Starbucks may be going continental, exploring European-style afternoon snacks to lure customers into its cafes long after the need for a morning jolt has passed.
CEO Brian Niccol announced the aperitivo menu – a selection of drinks and small plates designed to stimulate the appetite – during an earnings call where the company reported a 2% drop in sales during its last quarter. The new menu would be available between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and likely include sparkling beverages, coffee drinks and more savory snacks.
“It’s a smart way to bring in more afternoon traffic and win over customers who might’ve gone to places like Olive Garden,” Milos Eric, general manager of Oysterlink, told FI.
“It offers a casual, sit-down feel without the cost of full-service dining.”
Business Insider noted Starbucks’ British outlets offer sandwiches not currently available in the U.S. In France, it offers intricate pastry items, its Italian stores carry cannoli, doughnuts and a grain bowl, and in Spain, customers can get a bagel or multigrain toast with oil, tomato and salt.
Golan Haiem, the CEO of Destination Wagyu in Los Angeles, told FI other fast-casual brands have moved in similar ways to try to improve performance during non-peak times.
“In Europe, aperitivo works because it is built into people’s daily rhythm. In the U.S., that habit does not really exist, so the real test is whether this menu fills a meaningful consumer need, such as something lighter, more flexible, and still positioned as premium,” Haiem said.
“From an operations standpoint, small plates can add complexity and slow throughput if not tightly executed. Whether it works will depend on how well Starbucks aligns the menu with store flow, pricing, and the right customer segments without undermining their core morning business.”
Niccol wants to once again make Starbucks the place to hang out and relax. He reintroduced the condiment bar, pared the number of complicated drinks, and urged friendly baristas to scrawl pithy messages on go-cups to recapture the early magic.
Betty Kaufman, strategy director at The Culinary Edge, said the aperitivo menu is somewhat at odds with Niccol’s back-to-basics drive, but cracking the code on afternoon food sales “is the holy grail for many beverage brands,” who hope to gain more business from Gen Z customers and millennial parents chauffeuring children to and from after-school activities.
“While European consumers have long embraced the social, leisurely nature of afternoon snacks, it’s still unclear whether customers have fully embraced Starbucks’ new crafted, café-centric positioning,” Kaufman said.
“The aperitivo menu is one more piece in Starbucks’ evolving strategy. A refreshed food program can help exemplify their focus on craft, drive social interaction, and extend dwell time.”
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