Starbucks touts these as "nutritious grab-and-go food." The offerings are: Chicken & Hummus; Protein and Cheese & Fruit; Chipotle Chicken Wraps; Sesame Noodles; Chicken Lettuce Wraps; and Salumi & Cheese. They cost less than $6 and have fewer than 500 calories.
Which ones get your stamp-of-approval? And which ones do customers seem to favor? ||
Read "Starbucks, others go huge with healthier offerings" |
Read the SBUX press release
Chipotle Chicken Wraps are amazing. The avocado tomato salsa is incredible. Haven't sampled anything else.
Posted by: NYBarista | July 12, 2011 at 10:37 AM
I have no opinion re: the Bistro boxes, but I have a hard time seeing how the specific food offerings pair with coffee. Tea, yes, but coffee, no.
Posted by: Jeff Tom | July 12, 2011 at 11:08 AM
^^ Luckily for you, Starbucks sells tea. Not everything at Starbucks has to perfectly pair with coffee, although some people might argue that you can drink coffee with anything.
I've tried the bistro boxes and think they are great. They are certainly the best food offerings we've had in a while.
Posted by: waltie | July 12, 2011 at 12:09 PM
I tried the Chiptle Chicken wrap the other day and it tasted pretty good. I am not sure I would pay 6.99 for it tho...
Posted by: Sharks | July 12, 2011 at 01:20 PM
Does anyone know if Starbucks' cheeses contain rennet?
Posted by: Marcus | July 12, 2011 at 02:47 PM
Less than $6? Huh, ours are 6.95...but the Sesame and Chipotle ones are pretty damn tasty, I think I'll be using my partner markouts on them. And are we really questioning how these pair with coffee when the bistros are being squeezed in next to the long-existing cold sandiwches, hot paninis, fruit plates, and yogurt? Really?
Posted by: frapatte | July 12, 2011 at 02:49 PM
I was looking at them this morning. Looks good, but not worth the expense. Very little food for the money. I can get better and cheaper at Famima.
Posted by: Mark | July 12, 2011 at 03:17 PM
This is how Starbucks will get back at Kraft after that fiasco. Going after poor ol' Lunchables! Starbucks is out for the make-your-own pizza next.
Posted by: Andrew S. | July 12, 2011 at 04:23 PM
Loved the chicken chipotle wrap sample we were shipped. Very light offering that won't leave you feeling bloated after eating it like a sausage english muffin sandwich.
Posted by: Hobbes | July 12, 2011 at 04:46 PM
How much do they cost? $45.99?
Posted by: Sheik | July 12, 2011 at 05:45 PM
"Starbucks tries to offer healthier options, Take 8!"
"aaaaaaaaaand... ACTION!"
Posted by: Sheik | July 12, 2011 at 05:46 PM
What is up with pumpkin bread (and maybe other bread, didn't look) going up to $2.25/slice -- I thought the $1.95 was a bit high, but another 30 cents for a slice of bread? Umm.....
Posted by: Scott | July 12, 2011 at 07:15 PM
Waiting for the double cheese with large fries...
Posted by: Ricardo McJiggis | July 12, 2011 at 09:39 PM
Of course my store doesn't have them. We're too small for the oven-warmed food, as well. Just basic pastries and all of the beverages sans Trenta sizes (which is apparently a deliberate move...) are all we can handle with the limited storage we have.
I'll certainly be trying them out at other stores, though! The Chipotle chicken box sounds like my favorite. At least we got the Iced Caramel Via samples.
Posted by: TheRootinator | July 12, 2011 at 09:46 PM
@scott I know the customers have noticed the price increases. The fruit & nuts & cheese is my Fav 4 lunch.
Posted by: usorthem3 | July 13, 2011 at 11:19 AM
Just curious as to how many people are reporting price increases on bakery... An Apple Fritter went up to 2.25 around here and coffee cake, 2.45. Didnt we just raise prices on pastries a year ago?? Not to long ago nothing cost more than 1.95 in my food case.
We'll see how the $7 bistro boxes go.... Perfect pairing with a $5 white mocha??
Posted by: bayareabux | July 13, 2011 at 03:39 PM
Bayarea, your cost of living is higher in Cali. Your prices SHOULD be higher than here in the Midwest, HOWEVER, ours are the same as yours. Also, wages and salaries are higher in Cali, obviously.
Posted by: Pike is here to stay | July 13, 2011 at 03:45 PM
We'll see how the $7 bistro boxes go.... Perfect pairing with a $5 white mocha??
That sounds disgusting...
Posted by: gc | July 13, 2011 at 04:35 PM
the Salumi & Cheese is pretty damn good. I had one as my mark-out yesterday and today I was touring stores and purchased another for lunch. Didn't get the noodles or the cipoltle because of a packaging problem but hope to see them soon.
Posted by: vancity | July 13, 2011 at 07:41 PM
the noodle box is amazing!!!!!!
Posted by: ... | July 13, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Ex partner here...what is the deal with partner markouts for food items now??
Posted by: Alliswan | July 13, 2011 at 10:19 PM
^ What are you asking? If you're asking if partners are allowed to take home pastries or food items that have been marked out, then the answer is no. That has never been allowed. People probably do it all the time, of course, but it's against the rules now just like it always has been.
And, no, you can't get food as your mark-out. I don't know what that person was talking about, but it's more likely he or she ate a day old bistro box or just stole a new one.
Posted by: waltie | July 14, 2011 at 07:44 AM
They were cute but I looked at it and decided that I have vegetables and hummus and pita at home for like $2 so didn't buy one. I didn't see a price on it but assumed it was expensive.
I guess people will pay anything for stuff that is so easy to make at home it's ridiculous, if you stick a starbucks logo on it. If it's $7, I know I can get higher quality everything that was in that box for less money. Pita and hummus are easy to pack. Overpriced but I am sure there will be suckers buying it.
Posted by: alex | July 14, 2011 at 08:02 AM
"I guess people will pay anything for stuff that is so easy to make at home "
By that rationale, nobody should ever buy food anywhere ever unless it's from a grocery store. People buy food at Starbucks because it's convenient and pretty good.
It's nice that you didn't buy one because you have hummus and pitas at home, but not everybody at Starbucks has access to your fridge.
Posted by: waltie | July 14, 2011 at 09:44 AM
@Waltie I was informed by two SM's yesterday that we can indeed take a bistro lunch as our markout for the week instead of coffee or tea if we so choose. You know the rules at Sbux change daily.
Posted by: usorthem3 | July 14, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Did you ring it up as a markout in the POS?
Posted by: waltie | July 14, 2011 at 11:17 AM
The Croutons in the Seasame Noodle are like mini boulders they are so hard! But other then that it was good. Confused on the calorie count online though because online they say it's 350, but the one I got says 450 on the nutrition facts on the back. Also kinda high in sodium too so definitely not an everyday meal.
Posted by: Lydia | July 14, 2011 at 12:35 PM
My SM also told us we can take a bistro box as a markout this week and next week. I had the chicken chipotle, it was rung up using partner markout.
It was really way better than I expected. The salsa was amazing.
Posted by: rpm | July 14, 2011 at 02:31 PM
The Bistro Box markout is in addition to your coffee markout. You just have to do them in two separate transactions. For this week and next week only.
Posted by: Kiekko | July 14, 2011 at 04:35 PM
@Kiekko Thank you, I hate to admit it, but sometimes I get more information from here than thru the channels at work. What you said was not relaid to me. I'm sure I didn't get that memo, LOL
I didn't see the Salami box until I saw the Huffington Post story that featured the boxes in comparison with other fast food places.
Posted by: usorthem3 | July 14, 2011 at 10:22 PM
"ate a day old bistro box or just stole a new one"
This is a typical mentality. If they are eating it, they must have stolen it! Always suspecting, always lurking around the next corner to catch someone breaking one of the fifty-million useless rules that Starbucks employs to keep employees from feeling they can do anything correctly.
Posted by: Time To GO! | July 15, 2011 at 02:05 AM
Do you really believe Starbucks has rules just so they can make their employees feel bad about themselves? You think Starbucks as a corporation is structured intentionally to give partners low self-esteem?
Posted by: waltie | July 15, 2011 at 03:59 AM
Waltie. Yes.
Posted by: Time To GO! | July 15, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Would love to try them. Although there are hundreds of SB stores in Wisconsin, we can't get the same food offerings.
Posted by: Mike | July 18, 2011 at 01:08 PM
Do you really believe Starbucks has rules just so they can make their employees feel bad about themselves? You think Starbucks as a corporation is structured intentionally to give partners low self-esteem?
--------
YES. That's why I quite. Maintain and enhance self-esteem went out the window... in came "FIERCE CONVERSATIONS"
Posted by: me | August 03, 2011 at 08:09 PM
i posted on this to say that i would like to try them also. post is gone now. just sayin.
Posted by: inkedmuse | August 03, 2011 at 11:27 PM
I love the Sesame noodle one, however i may have to give it up or plan on going to the dentist real soon. The sesame peanuts are like jawbreakers, and are very painful to eat. It's a real shame because they are absolutely delicious...Starbucks how bout replacing those with some roasted almonds, or even peanuts. Also these are extremely over-priced for what you get. I think 5.95 would be more reasonable
Posted by: Tawnya | August 07, 2011 at 01:03 PM
Are any of the Bistro Boxes gluten free and/or yeast free?
I can never find anything to eat in Starbucks as it's all loaded with gluten or yeast. Even the almonds are coated with peanut oil!
Posted by: jhd666 | October 07, 2011 at 02:55 PM