A high energy blend of Latin, salsa and hip hop music pulses from a brick building in New York’s Upper East Side.
It’s not a night club.
The live music and laughter is coming from a Starbucks store.
“I couldn’t believe how much fun we had dancing and interacting with customers in such a unique way,” said Stefany Moreno, store manager of the Starbucks on the corner of 3rd Avenue and East 66th Street in New York. “Partners (employees) were making beverages, dancing and having as much fun as the customers.”
With the help of local musicians, Starbucks is transforming stores into music venues for a series of summer concerts called “Noches Culturales” (cultural nights).
The in-store events in New York, Miami, Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles feature local Latin music acts and highlight Starbucks summer drinks: Caramel Frappuccino® Blended Beverage; Golden Ginger Ale Fizzio™ Handcrafted Soda; and Teavana® Shaken Iced Blackberry Mojito Tea Lemonade.
This summer series is a continuation of Noches Culturales gatherings in Starbucks stores in several major U.S. cities in February of this year. Stores in New York City and Chicago were added to the current concert series which concludes in Los Angeles this week.
“This is the project I’m most proud to be a part of because of the reactions from both partners and customers,” said Pili Montilla, an Emmy-nominated TV host and personality and host of Noches Culturales for Starbucks. “This is a great showcase for the performers and it’s also a chance for partners to bond with the community. That is the beauty of Noches Culturales for me.”
Sef Mahteo, district manager for Starbucks in Miami, has participated in winter and summer Noches Culturales events in the city’s trendy South Beach neighborhood.
“Being locally relevant as a company isn’t only about the design of our stores, it’s also about showcasing the community that we serve,” Mahteo said. “I have partners and people in the community already asking when we’ll do it again.”
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