with a proven proficiency producing piles of profit by letting people feel free to leisurely hang out yet still encouraging them to financially support its establishments, it’s Starbucks. So it only makes sense that one branch of the coffee house chain is making Pokémon GO players feel extra welcome by whipping up an array of special Pokémon GO-themed drinks.
Located inside discount retailer Target in the Southern Californian city of Redlands, this Starbucks has been posting snapshots of its Pokémon Drinks of the Day, such as the Poké Ball Frappuccino, a strawberry and vanilla mix inspired by the colors of the two-tone Pocket Monster-capturing gadget.
And since there are hundreds of members of the Pokémon pantheon, the Redlands Starbucks has plenty of muses from which to draw inspiration.
▼ The Eevee Frappuccino is a caramel/java chip hybrid.
If you’re not in the mood for all that cream, the staff has also made Charmander Lemonade, which features mango and strawberry flavors.
Meanwhile, the ingredients of the Jigglypuff Refresher remain a mystery, but it definitely looks tasty.
But while the Redlands Starbucks seems to be the most actively enthusiastic crew of Pokémon training baristas, their corporate siblings at the Starbucks in downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo neighborhood are also getting into the spirit, with a trio of drinks saluting the three teams players can join in Pokémon GO.
Sure, Detective Pikachu may prefer his coffee black, but all of these look like better beverage choices for beating the summer heat.
Cafe information
Starbucks (Target Redlands branch)
Address: 27230 Lugonia Ave., Redlands, CA 92374
Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Website
[ Read in Japanese ]
Follow Casey on Twitter, where after moving from L.A. to Yokohama in order to be closer to Japanese stuff, it feels both weird and cool for him to be looking back across the Pacific at anime-themed drinks.
[ Read in Japanese ]