Starbucks joins the wave of value menus in the fast-food industry, introducing its own “Pairings Menu” to offer bundled meal options for its customers. According to a report by “USA Today” on June 13, the coffee chain has launched this new value menu, providing customers with a variety of combo meal choices priced between 5 to 7 dollars, depending on the type of coffee they prefer to pair it with.
The Pairings Menu allows customers to add a croissant or breakfast sandwich to their tall 12oz basic beverage. Here are the specifics:
– Pair a croissant with a tall beverage: Purchase any tall hot coffee, iced coffee, or tea, and add a butter croissant for $5.
– Pair a breakfast sandwich with a tall beverage: Purchase any tall hot coffee, iced coffee, or tea, and add a breakfast sandwich for $6 or $7, depending on the sandwich type.
– The $6 pairing includes sandwich options such as sausage, cheddar, and egg sandwich; bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich; turkey bacon, cheddar, and egg white sandwich; and a chicken, maple butter, and egg sandwich.
– The $7 pairing allows for upgrades to double smoked bacon or an Impossible breakfast sandwich.
Customers also have the option to upgrade their drink size or customize their beverages.
Value meals, promotions, and freebies have recently become a hallmark strategy for many fast-food and casual dining chains, all in a bid to attract more customers. Wendy’s recently announced a $3 breakfast combo, featuring an English muffin sandwich with egg, cheese, bacon or sausage, and a seasoned potato side. Additionally, Wendy’s has been offering weekly free chicken nugget deals and limited-time promotions through their app.
McDonald’s has pledged to lower prices and expressed interest in exploring more ways to win back customers, including $5 meal deals and freebies. Burger King took the lead ahead of McDonald’s by launching their $5 meal deal earlier this month.
KFC has also rolled out value meals starting at $4.99; Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and other brands have been emphasizing their promotional activities in recent months.
Analyst Peter Saleh from BTIG International Financial Services noted in a CNN report that businesses had generally moved away from discounts or promotions since before the pandemic. Saleh pointed out that price promotions are a gamble, as discounts can erode profits while aiming to increase customer traffic significantly to gain market share. However, achieving this goal becomes challenging when competitors are also lowering prices and customer bases are shrinking.