Starbucks Testing Lunch In Chicago This Week Image courtesy of (Travelin' Librarian)
Starbucks may have missed out on gobbling up Panera, but that doesn’t mean the company is ditching lunch. Instead, the coffee chain will begin tests of a specific lunch menu in Chicago this week.
USA Today reports that starting Tuesday 100 Starbucks locations in Chicago will start testing a lunch menu for patrons looking for more sustenance than a cup of coffee.
The “Mercato” menu, which was first announced during Starbucks’ annual meeting, will feature “fresh and flavorful grab-and-go” items in addition to its currently limited sandwiches, salads, and snack offerings.
The menu includes a Cubano sandwich, carrot and kale side salad, and honey BBQ Sriracha chicken sandwich, USA Today reports, noting that the company has said food not sold during lunch hours will be donated.
If the tests go well in Chicago, Starbucks plans to expand the lunch menu nationally.
Starbucks’ obsession with serving more food isn’t new. The company has experimented in the past with ways to move more food, including through its purchases of bakeries La Boulange and Princi. The company also offers several breakfast items and an array of other grab-and-go snacks.
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