Starbucks (SBUX), the world’s largest coffee chain is teaming up with Duracell Powermat to let customers recharge mobile devices wirelessly, instead of hunting for available wall outlets. Customers can place their compatible devices atop so-called Powermat Spots on counters and tables to recharge them, Seattle-based Starbucks said today in a statement.

While shops in Boston and San Jose, California, already offer the Powermat service, a national rollout begins today in Starbucks’ company-operated stores and Teavana outlets. The company, which has more than 20,500 stores worldwide, plans pilot programs in Europe and Asia within a year.

Coffee-selling chains have long experimented with ways to encourage customers to stay longer -- using music, comfortable seating and earth-toned walls. More recently, free Wi-Fi and mobile payments have been key to wooing customers addicted to their smartphones and tablets. Starbucks began offering free Internet in 2010 and started testing a service this year that lets customers order items ahead of time on their phone.

Duracell Powermat is a venture between Procter & Gamble Co. (PG:US)’s Duracell brand and closely held Powermat Technologies. The Powermat Spots comply with a standard developed by the Power Matters Alliance, whose members include AT&T Inc. (T:US), BlackBerry Ltd., HTC Corp., Huawei Technology Co. and Microsoft Corp. They’re working to make the technology available on more phones -- either preinstalled or as an add-on feature.

Read more on this story at Business Week.