Starbucks to get rid of warm breakfast sandwiches

Howard Schultz made the announcement in his Wednesday conference call with analysts. "The scent of the warm sandwiches interferes with the aroma of the stores," he said. (Boy, is he right!) Stores will still offer warmed pastries. (Associated Press reports the no-more-warm-sandwiches news.) || You can listen to a replay of the call at this link.

** The warm sandwiches "are going to be out by year's end." In the meantime, they will be "de-emphasized."

** Serving sandwiches got in the way of employees' "ability to make the perfect shot of espresso." In other words, spending time on sandwiches took away from the focus on coffee.

** The sandwiches will be replaced with "a breakfast menu that delivers what our customers are asking for."

** "We're going to be in the lunch business; we're going to modify it."

** "We are bringing back our annual leadership conference." There will also be open forums for all partners.

** Re the $1 short coffee, Schultz reminds analysts: "This offering is just a test."

** Schultz also notes that "it has only been three weeks since we made leadership changes, but we have made significant progress."

** Although underperforming stores are being closed and new-store growth has been slowed, Starbucks is still a "growth company," says Schultz.

** Detailed turnaround plans will be disclosed at the March annual meeting.

Comments

[Marcus]

The store I go to in Williamsburg, VA just had the oven installed. The sandwiches were supposed to come out in February, but the barista I talked to was more excited that some of the pastries will now come frozen and be heated up that morning, and will taste better than the ones that come pre-cooked. I don't know if that means they will come un-cooked and actually bake, or if the oven is just used to bring them up to regular temperature.

[sbux regular]

Maybe getting rid of some of the extraneous products is finally a way for this retailer to get back to the basics of their business. I've been drinking this coffee since before stores...when it was delievered by way of their catalog. I have seen a real change in the coffee products over the past two years. I get a triple grande nf latte every day..sometimes two. I can tell from store to store how much different the taste is..shouldn't be. Maybe the new machines are making things so easy no one is paying attention to daily adjustments. I have stopped making this a daily stop. What's worse I complain and nothing happens, except an offer for a free drink...same poor quality. I visited a nearby sbux in Wayne, PA had the best TGNFLK I have had in ages! Some good ones still exist. I think sbux should invest in training the barrista's and stop hawking so much useless merchandise. The stores have turned into retail boutiques!

[mich. gal]

Wow, this is good news for a coffee master and her fellow passionate baristas, but I wonder how Joe and the other bosses right up the street at the Great Lakes region office are going to react! We have had the "breakfast sandwich pep rally" since last summer's open forum and are (were?) supposed to start selling them next Friday. We even received a silly countdown calendar to display on the counter...

As long as they don't take out the extra refrigerator they needed for this debacle. The extra space would be a huge bonus.

[az mom]

i frequent a half-dozen s'bux, and only two of them get my order right consistantly and deliver it with a smile...one of them is in safeway and the other in b&n--not "real" s'bux, but they do a significantly better job, sorry!
the best s'bux ever was on main street in huntington bch ca--for years at least, til they remodeled the store and the "s'bux experience" drove me to the indie down the street.

[seventysix [76]]

"To the above poster, you are the type of person where I shall move your drink to the end of the line. And wait to see how long you can wait. Remember tip used to mean "to insure promptness." Your drink will wait a few extra minutes. Believe me, most baristas know who tips and who doesn't tip. And if we see you coming, we have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. And then we give you DECAF!"

Boston Starbucks Rebel,

This is not legendary. I am disappointed.

To our customers,

"Most partners" don't care if you tip or not. For me, I can't even see the tip jar when I'm making your drink, and it hurts my neck too much to go out of my way to try to see if you tip. Plus, why would I offer one person legendary service because they have an extra dollar for us, and not the next person, who only had their credit card on them?

Everyone deserves legendary service. There is no entitlement. I'll be the one handing it out all day (for free).

Best,
seventysix [76]

[az mom]

omg, i forgot all about the s'bux on huntington and goldenwest in huntington bch! the BEST employee/customer interaction ever! always got my order right, and if there was a problem, even if i had to wait a little longer than usual, they would give me a free drink. atmosphere was what all s'bux should be.. .that was two yrs ago, hope they're still outstanding!

Regarding:
Oh yes, my tip, the one you would get, is going across the street also.

Good, because with customers as mean as you are we don't need you.

Posted by: | Jan 31, 2008 3:07:46 AM

Good, because with your horrible, entitled attitude, your allegedly mean customers won't be around you at all.

And with that horrible attitude, the customers won't want to be around you. You know, while they're across the street. Buying coffee from another place. You know, not at your store. Because you're a horrible barista and probably should be fired.

You need those customers more than they need you. Remember that.

[Hirayuki]

Here in metro Detroit, every store has been counting down to the debut of warm breakfast sandwiches. The store I visited yesterday was closed for remodeling, I assume to accommodate the warming ovens (with a handwritten notice thanking us for our patience and promising "new yummy hot breakfast sandwiches" when they reopened). With all the hype, I think they'll find it hard to either offer warmed pastries instead or offer breakfast sandwiches only to have them phased out by the end of the year. Too bad; it was a lot of fuss for very little (or nothing at all).

[oofattyloofatty]

Crunch the numbers. You need an additional staff member to run the warming ovens. After cost of goods, labor factored in, 35k a year is only impressive on paper in the gross column.

[just a thought]

ok, so. here's a suggestion. perhaps in order to help with the barista turnover (which is huge and costly), there could be incentives for them to stay longer. i know that health benefits are a great perk, but what about bonuses at certain points. something for them to strive to achieve in order to remain on staff. it's like a revolving door at stores. never the same partner twice. not good.

[Peter]

Starbucks should focus on coffee, bring back the hand cranked espresso machine and just keep working on that "hand crafted" modus operandi until it is an artform. the margins are highest with coffee and other drinks (chocolate etc). No one can do coffee like starbucks (used to). who does pastry etc? lots of people. very simply, starbucks became a victim of growth for growth's sake. increased sales do not mean increased profitability. Profitability comes from consistent quality which commands a price. no one does coffee like starbucks can. it is not too late to save the brand. the brand can then be used to sell mass produced beverages like bottled frapuccino etc, OUTSIDE of stores. a SB store is a delicate instrument. right now, in a SB store I see a lot of dish washing going on, not exactly appetizing. this is not what you see when you go in a good cafe in madrid or paris. the breakfast sandwiches might taste good at times, but not the way SB coffee does. get back to the core.

[flaubert]

Hirayuki,

That's the idea of the 6month jump in the hourly wage.

So just to be clear, because everyone seems to have forgotten... we all need each other equally. Customers need Baristas - otherwise, how would you make your drinks? How would you get your fix by yourselves? If you want to go to Starbucks instead of make lattes at home that tells me you don't want to/have time/feel the need to make your own on an espresso machine at work.

Likewise, baristas need customers to provide them with labor, which equals job. No, I could take (or really leave) several customers that come to mind, but overall, we need them too.

[Ronner]

As a customer who enjoys the sandwiches, there is no other offering from Starbucks that signals "breakfast" to me. The pastries are not what I need in the morning for fuel to start the day. Which unfortunately means I either eat from home, or take both my sandwich and beverage business elsewhere.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

I don't think that heroin addicts yell at their dealers in such a way. The addicts need the dealers just as much.

Regarding:
How would you get your fix by yourselves?

You know, Starbucks sells these things (as so other places, too). They're called coffee machines and espresso machines.

They allow you to make coffee and espresso-based drinks at home! I know, right!

Baristas need customers more.

[Roger Freeman]

You cannot be serious..... "Aroma" that is the reason.... George, George.... Selling the Sonics might have been a good business decision but you screwed Seattle... Don't do it again! I LOVE THE BACON SAMMY.... TRUST ME, WE CAN STILL SMELL THE COFFEE!!!!!!! LEAVE THE SAMMY'S PLEASE.

Hey Peter,
At 16K a pop, They can't get rid of the Verismos. They are modifying them to give a better "hand-pulled" quality shot, in the near future.

[Nerfebarista]

An aside with the customer and barista needing each other. Yes we sell those machines that can do it all for you, but I have never yet sold a machine to someone and never seen that person again. People are lazy or just don't have the time to do it themselves. This is not a bad thing, it's what we cater to. It's why we are here. Just don't think we don't know that you are coming back whether or not you think you need us.

[bigyaz]

Clearly Starbucks baristas care more about what they have to smell rather than the customers. I for one LOVE the breakfast sandwiches; I'm not a pastry person at all.

How about a creative solution like, say, moving the warmers out back away from the customers? (Yes, I know you'll come back with all kinds of insider reasons why this wouldn't work -- but think about the customers for once.)

[SavgPncl]

They'll need to do a lot more than simply remove the sandwiches (which are a distraction for all the "baristas" in the store). Next step s/b to remove the loud music. Then lower the prices and offer refills. Most of all, teach all these employees what it means to work in a coffee shop.

[SavgPncl]

They'll need to do a lot more than simply remove the sandwiches (which are a distraction for all the "baristas" in the store). Next step s/b to remove the loud music. Then lower the prices and offer refills. Most of all, teach all these employees what it means to work in a coffee shop.

[Melody]

Savgpncl,
I'm just a customer too, but my I do believe that baristas can control the volume on the "now playing" music - just ask them to turn it down. I've been in a number of starbucks stores where it plays so quietly you can hardly hear it.

Some items on the menu are pricier than others. That's all there is to it. If you really want a Venti-Fancy-Whatever then you're going to pay more. This morning I ordered a double-short Americano (personal cup) + a bagel and paid $2.84 (I think the partner politely forgot to charge for cream cheese so I tipped all the change from the $5 I paid with, but obviously you don't need to have a few screws loose like me and do that.). You don't have to spend an arm and a leg at Starbucks. I walked out very very happy with a well made Americano and a bagel for breakfast.
www.greenapronbook.com

[cristofer andrews]

Why has Starbuck's removed the whole bean coffee menu? Recently, I visited my local Starbucks located at NE28th and Burnside in Portland, OR, to buy some whole bean coffee. They have replaced the coffee menu with a "sandwich" menu. The very friendly cashier asked me what I would like, and I said whole bean coffee. I asked why there was no menu so that I could see what kind of beans I could chose from. She said this was due to the coffee menu being replaced by a sandwich menu. I was directed to an 8x10" paper coffee menu that was posted near the front door attached to a retail stand selling cups, etc. Weird, that's all I can say. I thought that Starbucks was a coffee roaster?

[Dai]

"You cannot be serious..... "Aroma" that is the reason.... George, George.... Selling the Sonics might have been a good business decision but you screwed Seattle... Don't do it again! I LOVE THE BACON SAMMY.... TRUST ME, WE CAN STILL SMELL THE COFFEE!!!!!!! LEAVE THE SAMMY'S PLEASE"

Rodger said that in a above post...well sonics are going away from seattle as well as the hot sandwiches... I am sad about it too...but i think your plea's are on deaf ears... i know 99.9% whom post on this blog/infosite is quite happy with this choice that schultz made.. oh well.. life iz a bish somedays as my 20 yo daughter says...

[ensenadajim]

Anyone who thinks that deleting the warmed sandwiches, cookies and so on will give Starbuck's their traditional aroma back is a fool. That ceased a long time before the first warmer went in.

This is solely about Schultz (and whiner employees) and not one iota about customers.

As far as Starbuck's still being a coffee company, that is a figment of your imagination. Starbucks's is a BEVERAGE company, not a coffee company.

OK, siren, not Mermaid, but common usage is the reality.

As far as being a "mean" - your ignorance is astounding. You really should not put that on public display. The tip goes with the place that gives me what I want. In the case used, Starbuck's will not be giving me what I want - and you think you are entitled to a tip? What foolishness.

Yes, I will still go to Starbuck's - but only if I want coffee and nothing else.

Finally, remember this:

I pay your wages.

Tick enough of us off and you'll not have a job.

j.

[Scoob]

I'm a customer and lurked on this board from the time I heard the Howard Schultz was returning to Starbucks.

I can say personally that as someone who was initially interested in the sandwiches, after about four times eating them, I decided they were really, kind of nasty and overpriced for something that Dunkin and McDonald's do better.

I always noticed the incongruities of seeing a sandwich maker dart through the baristas busily trying to make coffees.

They honestly don't taste that great with the coffee. EnsenadaJim is getting enraged over a ridiculous issue. And I'm sorry, what made Starbucks famous was pioneering the concept of a high-end coffee concept that made its customers feel enlightened.

Frapuccinos make you feel like you're at an ice cream shop. Sandwiches were the McDonalds clincher. To make things worse, the relatively low skill level to making a lot of these automated drinks has allowed my least favorite stores to usher in a whole army of workers with fast-food level intelligence.

Starbucks crossed over from inventive business to monopolizing behemoth when in my area, Manhattan, you could count no less than three Starbucks in any three-block radius of the city. At Astor Place in Manhattan, you can literally sit down at one and see the other. I've been very surprised to see Starbucks erected in the smallest towns of our country, where you wonder if there's a demand for that product.

In my opinion, Starbucks would regain some of its class and credibility if they just did coffee well again. Scale it down guys. Let McDonald's be McDonald's. The small coffee places get more of our dollars because they create a better coffee culture. Get back to that--and get out of the music business, stuffed animal business, fast-food business, ice cream shake business, home furnishings business--and you'll see us in the store more often.

[Scoob]

Actually, what was worse, Starbucks seemed to be buying out real estate from small coffee shops (like at Astor Place) to install Starbucks brand on the older shops fixtures. That's a horrible thing for a supposedly ethical company to do.

I like Starbucks product, but it won't stand out anymore unless the company makes a commitment to look a little less like any other chain.

methinks ensenadajim needs some decaf...

[MusicGal]

The point is not that sandwiches were or weren't easy to make, or that they interfere with the smell, or that they did or didn't make a profit. The point is that we are Starbucks COFFEE, not (as someone said above) Starbucks Bar and Grill.

Just because we can sell the sandwiches doesn't mean we should.

Hooray for getting back to basics, and what made us popular in the first place. (Hint- it wasn't breakfast sandwiches.)

I like how everyones all "Think about the customer" with this decision about the breakfast sandwiches. Starbucks COFFEE isnt a sandwich shop people. We serve coffee and other beverages. Everything else is fluff and disposable.

lol, musicgal i LOVE you

[Leonard]

Not a smart move to get rid of the sandwiches when McD's just announced they'll be rolling out their full-service coffee drinks nationwide.

I loved the sandwiches, but either way when someone has limited time in the morning on their way to work they'll go for the food and grab the coffee while they're there. Too bad SB didn't just invest in some better ventilation or something else creative to flush out the cheese smell and infuse the coffee smell.

[Laj]

Guys, the reality is that Starbucks sells a lot more than coffee these days. There can be (and hopefully will be) some streamlining, but anyone thinking that this is presaging a return to Starbucks 1994 is going to be in for a serving of disappointment.

I have to say particularly on fraps: I find remarks against fraps to be particularly distasteful / biting the hand that feeds you. Starbucks, for better or for worse, is what it is today because of fraps. Many of the employees posting on this board wouldn't have their jobs because of fraps. (I actually don't drink them - yes, Delilia, I too am a coffee snob. But that doesn't mean I think they should EVER be removed from shops).

The other thing to keep in mind: fraps are a great entre into other areas of the starbucks product line. Just like their other 'sweeter' drinks. I started drinking carmel machs in high school, and I've grown into a huge coffee afficionado. But I probably wouldn't have begun the journey if I had walked in as a 16 year old and been told: quad shot americano or drip, what'll it be?

[laj]

'wouldn't have their jobs because of fraps' = 'wouldn't have their jobs if not for fraps'
... if only we had an edit function!

Finally, remember this:

I pay your wages.

Tick enough of us off and you'll not have a job.

Okay I have to say something about the extreme rudeness you show on this site. You pay my wages? Excuse me? I think your ignorance is showing, not to mention the HUGE ego you clearly have. You are one customer, you do not pay my wages. You are too cheap to even tip, pay my wages....don't make me laugh. I didn't see your name on my check. You come on here and be-little people, talk about the company, then in the same breath say you'll still go to starbucks. I'll say it again losing one rude customer like you will not cost this company much.

[Leonard]

I disagree. While it may appear rude to talk about people paying your wages, I'd forecast another coffee company eclipsing SB if the company takes your line. The customer is always right. Whether or not the spare change gets dropped in your tip jar, it's the fact that on balance, the customers need to be satisfied by the SB experience more than the baristas for SB to continue to be a successful company.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

Calm down, people. No personal attacks.

[another sbux barista]

Okay....this customer versus barista discussion is stupid.

Rude, mean customers are a part of our business. We're in the SERVICE sector. Everyone in the service sector deals with entitled customers who wnat something ten minutes ago that was different from the way they ordered it.

Get over yourself and your qualms about serving and go welcome your next regular---whether or not they tip---whether or not they're polite.

[RainGrlBarista]

Oh, everybody (especially fellow SBUX partners) LET'S REJOICE and BE ENTHUSIASTIC that warm sandwiches are being phased out!! YAHOO!! Let's get back to basics and take care of our customers & each other! (Hmmmm....does the word CONSIDERATE ring any bells??) Yes, there are going to be plenty of naysayers and people "trash talking" on our company. BUT personally I think and I know all of us @SBUX can make a difference and show a better side of ourselves, in spite of the negativity out there. I am looking forward to positive changes and balances within our stores. Keep your heads up and be genuine & legendary! ;) ;) ;)

[Laura]

I am glad the bfast sandwiches are going. I would caution what sandwhiches are made or other lunch items are offered. In Seattle some the turkey sandwich used to be wonderful and now it is stale and tastes like cardboards. I have no problem contacting corp office with my likes and dislikes. I also let them know when someone is a wonderful employee.

I would like to see employees able to make a latte and not just push a button like they used to. I used to only frequent SBUX when I knew what I was getting. Unfortunately since the auto machine I have more drinks that taste burnt that previously. I tip well for those employees who are friendly and made a wonderful cup of coffee. I don't tip so I can hope to get a good cup of coffee, I tip based on what I get.

I think one of the guiding principles says that to remember profitability is essential to our future growth. If you work at a movie store and only sold old movies and never sold the new releases why would anyone come in. Same way with any business you have to try new things to better the business. People need to quit taking things so personally and just do their job.

[weirdb]

My feelings: I was glad when they got the ovens so they could finally toast my bagel. But they still had run out almost every day I stopped in, but still had plenty of stinky meat and cheese bits. SBUX: add more good NYC Jewish-style bagels, the smell of toasting bagels compliments coffee nicely.

[KMPagoda]

Howard Schultz 1, overwhelming greasy smell of sandwiches in a COFFEE SHOP 0.

I'm glad to know that I will continue to be a barrista, not a mcmuffin jockey. Every partner at my store is thrilled.

[EE]

Melody:

Next time, order your double short Americano as a "tall americano in a short cup." You still get 2 shots of espresso and it's only in the 8 oz. cup so it's still strong. It's a little bit cheaper this way and is how Americanos are supposed to be rung up, but some baristas don't realize that.

Thanks for being such a wonderful customer, even if you don't frequent my store! :)

[doppio]

Here's a thought... Subway uses the same brand of ovens that Starbucks does, and they depend just as much as we do on the aroma of their fresh product (in their case, bread). Yet I don't get the same cheese/greasy diner aroma in Subway, despite their typically smaller stores. I still smell the fresh baked bread. So what do they do differently? Their ovens that I see look cleaner, and I have never smelled a chemical aroma from their TurboChefs. Anyone have experience with Subway and their ovens? What are they doing right?

[buck star]

Howard is the man. This means that Jim Donald is, and always will be, a complete and total bit#ch for f'ing up the term coffeeshop. I chose to work at a coffee shop for a reason, if I wanted to work at a fast food joint I would've. You dorks that are crying about the sammies should have either: A bought more; B said something; made your own; or not asked to have your stupid shit w/ no cheese and cut in half like a f'n flamer broiled. MCD equals PWT. Period.
End of story. Oh and our b-fast sand's. still had partially hydrogentated oil, or for you illiterate PWT's that means trans-fat and heart attack and death. This is why the cheese stuck to your teeth in such an odd way, not to mention the bad breath you seem to continually have!

[badgerista]

I haven't read the whole thread, so excuse me if I repeat anything...

Michigan's sandwich roll-out was scheduled for Feb 8th. We've all got ovens, we're ready to launch...

Launch of breakfast sandwiches cancelled. Just like that.

While on the one hand, I'm happy they're not continuing, I'm kinda pissed that we hyped and trained and hyped and sampled and hyped, and now *shrug* "owell. sorry. no sandwiches for you. Now leave me and go to McD's. hahahahahaha." It's very confusing to the customer. I think we probably should have launched them, run them at least through to q3 and then cancelled them.

.02

[ex-sbuxmanager]

Subway actually pumps artificial bread smell through their air vents. That's why it smells so good.