It's "healthy breakfast" launch day at Starbucks. How is it going over with customers?

Are they loving the oatmeal, whole grains, real fruit and other items? A Starbucks press release says the new breakfast assortment that debuts today "is the next step in the company’s commitment to providing food and beverage selections that support a healthy lifestyle." What's the feedback on Day One?

Comments

[Yummy]

I am eating the oatmeal with brown sugar and it is delicious!!!

[jenna]

the oatmeal is good but getting those vivanno stickers off the window was murder

Best quote from a customer yesterday when we were discussing the new breakfast options. "Oatmeal? But I have oatmeal at home."

[seventysix [76]]

New promo setup is really pretty... I love the KD table thingy.

[flbarista]

i tried the oatmeal and wasn't impressed. we use too much water, IMO.
i can't help but laugh at 'justin's nut butter.'

i think people will dig it tho.

[Melody]

I love the new protein pack! Yum! Hardboiled egg, salt and pepper with it, bagel with peanut butter, apples & cheese, ... it is exactly what I would've asked for.

And the new "tall" tumblers are so cool! Starbucks has definitely been listening to the cries of "bring back the tall tumbler."

I love the nut butter. Why in the world would they send something called Justin's nut butter into the store. It makes it murderous for someone working at the stores especially if their name is Justin! Justin's nut butter...

[CFLSbuxFan]

I rushed right down to my local Sbux this morning just to try the new oatmeal. I thought it was great (if not a little difficult to eat on the way to work). A little bland by itself, but the fruits and nuts did a lot. I will definitely be ordering this and all the other options a lot more. I travel a lot on business, and Sbux is in every airport, but there's never been a good breafast option, until now. Thanks for listening to us and giving us what we want. This will definitely increase my visits!

Oh, and I almost freaked to learn the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back!!! I wait all year for that drink :)

[Torontodude]

I tried the egg, feta and spinach wrap.

Verdict: pretty damn good!

My only quibbles would be it was just a tad too hot and slightly soggy. And at $3.95, the price seems high. But the flavour was outstanding. Very tasty! And not something I would make at home. And it's not bad nutritionally.

With tax, my total bill came to less than $7 -- including two venti drips (one of which was free with my card benefits.)

An omelet breakfast at my local greasy spoon costs at least
$9, with coffee. I ask them to hold the toast and potatoes -- but have to pay for it. And sometimes they charge me for coffees beyond the second small cup.

So Starbucks is a better, healthier, cheaper alternative.

[njbarista]

I know we're not supposed to do this, but the oatmeal is great when made with steamed milk. I was expecting something like watery Quaker Instant Oats, but these actually have a little bit of a steel cut consistency and thickness to them. Definitely exceeded my expectations.

[Mary]

The pumpkin spice latte is back?? Is that true for all locations? I haven't been to Starbucks in a while, but I definitely will stop by if my favorite drink is back on the menu.

[melissa]

We sold a grand total of zero oatmeals in our first morning. I like them and so does some of my staff, but the customers seem put off. Maybe it will do better with tourists on the weekends. Here is why Sarbucks sucks though: We got our first shipment and the brown sugar was already back ordered, as well as a bunch of the merch. Great planning! They have been messing up my orders for the past month like you wouldn't believe though: They sent me 4 cases of WSO, 2 cases of raspberry syrup, 10 cases of biscotti - which I clearly didn't order - so i'm not surprised when they continue to mess up.
I hate pumpkin spice and always have, so I'm not thrilled to see it back.
Vanilla Latte + Protein tastes like Tim Hortons French Vanilla - if I wanted something that tastes like powder and water I would spend $2 and go there instead.
I am looking forward to trying the new HCs though.

[OHARE]

CFLSbuxFan:

None of the Starbucks stores in O'Hare Airport will be participating in the breakfast platform. I would imagine that would be the same for the other licensed locations also.

[BAYAREABUX]

Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Peppermint Mochas crack me up. I always have customers excited for the "return" of the Peppermint Mocha, which can actually be ordered year-round. Pumpkin Spice syrup stays around until March or April -- not kidding. I think the last of our syrup expired April 5.

How exclusive is a drink you can get September - April? I wish it were just sold in October, but due to popularity, they may as well make the Pumpkin Spice a core syrup. People go ape s--t for anything pumpkin. Some stores stock the pumpkin pastries year-round. So much for seasonal flavors!

[mwfhenderson]

So I just got off the opening shift, and so far it is Pumpkin Spice who has been the bread winner .... oatmeal hasn't been selling so hot, and the same with the rolls and nut bar things ... However, I defiantly had trouble sleeping last night because I was SO EXCITED for the display set-up in the pastry case - defiantly a nice break from the rectangular plates...BORING!

However, as a whole the entire store looks a lot better. Even sitting outside this morning in my car, having all of the Vivanno window stickers gone really cleans up the image, and brings in more of the refined look, something which is defiantly achieved in this fall's lineup!

[Joe]

anonymous: Best quote from a customer yesterday when we were discussing the new breakfast options. "Oatmeal? But I have oatmeal at home."

well, the customer presumably has coffee at home but that didnt stop them from coming to Starbucks to get that, now did it?

[CaffeineFiend]

Random hot seller at the Starbucks I went to this morning was the Apple Bran Muffin - they only had one left on display and kept talking about how many people were getting them and that was at 7:30 am

[Ken]

I just can't believe oatmeal is the best they can come up with. It might be the best damn oatmeal in the world, but its still JUST oatmeal. If I am going out, and spending money on breakfast, why in the hell would I get oatmeal? I'm not 85 years old. Does anyone else in the world think this is going to be a good seller?

I know we always whine and cry about not having healthy options. The thing is, if people ordered healthy options, they would be there. They aren't there, becuase deep down, people don't want them.

[Torontodude]

And in the 19th century, Irish peasants very fond of potatoes

After all, they ate a lot of them.

[that_girl]

I haven't been to a Bux in about two months, since I moved and lost having one across the street. I make my own coffee in the morning (I've never really liked sbux's typical brewed offerings)* and there's a dunkin' donuts right on the corner anyway.

But I do love good oatmeal, actually, so if I were in a sbux on a weekend I would be tempted to get that as breakfast -- as opposed to a scone or muffin that, while tasty, I know exactly how bad it is for me.

I am glad for these introductions, actually; it does make me want to go get something halfway healthy with my double tall nonfat toffee nut latte or passion tea lemonade. But since I stopped working there, it remains a treat, an indulgence, and not a regular thing.

Side note: I, too, was thoroughly entertained by people being so excited about peppermint mochas and hot chocolate. It's like, dude, the peppermint syrup never went away.

*Except for the casi cielo, which I love. But I'm not a fan of the bold brews or the house. Bleh.

[CFLSbuxFan]

OHARE:

Thanks for the info. Makes me sad though, as I frequently fly to/through Chi-town. :(

Ken:

I don't get the whole "it's just oatmeal" thing. Dunkin Donuts have created an empire on selling "just donuts." So has Krispy Kreme. A lot of places worldwide sell "just scambled eggs," which are just as easy to come by at home.

I don't come for the oatmeal, I come for the coffee (Ok, the PSL). And if I am going to be there anyway, why not have something there that I can eat? I'm certainly not going to try to save time at home by making breakfast first, then trying to go out for coffee.

I'm not saying the oatmeal was the best there ever was...but maybe if places to eat out offered the kind of stuff we eat at home more often, we wouldn't be the health crisis we are in (assuming you cook healthier at home). Eating out is about convenience. For me, at least.

[Chris]

CFLSbuxFan said:
I don't get the whole "it's just oatmeal" thing. Dunkin Donuts have created an empire on selling "just donuts." So has Krispy Kreme.
-----------
Um, when's the last time you made donuts at home? Oatmeal takes a couple minutes.

[Belle]

CFLSbuxFan: The difference between going to DD for doughnuts and going to Sbux for instant oatmeal is that it's easy to make instant oatmeal at home. I don't know how many people make doughnuts at home--or have the variety that DD or Krispy Kreme has. Doughnuts are time consuming and complicated to make. Instant oatmeal? Heat some water, add to oatmeal, wait a couple of minutes and it's done! And in my house, I'd have a variety of jams, fruit, sweetners and spices to add to my fingertips.

Doughnuts are a convenience because DD is going to all the genuine trouble to make something that isn't easy to make at home.

The other? Well, if you're going to be at Starbucks for other reasons, I guess it's nice to have an option to eat something like oatmeal. But it's no big deal to make instant oatmeal at home, or at the office, or in your hotel room (all it takes is a coffee maker to heat the water).

[spence]

Well, we are a million dollar store and sold 1, that's right, 1 (one) oatmeal today. The oatmeal really is very good but the customers aren't going to know it because they aren't going to buy it.

[Lolalatte]

It's probably not worth getting anyone's undies in a bundle. The oatmeal will come and then it will go and people will be back to the scones, muffins, cookies, loaf treats,etc. Everyone wants to not feel bad about what they just ingested, but the truth is if you have to douse the oatmeal in brown sugar, honey, fruit, etc... you probably just wiped out the fiber benefit. So, maybe eat the goodies less often, walk more, share it with a friend, skip the sugar the rest of the day and be happy! Life is short and death is sure, my friends!

[K]

As a customer, it would have gone better if any of the info said what the "dried fruit" with the granola actually contained. Having food allergies and seeing tasty unknown food really sucks.

[kimball1]

Our store has completely sold out of the fruit and nut bar thing ( it tastes great and it seems healthy). the oatmeal is selling ok and the roll is awful.

[Ettal]

"I know we always whine and cry about not having healthy options. The thing is, if people ordered healthy options, they would be there. They aren't there, because deep down, people don't want them.." ~~~KEN

That quote is spot on.

I know there are plenty of good, virtuous, genuine, "practice-what-they-preach" people out there, but we as a society lie to ourselves in an effort to appear good and wholesome and that we care and take care of ourselves. (Just listen to most politicians.)

Reality is not what we say we want, but what we actually do. The vicious unending cycle begins with people whining about something because that's what people do... we are a society rife with miss and under informed complainers. Companies see an opportunity to exploit the perceived need and pay marketing execs and advertisers a lot of money to Jedi-mind-trick us into convincing us that we really do need what we want. Then the product doesn't sell well because we never REALLY wanted it in the first place and it goes away until the next wave of whining about a different perceived need comes about.

There has always been and will always be a food "enemy" of self-purported health conscious people: high calories, fat, then trans-fat, carbohydrates, saturated fats, sodium, preservatives, no fiber, no protein, etc., so they create a food "hero" to save the day and make a buck, in this case Vivannos and oatmeal. Vivannos have a shot because they actually taste good and are good for you. They also have the added factor of the possibility for periodic new flavors to keep our attention... there is only so much you can add to oatmeal. The jury is still out on the oatmeal and the people will speak with their wallets. Well... I guess it pays salaries and keeps the economy going anyway.

In the end, the food at Starbucks HAS to taste really good to have a shot of sticking around. At first glance the main draw of Starbucks might appear to be caffeine and coffee when in reality what people REALLY want and crave and buy is SUGAR and FAT. Look at the most popular drinks... sweetened lattes and frappucinos. We will soon be adding SALT to the list of what people crave with the salted caramel signature hot-chocolates.

If you REALLY want to be eat healthfully, simply stick to the foods on the perimeter of your local supermarket; the stuff that has to be have access to an electrical outlet because it is FRESH and needs to be REFRIGERATED. The stuff in the center is all in boxes and should be eaten sparingly.

Oh my god, I'm ranting.... sorry.

[Alex]

Any coffee geeks (those that are left) have an opinion on the Burundi Kayanza? I picked some up last night, but I haven't had a chance to try it

[spence]

The Burundi is fabulous!!!! Now, having said that, I did not taste any blackberry or citrus.

[Katherine]

Oatmeal was not the biggest seller today, although there were some that were excited about it. Its fantastic with steamed soy milk- to add some sweetness, also with cin dolce syrup is delicioso! the new line up in the case was a hit and the pumpkin spice was a seller today, all in all i think some people are more opt to eat on the unhealthier side even though we are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle. oh well...

[Bear Pig]

Oatmeal is not a traditional 'order out' product. Yes, one might retort, 'the same was once true of coffee.' The point is taken, but the coffee revolution required the development of an entire industry devoted to getting consumers to experience expertly made coffee out of the house. There are two things that were present in that last sentence that aren't present for 'oatmeal': an industry specifically devoted to the product (Oatbucks?) and a huge gain to be had when an 'expert' prepares the product (there is no such thing as 'expertly prepared oatmeal')

Oatmeal, along with the protein packs, strike me as extraordinarily odd products to be offering. Look, we all know bux fantasy is to find the appropriate sustainable niche that can break them out of the pastry case without comprimising the 'core experience' (to whatever extent it still exists). I think that's an admirable goal, particularly from the standpoint of long-term company sustainability. I think the health push is doubly fine: all the people claiming that 'if they wanted healthy things, they would have already been on the menu' are ignoring the extent to which consumers are led rather than followed (i.e. a fair amount).

But, acknowledging all that, the protein packs and oatmeal still seem out of place and odd. It's akin to offering cold cereal or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - both delicious and classic food products, but not something you'd associate with (or purchase in) an out-of-house context.

[Victoria Barista]

I tried the oatmeal this morning, and with my partner discount I still thought it was too expensive considering that it's just oatmeal. If it were even under $3 then mentally it would be more appealing. I think it's still too nice out for oatmeal, wait until it gets cold, dark, snowy and rainy - then it'll be more popular, but probably not a top seller.

Like others, the store layout was nice with some of that clutter gone; and the pastry case FINALLY looks pretty :-) I was happy to see it this morning!
It'll be interesting to see how people warm up to this in the coming weeks.

[Lilly]

A note to the oatmeal doubters: I was really excited at the prospect of having oatmeal for breakfast this morning at Starbucks. However, where I live, and throughout most of the country, it's still very much summer. No way am I eating hot oatmeal when it's 9am and already 78 degrees outside. I will definitely be doing so once the weather cools down a bit (and I'm 21, not 81!)

I did try the multigrain roll, and I liked it a lot. Didn't eat Justin's Nut Buter, because the packaging is just right to send to my boyfriend in Iraq. But I look forward to trying it soon!

Yay Starbucks for making a healthy decision!

[Zipy]

what is good about the oatmeal is -- well, its oatmeal. You can't go wrong with oatmeal and dried fruit/nuts/brown sugar. It's not like it's "STARBUCKS SIGNATURE BRAND OATMEALTTO". it's just oatmeal. It probably costs more then what you could buy and make at home but so does everything else in this world.

Overall? A good addition for the company and customers.

[MTbaristaGirl]

I think the oatmeal is a great option. I come from a remote market and love the idea of a breakfast alternative that is not filled with sugar. I was surprised by the number of regulars who not only took a sample but also bought some.

[questionanswer]

I was in one of my grocery licensees today and on average they do around 5 grand a week. Today they sold 22 oatmeals!!! Okay, they open early (5), they started talking it up with early morning customers weeks ago and they sampled every hour until 11 am today. People were excited, liked the taste and that's what they wanted their kids to have even if they got a muffin. At least we have options that we can make successful with a potentially different customer base.

[sm pgh]

Oatmeal went over VERY well this morning. We have a goal of 14 and sold 8 on our first day!

It helped having our DM sample in the DT!

[Pat Nerr]

tried the oatmeal today... just for fun. It was done pretty well by the partners at my store...

I can't wait for Cinnabon to offer healthier items as well

[Torontodude]

Now that the nutrition picture has improved, maybe Starbucks
can stop hiding the information on www.starbucks.com. At the moment, you first need to know the specific postal code of the specific store that may -- or may not -- have the product than interests you. But to find the postal code, you need the address. Then you have to navigate a series of pages and drop down menus to get results one by one. Unlike the Dunkin Donuts site, there are no comparative charts.

So looking up all the new products took me 30 minutes. It should have taken 30 seconds. A complete list should be on a single page near the top of the site.

If, like me, you believe sugar is the real bad guy: the apple bran muffin is a terrible choice. It has a staggering 36 grams of sugar. That's about the same as a chocolate donut.

As I suspected, the egg, feta, and spinach wrap is a good choice. It has little fat and sugar and a nice mix of the good stuff.

Oatmeal is more of a mixed bag. Nothing really bad. But nothing really that good, either. There is surprisingly little fiber. There are few vitamins. The brown sugar packet adds 13 grams of sugar. (I'd just use half.)

The big surprise is the baked berry stella. It's relatively low on sugar, calories and fat. I'll have to try it.

[Allison]

I had an apple bran muffin this morning and enjoyed it, except for the...dates? Whatever the dried fruit in the muffin was. It was a little odd, consistency wise.

Oatmeal is literally one of my favorite foods and I'll be having it tomorrow!

baked berry stella, protein/fiber latte, oatmeal...better check on the tp in the restrooms! lol!..we`re all going to be regular!

[TORONTOWYLD]

I noticed maybe two oatmeals being prepared for customers over the course of my five-hour shift (spanning the morning rush), but it generated some interest -- just customers only had exact change for their coffee. The people that come in to our store are really open to trying new things -- we made top sales of the two Vivanno drinks for our district. To see only a couple takers on oatmeal knowing that makes me think it'll flop. Vanilla Latte + Protein/Fibre, I didn't sell a single one my whole shift, though I did my best to sample it. There were definitely some smiling faces to Pumpkin Spice Latte being back on the menu though! =>

[sbux barrista]

I personally think it's exactly like the quaker oat stuff. All of the customers at my store were excited to see the promos. The counter we had it set up on was a mess due to selling so much during a rush...so I guess that's a good sign but I think only time will tell because it was only the first day.

I don't know if people want to keep tacking on an extra $3.50 to their $3.99 lattes every morning.

OMG I'm soooo glad I wasn't the only one who thought that Justin's Nut Butter was hilarious. I've been cracking up over it for days especially since we're promoting Lattes with protein added to them at the same time. With a straight face I kept asking my manager if the squeeze packs filled with Justin's nut butter was the protein for the drinks. Haha I love it. I know it's completely immature and childish blah blah so yall dont have to inform me of it :) I have to squeeze all I can from this joke to survive this job at the moment. Hmmmm...what about this for promo shirts...

front: "Is there protein in that latte?"

back: "Do you want some?" under that could be "Brought to you lovingly and with care by Justin's Nut Butter"

Just a thought Uncle Howie!! Haha Onward Onward Onward....blah blah blah :)

[sacman]

I've been enjoying the Vivanno's and Stella for a few weeks now and think those are nice additions, though admittedly I don't think the Vivanno (Choc/Banana) is anything better than something I could mix at home or pick up at a smoothie place. As a convenience item, it works. Why does it only come in grande size? I realize it's not really "Healthy" if you make it bigger, but a venti Vivanno is still way better than a venti Frap. So Starbuck's offers something healthy and limits its size and consumption while letting you supersize the other stuff?

This morning I tried the new Apple Bran muffin. Not bad, but disappointing. In my area we've had a cranberry apple muffin for years that is higher fiber/lower sugar, and tastes better. Apparently it's now phased out with the new muffin available. Guess I have to stick with the Stella.

Protein pack? A piece of cheese and egg with a bunch of carbs? Anybody looking for protein in leui of carbs would be shortchanged with this purchase.

Have to say if SB brought in a few more protein heavy, lower carb items, I'd be there for lunch more often. I go daily for breakfast, and occasionally pick up a Vivanno or SugarFree Soy drink for lunch, but usually I have to make a 2nd stop somewhere else for another protein lift, or pack a protein bar to eat with my drink.

Uh, folks I got a newsflash for ya...it IS Quaker Oats. Read the box. At least the one in our cupboard says 'quaker oat company.'

[BCbarista]

I don't think we sold one oatmeal today! I started at 1030am and one of the people that opened said she hadn't made one before.

I "practiced" making it on my break. It's alright. I tried it with the brown sugar, which was good. Then I dumped both the fruit and nuts on it. My stomach bothered me for the next 2 hours, haha.

That pumpkin cream cheese muffin sure is tempting....I might cave and buy one on my next shift....argh.

Oh and thanks to this blog I giggled about Justin's nut butter and pointed it out to everyone else all day. I don't think they were as amused as I was....haha.

[PhillyBarista]

Everyone keeps talking about the Oatmeal and Quaker Oats. It IS in fact quaker oat meal, look at the bottom of the packets. Produced by the Quaker Oats Company.

What bothers me is that customers can get unlimited numbers of the toppings for free. I'm just waiting till they figure out that the nuts and the dried fruit are almost EXACTLY what is in the...get this...fruit and nut blend that we sell for like $2.50. Now they can get that for free too!

Dont get me wrong I dont think the oatmeal is a bad idea, nor do i think getting maybe 1 of each packet for free is bad, but if someone wants 6 Brown Sugar packets we "just say yes" and hand over the box.

[spence]

Help.
I'm tired of navigating lifeatstarbucks.com

All I want to know is: Does the vacation plan change after 1 year of being a barista. I know it's based on hours worked. Assuming I work 20 hours a week,?????
Can anyone help.
Also, wish me luck, I'm going to the casino. Since I work at S'bux, I'll be at the nickel slots.