Starbucks Announces Its Exploring A New Aperitivo Menu – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks is launching a new aperitivo menu, inspired by the Italian pre-dinner ritual of a drink or light snack. The new menu may include sparkling beverages, sippable coffee drinks, and snackable bites. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced the plans during its earnings call, stating that the company is using learnings from the launch of freshly baked and prepared items in the UK and other international markets to inform its test and scale approach in the US.

The aperitivo menu will be available in the afternoon from two to five, reinforcing the artisanal, craft aspect of the brand. This will allow Starbucks to offer more flexibility in the afternoon, which might not be possible in the morning. A spokesperson for Starbucks told Business Insider that the company is still exploring the aperitivo menu and will share more details as they become available.

Since becoming CEO in September, Niccol has dubbed his strategy “Back to Starbucks” to address slumping sales, long wait times, and complaints about customer experience. He has tried to encourage customers to linger in store by bringing back self-serve condiment bars, comfortable chairs, and handwritten notes from baristas on customers’ to-go cups. To reduce wait times to four minutes or less, Niccol plans to eliminate 30% of its menu, including some of its most complicated drinks, and introduce a new mobile ordering system.

Despite Niccol’s enthusiasm for the “Back to Starbucks” plan, Starbucks’ second-quarter results came slightly below expectations, with the company’s stock down more than 6% in after-hours trading at the time of publication.

Read More @ MSN