Since its inception in 1971, Starbucks has grown from a small roaster in Seattle to one of the most widespread establishments on the planet. By 2018, the chain had nearly 30,000 points of sale worldwide, from Argentina to New Zealand. Although this popular chain is best known for its coffees and espresso drinks. However, Starbucks has expanded its service offering to include teas, specialty drinks, cold-pressed juices and even a variety of food products. It must be said, however, that Starbucks’ food is the subject of much discussion. While many people enjoy the convenience of having a salad with their lunch coffee, others find the quality of the food to be poor. The fact is that despite its long history of coffee and its high-quality brand, Starbucks is becoming, in a way, a fast food restaurant as well as a coffee restaurant. Given the speed with which food gets into your hands, it may be unreasonable to expect you to be amazed by the food offered by Starbucks. That said, there are still many secrets about their food selection that Starbucks would prefer you not to know. Indeed, here are 10 things that this restaurant chain would rather you didn’t know…
1. They use lighting and merchandising to encourage you to buy more
Attempting customers to complete their coffee order with a $3 bakery helps Starbucks franchisees maintain their profits. 22% of Starbucks’ sales came from food in 2017. But how exactly do they encourage customers to choose this blueberry scone? It’s a question of psychology.
Starbucks uses a variety of psychological tactics designed to encourage consumers to spend more and feel more loyal to the brand in general. Starbucks opts for natural building materials and the absence of dollars on the menu. Also, the catering chain lights up the food crate. The area with sandwiches and pastries will generally be the brightest place in the entire restaurant to draw your attention to the display.
2. They had several strategies – and many failed
Employees at the Starbucks headquarters know how important it is to sell both food and coffee. So they started experimenting with food products in 2003. They have had some successes such as their bistro boxes, yogurt and granola parfaits, and vacuum-packed egg chunks. But they also had huge failures such as tapas, brunches and the acquisition of the San Francisco bakery chain La Boulange, which had a turnover of $100 million, which caused customers to capsize and was largely abandoned after only a few years.
3. All food arrives frozen
When you buy food from Starbucks, you almost always know what you’re getting. If you order a sandwich for breakfast, it won’t be the one in the window… but it will look like it. You can expect this product consistency because everything comes frozen. If you thought a first-rate chef was working in a small kitchen in the back of every Starbucks establishment, that’s unfortunately not the case.
4. Some so-called “healthy” products are not so healthy
When you look at the foods available at Starbucks, you may be tempted to give up sweeter products and instead choose something healthier, such as a multigrain bagel made with healthy oats, barley, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds. However, just because he looks healthier doesn’t mean he is.
The multigrain bagel contains 350 calories, 520 mg of sodium and 64 carbohydrates, even before you add your favorite bagel spread! So when you choose this healthy-looking bagel, you essentially eat bland bread that contains much more sugar and salt than you can taste, as well as some seeds and grains sprinkled for texture.
5. Ancho’s Chicken Chipotle Panini has more sodium than a Big Mac
If you look at a menu and see a hamburger and a chicken sandwich, chances are the chicken sandwich is the healthiest option. Red meat contains more saturated fat than other proteins and chicken is generally considered a leaner and healthier choice. However, automatically assuming that the chicken option is better for you is a mistake. Sometimes, eating a hamburger can be a healthier option than some sandwiches available in restaurants. The Starbucks’ Ancho Chipotle Chicken Panini with chicken is proof of this.
This chicken panini contains 11 grams of carbohydrates and 80 milligrams more sodium than a Big Mac. Ancho’s Chicken Chipotle Panini is made with 57 grams of carbohydrates and 1,030 mg of sodium. By comparison, a McDonald’s Big Mac contains 46 grams of carbohydrates and 940 mg of sodium, which is far from healthy, but it’s much less bad than the Starbucks sandwich, which is supposed to be a healthy option.
6. You can have Irish butter for anything
There are probably a lot of people wondering, “What’s so special about Irish butter?” After all, it’s just butter, right?
Well, Irish butter – especially Kerrygold butter – is considered superior among other options on supermarket shelves because of its ingredients. Kerrygold is made from fresh cream from grass-fed cows. And according to Kerrygold, grass makes all the difference. Kerrygold is popular among Keto fans and Bulletproof Coffee fans.
7. Whipped cream can add at least 80 calories to your coffee
If you’re trying to lose weight, just say “no” to Starbucks specialty whipped cream. Whipped cream is high in calories and saturated fat. Whipped cream can add 80 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat to your great drink.
8. The “secret menu” includes an oatmeal latte
Starbucks’ “secret menu” offers all kinds of crazy mixes inspired by candy, popular breakfast cereals, and even mythical creatures. However, there is at least one food option on the secret menu, and it’s the perfect way to start your day: oatmeal latte. Here’s how to order the Oatmeal Latte:
- Order oatmeal, but ask for steamed milk instead of water.
- If you do not have dairy products, you can request soy, almond or coconut milk instead.
- In addition to the oatmeal, order an espresso (or two if you need one) and ask the barista to pour it over the oatmeal.
- If the employee does not want to add the espresso to your oatmeal, order it separately and you can add it yourself.
- Garnish the oatmeal with brown sugar and nuts when you are ready to eat.
- You end up with a hearty and satisfying breakfast that contains a decent amount of caffeine. It’s the perfect all-in-one meal.
9. You get a discount if you buy two cake lollipops
Cake lollipops are great. Also, according to Reader’s Digest, there is a discount when you buy two cake lollipops together. You may not have noticed it on the menu board, but this discount is there. According to them, you save “between 40 and 60 cents”.
10. The sausage and cheddar sandwich is one of the worst products to order
Of course, some Starbucks foods don’t even claim to be healthy – even if they can be even worse than you think.
According to Eat This, Not That! of all the hot breakfast options available at Starbucks, the cheese and sausage sandwich is the worst choice. Of course, it contains 15 grams of satisfying proteins, but that’s about all it has in terms of nutrition. The sausage and cheddar breakfast sandwich contains 500 calories and 28 grams of fat – 9 grams being the saturated variety. Of the 41 grams of carbohydrates, only one gram is leaner than those attributed to dietary fiber. To top it all off, the sausage and cheddar breakfast sandwich contains 920 mg of sodium. This is about 40 percent of the maximum recommended amount of sodium for the day – about to be consumed with the first meal.
