Thanks to a recent partnership with Duracell Powermat, Starbucks announced today that they have begun rolling out wireless phone chargers in many Starbucks and Teavana locations, beginning with (surprise, surprise) the San Francisco Bay area. Considering how much time I spend camped out at my own local Starbucks, ruthlessly stalking the coveted outlet under the window with “the good view”, this news has me stoked to say the least.

Starbucks has long prided itself on being a company that stays ahead of the curve. The coffee giant is one of the most successful (if not the most successful) java house in the US, and has made catering to its techie-minded, working-crowd patrons a top priority. For example, they were among the first national chains to install Wi-Fi in its stores in 2001, and recently began accepting reloadable mobile payments; later this year, they plan on testing a pilot program that will allow customers to place their orders in advance via their mobile app. But, more than just a tech-savvy giant, Starbucks cares about your experience.

A recent poll of smartphone owners determined that one of the greatest stress-inducing frustrations for them was rapid battery depletion. As Powermat President Daniel Schreiber points out, “The way we interact with power today is unchanged since the time of Thomas Edison”. When it comes to smartphone technology, the simple fact of the matter is that battery technology just isn’t improving as quickly as say, processor technology. Starbucks took this info and ran with it, not only creating a less stressful experience for its customers, but also giving them a reason to stick around for that second cup of $4 coffee.

Over the next three years, Starbucks is hoping to install more than 100,000 table chargers (built-in Powermat charge pads) in their 7,500 company-owned stores in the United States. If my math is correct, that’s about a dozen stations per store – pretty impressive. “Powermat Spots” will be clearly marked around the store, since the “spots” themselves will simply appear as small circles seamlessly implanted into tables and countertops (they may be a giant in the tech field, but it doesn’t mean they don’t still care about aesthetics). All Powermats installed in stores will be compatible with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) wireless charging standards, whose members include ASUStek, AT&T, Blackberry, HTC, Huawei, LG, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, and ZTE.

There is of course still the issue of ease of use with the Powermats; smartphones that come equipped with wireless charging capabilities (without the aid of an additional accessory) are few and far between. In recent test trials Starbucks simply supplied customers with the necessary devices to allow them to charge up, but this model is obviously not ideal over the long-term. Ultimately, the chain may end up adding these accessories for a low price at the counter, but the hope is that smartphone technology makes wireless charging-capability more the norm among new devices. In any case, Starbucks has again created one more reason I’m more than willing to spend my lunch money on a big, delicious cup of “go juice”.