Definitely love the intent and creativity behind the idea, but definitely something to pursue at home!

This sounds like a great idea...!

Call me crazy, but couldn't you work with a vendor that makes an ice machine to modify it so that it can work with coffee? Making on-demand coffee ice cubes isn't a huge technology hurdle.

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How do you keep your ice if not in a freezer for the blended drinks?  

if not coffee ice cubes, then how about cold brewed espresso + cold water, fat free 1/2 & 1/2, or whatever the drink calls for???

Soo I know these comments are supposed to be about the post but I just have to say... Mark you are so cute! What does it take to become part of the Starbucks beverage team?.. sounds like my dream job! :)

As part of the beverage team, does it fall to you to BRING BACK THE MAPLE LATTE? Please!

I love this idea. I agree with pennfrog, can't Starbucks just get an ice cube making machine. It really isn't that much of a hurdle to jump over.

I'm also going to agree with pennfrog.  Just get ice cube-making machines.  Can't be that hard at all.

Besides... if many Starbucks don't have freezers... where do they store their ice?  For that matter... where do they GET their ice?

Hello, I am in facilities and I can share with everyone the largest obstacles with ice machines making coffee ice cubes. I think the recipe is a great idea, and would make a fantastic coffee tasting, it would just be a logistical nightmare:

1. Ice Machines cost depending on the size: $1600.00 - 2400.00.

2. They take up space, some stores have small back rooms.

3. They require preventative maintenance (additional store costs) by a vendor.

4. They would require other equipment to sustain the idea, specifically - more water & wear on the the water systems, and require a constant feed of coffee that would not only have to be brewed but would also have to be  cooled in a tank of some sort before the ice could be made.

5. Someone would have to be brewing the coffee to standard almost on a 24 hour basis, and not many are 24 hour stores.

6. if you work in a hot climate - say Arizona, you might require additional ice bins.

the stores have large ice machines in the back for ice/blended drinks.  

I like this idea. To add, I think Starbucks could get creative by having contrasts. For example, coffee ice cubes would go well in flavored drinks. The melting coffee adds bitter to the sweet. On the other hand, how about flavored ice cubes in coffee drinks? I would love to order up a Starbucks DoubleShot on Ice with Hazlenut ice cubes. The syrup is too much, but I wouldnt mind a little hazlenut ice melt.

I really like this idea too and I really hope that at some point you can implement, at least in some stores.  I first had an iced tea with iced tea ice cubes at the Four Seasons in San Francisco and have to say that this super smart innovation is one of the top reasons I love to go to the Four Seasons to this day and I tell everyone about how much that says about the overall intelligence and care they put into their service.  Would love to point to Starbucks as another example of that!

I AGREE WITH PENNFROG. starbucks locations must have some version of freezers to produce the ice required for all your iced drinks.

refusing to adapt that same system to include coffee-flavored cubes (which could simply be alternating cube trays between coffee-flavored and plain or alternating the batches as they are made) is an inappropriate response...and I am embarrassed to have even read it on this site.

It's simple.  Ice costs less than coffee.  Ice takes up lots of room in a coffee cup.  The more ice, the less coffee.  Profits increase.  It's a clever ploy (with a not-so-clever excuse) for Starbucks to charge $4.00 for three ounces of coffee.  For those who need to be reminded, Starbucks is a CORPORATION, meaning EVERYTHING is about MONEY.

don't the starbucks stores have freezers to store the pastries???

There must be freezers. Starbucks stores use ice right now, don't they? So just store the coffee ice cubes in the same place that you store the ice!

we have ice machines...that make ice...not freezers.  Stores in remote markets have freezers for their pastries. Most stores get deliveries of pastries daily.  Also, space is limited.  So if you would like coffee ice cubes than we would have to get rid of something to make room for it.  I love the idea but it just would not work.