Starbucks’ Friends and Family event attracts hundreds

Two Starbucks’ patrons ride their horses through the drive-through of the new Starbucks at Main and 13th streets during its Friends and Family soft opening on Thursday, Aug. 23. From 2 to 6 p.m., Starbucks offered each customer a free tall drink and a free pastry. The new coffeehouse officially opened on Friday, Aug. 24, and employs 22 people, most of them from Ramona. Below, Kelley Carpenter offers samples of Starbucks’ Very Berry Hibiscus Refreshers™ to customers at the Friends and Family event. Store manager Elizabeth Harlan, a Ramona resident, said 500 people visited during the four-hour event.