BART perks up by adding coffee at some stations

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Coffee drinkers on BART could see a quicker end to their caffeine joneses when Peet’s Coffee and Tea shops start popping up in Bay Area stations starting in January.

The 35-year-old public transportation agency, which has never allowed the consumption of food or drinks on its trains, and the Emeryville-based coffee shop have entered into an agreement through the Metropolitan Coffee and Concession Co. to bring up to eight cafes to stations around the Bay, according to BART officials.

The exact locations of the cafes are yet to be decided, according to Peet’s officials, but there are at least nine locations around the Bay, according to BART officials.

The first shop is set to open by the end of January, with the remaining stores expected to open by midsummer, according to officials.

Potential sites include Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Civic Center, Balboa Park, Daly City, Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg/Bay Point and Berkeley, BART spokeswoman Luna Salaver said.

The urban locations such as Embarcadero Station would have shops limited to what a customer might find at a typical Peet’s, but the suburban locations will have larger stores with a separate convenience store carrying more products, according to a summary of the agreement on Metropolitan Coffee and Concession Co.’s Web site.

Officials with Metropolitan Coffee and Concession declined an opportunity to comment at this time.

The new locations will “incorporate the company’s authentic retail design” and will “offer a select line of Peet’s fresh, deep-roasted coffees and hand-selected teas,” according to a Peet’s spokesperson.

Salaver said the sites would be selected based upon the number of riders using the stop as well as how easy it would be to build a cafe at the station.

The stations with the highest average of weekday exits include Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell Street, Civic Center and Balboa Park, the latter a site commonly used by San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco students.

BART’s policy against consuming food and drinks on its trains has not changed, and the stands are aimed at those disembarking from the trains, Salaver said. “We still want to maintain clean trains for our customers, and that’s a little harder to do when people are eating and drinking on our trains,” she said.

“It’s cool as long people don’t take [their food and drinks] on the train,” Salaver added.

Café à la BART

Stations that are potential Peet’s sites

BART: Average station weekday exits

Embarcadero: 33,453

Montgomery Street: 33,052

Powell Street: 26,170

Civic Center: 19,061

Balboa Park: 13,302

Downtown Berkeley: 11,175

Daly City: 8,257

Pleasant Hill: 6,030

Pittsburg/Bay Point: 4,986

Source: BART

dsmith@examiner.com

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