Citizens And Capital One Bank On Starbucks And Dunkin' Donuts

So many questions about this cross-branding: Is this a Capital One Starbucks or is it a Starbucks Capital One? Are they selling coffee to bank customers? Or are they selling banking to coffee drinkers? And, where can I get the drugs used by the team that came up with this?

Coffee offered to bank customers is a long-running tradition. But this seems excessive. But not bad. Just... why?

From a practical perspective, it does make sense. Banks and coffee shops, while offering wildly different services, do share customers with similar characteristics. They pop in and pop out, not loitering or browsing. Co-branding allows similar businesses to share costs for space and facilities (this location is in Manhattan, after all), and maybe share a few customers.

There also appears to be little downside to a bank/coffee branded combo. The coffee brands are so well established, and this is so clearly more a marriage of convenience than an endorsement of product, that it's difficult to see how negative press a bank or coffee brand (but more likely, the bank) brought on itself could really impact the brand of its partner.

It may not be a combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell but it does make sense (after the initial shock of seeing one wears off). And it certainly has worked out well for Barnes and Noble.

It appears to be an idea that, while not yet widespread, is growing in popularity. Setting off alarms on every journalist's pun machine ("dollars to donuts!"), Citizens Bank announced that it will be opening a branch inside a Dunkin' Donuts.

The big question is, what's next? Combination McDonald's Tie Racks? Maybe an Apple Store Whole Foods? Banana Republic Travelocity? Or how about a good old-fashioned Guns and Liquor shop?