There may be nothing better than grabbing a cup of coffee and perusing the aisles of a bookstore until you walk away with your arms full of the latest releases and your coffee drained down to the ice cubes. Thankfully, you often see a Starbucks inside of Barnes & Noble locations, so you don’t need to make an extra stop to get the full coffee-book shopping experience. Just don’t expect to place an order on the app for pickup ahead of time, as the coffeeshops in Barnes & Noble locations don’t use the Starbucks app or any affiliated rewards that go along with it.
The coffeeshops inside of Barnes & Noble locations aren’t technically real Starbucks — they’re Barnes & Noble Cafés. Yes, you’ll find Starbucks drinks and pastries, but the cafés are an entirely separate entity from regular Starbucks shops. Barnes & Noble Cafés have a special license that allows them to sell Starbucks products, but it’s often a more limited menu. While you may find a classic Caramel Macchiato or the beloved Birthday Cake Pop, you may not necessarily spot Starbucks’ new spring menu items thanks to the terms of the licensing contract that allow these cafés to sell Starbucks products.
Barnes & Noble Cafés aren’t actual Starbucks locations
Barnes & Noble Cafés may use the Starbucks name on most of its products and even utilize the signature Starbucks color scheme, but none of the baristas are paid by the Starbucks corporation; they’re paid by Barnes & Noble. This is what differentiates the cafés from standalone Starbucks stores. This aspect is similar to Starbucks locations inside of other establishments, such as Target or Kroger, but these establishments still market themselves as Starbucks. Meanwhile, you won’t find the giant Starbucks sign hanging above any Barnes & Noble Cafés. The licensing deal allows B&N Cafés to purchase recipes and use Starbucks logos when necessary, but most purchasing is done through a larger distributor, not an actual Starbucks store.
Although you can’t use the Starbucks app to place an order, collect stars, or use your Starbucks partner discount, among other things to know before ordering at a Barnes & Noble Starbucks, you can still get discounts and points at the Barnes & Nobles Cafés. If you’re a Barnes & Noble member, you can enjoy 10% off café purchases and earn stamps for every $10 you spend. With the premium membership, members can even get free drink size upgrades at the Barnes & Noble Cafés, as well as birthday treats. Those stars burning a hole in your pocket will just have to wait until the next time you’re at an actual Starbucks.
