SEATTLE, WA
Starbucks has announced a plan to double sales of its food business in the U.S. to $4 billion over the next five years. The coffee giant will be pushing salad boxes, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods.
“We now understand better than ever before how to develop a larger food business in our stores in the morning and increasingly at lunch,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead said in an interview.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Starbucks has grown to 2% of the fast-food lunch market and increased its breakfast sandwich sales by over 30%. Additionally, the Seattle-based chain has also removed the word “coffee” from its logo.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that as part of this new plan, Starbucks will be dramatically expanding its evening food-and-alcoholic beverages program. The company currently has 32 cafes with these offerings and plans to increase that to more than 2,700 over the next five years. Participating stores offer small plates of cheese, vegetables and flatbread pizza, along with desserts, wine and beer after 4 p.m.
Starbucks is also hoping to entice customers with new mobile ordering and payment technology that will let customers place their orders ahead of time. The app launched in Portland, Oregon and is scheduled to be rolled out across the country next year.
It will definitely be interesting to see if Starbucks becomes an eating destination. Stay tuned to DeliMarket TV as we continue to track this growing trend.