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New York runs on free samples and Starbucks is about to hand out enough of them to keep the city buzzing through Halloween. The coffee giant is launching a nearly six-week Starbucks Refreshers Residency NYC Sampling Tour, with trucks popping up across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens from Thursday, September 24, through Sunday, November 1.
Along the way, the brand plans to distribute nearly 500,000 free bottles of Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates. Unlike the ready-to-drink Refreshers served at Starbucks cafés, these concentrates are designed for at-home experimentation. Recipients can combine them with water, lemonade, tea, sparkling water or another beverage of choice.
The tour begins at Grand Central Terminal on September 24, where the truck will be stationed at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue from 1 to 7 pm. It then heads to Astoria Park on September 26, Union Square on September 27, Washington Square Park on September 29 and Queens Plaza on September 30.
Stops in October include Columbus Circle on October 1, Barclays Center on October 2, Williamsburg on October 3, St. John’s University on October 5, Hunter College on October 6, the East Village on October 7 and Herald Square on October 8. Most daytime appearances run for six hours, giving commuters, students and anyone conveniently “taking a walk” plenty of time to swing by.
The truck will also set up near Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings from September 25 through October 31. Samples will be distributed from 6 pm to midnight at two locations: 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue, and 29th Street and Eighth Avenue, a schedule that makes the giveaway especially convenient for concertgoers and sports fans.
The trucks are expected to appear around the city six days a week for the duration of the tour, with additional dates and locations still to come. As always with a free NYC giveaway, arrive early: half a million bottles sounds like a lot, but never underestimate New Yorkers’ enthusiasm for something that costs nothing.