Starbucks is trying to get a bit more hip on the social scene with the addition of a “Barista” badge to the popular location-based game Foursquare.

Foursquare has been the big buzz word lately in location-based games.  By checking-in at locations you visit, you unlock badges and get to see who else is at the same location as you.  Some businesses have already arranged promotions with Foursquare, but the biggest name yet becomes active today, and that would be the coffee mega-chain, Starbucks.

Starting today, after you check-in at five separate Starbucks, you will unlock the “Barista” badge.  For right now that is the only perk to the promotion, but there are some definite hints of more coming down the road according to The New York Times.  “This allows us to do things that are not just coupons,” said Chris Bruzzo, vice president for brand, content and online at Starbucks said. “You can expect us to be experimenting in this space,” he concluded.

Some of the possible future promotions mentioned include things such as invitations to special events, photo sharing or online reputation scores.

The problem we see with this particular promotions it the requirement to visit five locations.  This puts this badge firmly in the arena of badges that can only be unlocked by those in major cities.  For instance, there is one Starbucks in a 90-mile radius of the StarterTech offices.  Doesn’t appear any of us will be unlocking this one.

While this particular badge isn’t the exciting, it’s what it possibly foretells that is most interesting.  What other possible big name brands may sign up with the location service?