As everyone has heard by now, Starbucks is launching new offshoot cafes under the “Inspired by Starbucks” brand in an attempt to grab some of the nightlife market. The new cafes will add alcohol to the menu, and Starbucks hopes customers will sit back and relax after a long day of work to listen to some live music and socialize with nearby cuties. It’s an interesting brainchild of Starbucks’ senior project manager, Major Cohen, but there are many reasons for Starbucks to prepare for disappointment.

With the national unemployment rate at 9.5% (myself included), it would be an obvious understatement to say this is the wrong time for Starbucks to be experimenting with a new chain of cafes. According to a story by the LA Times, 40 percent of bar owners are reporting down sales. And a quick visit to the message boards at Nightlife & Bar Magazine leads to many threads about the recession hurting business for many owners. Example:

“I have a pub in a city that has over 15 colleges in the county. I am slow and most of the other bars and clubs are also. One large club just closed a month ago. Scary.

Even though Starbucks is only experimenting with one location, it’s risky to guage the viability of a new business unit during a time when no industry is experiencing growth. People are cutting corners all over the place, and even if they try the new “Inspired by Starbucks” cafe once, they probably won’t visit continually since they’ll perceive it as a novelty not worthy of their limited disposable income.

Additionally, the nightlife industry is fickle. Customers like to visit new and different places in order to unwind. And while I may be thinking too deeply about it, Starbucks is normally associated with a pre-work ritual for most. While it’s true that a lot of people sit in Starbucks, sip coffee, and chat, it’s the first stop in the morning before heading into the office for the vast majority of their customers.

Is it possible that for the new cafe’s target market (basically, professionals who still have jobs), Starbucks may be more associated with work rather than relaxation? If I use Starbucks to gear up in the morning, I’m not sure if I’m using it to unwind at night.