Starbucks Desires to Add a New Menu for Afternoon Snacks. I am All in.

Round 3:30 most afternoons, I’m going full raccoon mode seeking snacks — raiding my cabinets and fridge at residence, or furtively rifling by means of the choices within the workplace breakroom, looking for one thing candy/crunchy/salty/savory/life-affirming.

Starbucks is aware of about raccoon mode and desires to develop its afternoon snack menu to serve these prospects. CEO Brian Niccol mentioned this week that he is taking a look at bringing the “aperitivo”-style menu it has in its European places to the US. Consider the “aperitivo” as slightly late afternoon or pre-dinner snacky-snack.

I say, with rabid enthusiasm (the rabies right here is only metaphorical), carry it on!

Testing Starbucks’ present snack menu

I ventured out round 3 p.m. to an area Starbucks to see what was at present on the menu that may fill that late afternoon void in my soul. What did it have already got, and what was lacking by way of “aperitivo”-type snacks?

I browsed the web menus for Starbucks in just a few European international locations to see what we’re lacking within the US. There’s positively some distinction within the meals amongst international locations.

The UK has loads of sandwich choices we do not have, in addition to a wierd breakfast sandwich that seems to be simply sausages on a bun (I’m informed it is a basic British delicacy). France has a way better-looking pastry objects, like a “pistachio pyramid,” however, curiously, has no egg-based breakfast objects. Italian Starbucks places have cannoli (good), a wide selection of doughnuts, and a grain bowl.

Most intriguing to me: Spain has a bagel or multigrain toast you possibly can order with oil, tomato, and salt. Frankly, that sounds superb.

However searching these menus, I wasn’t clear on what the “aperitivos” had been. The stuff that Niccols would possibly wish to carry to America to serve in the course of the 2 p.m. to five p.m. hour. What’s it about a few of these objects that makes them extra acceptable for a late-day snack as an alternative of a morning one?

My afternoon at Starbucks — with snacks!

So once I acquired to my native Starbucks, I attempted to seek out what is perhaps thought-about a correct late afternoon snack based mostly on the present menu. The store was filled with youngsters from the close by center college that simply set free, getting colourful iced drinks.

I ordered a brand new drink from Starbucks’ “spring choices menu” — a Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher. Gotta say, that was unbelievable.

To pattern some extra of the afternoon fare, I requested for a brownie (bought out) after which the vanilla bean custard danish (additionally bought out). I requested the barista what the most well-liked afternoon deal with was, and he or she mentioned the chocolate chip cookie. I’ve had a kind of already, so I acquired the baked apple croissant to strive one thing new. It was nice.

I used to be notably hungry, so I ordered the turkey pesto sandwich, which I’ve additionally had earlier than. After the opposite objects, which had been fairly good, the sandwich was sort of a dud. I did not end it.

The factor I believe most matches the invoice for a day snack was the brand new spicy falafel pocket, which is a small wrap with falafel mush inside. It was too small to be a full lunch or meal, however completely snack-sized. It scratched the itch for a savory snack that is not packaged like chips.

Niccol, who led turnarounds at Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Chipotle, has expressed his need to get Starbucks again to its roots as a spot folks wish to hang around and calm down — not only a place to choose up a to-go order (or to make use of the lavatory).

Making Starbucks cool once more

As a teen within the late 90s, I bear in mind the times when Starbucks was once a hangout. Certainly one of my first summer time jobs was working at a Starbucks in Massachusetts. Even then, I used to be conscious that it had a vibe drawback: Its picture within the well-liked consciousness at the moment was as a pretentious chain that muscled out mom-and-pop espresso retailers and compelled prospects to make use of ridiculous names for its sizes, like grande and venti.

The fast-food-ification of Starbucks in newer years has helped it shed the picture of a spot that served outsized lattes to imply bosses — but it surely got here at a value.

Starbucks goes by means of a little bit of a tough patch. Gross sales fell 2% within the US final quarter. The brand new CEO has large plans to show issues round, together with having baristas handwrite messages on cups, and probably this new late-afternoon menu.

As I sat inside my native Starbucks, sipping my drink and consuming a late-afternoon snack, it was actually fully nice. It was a sunny spring day, I used to be away from my laptop. I usually do not linger in Starbucks usually, however this … this was good.

Did I aperitivo? Was I residing a Continental way of life? Maybe!