Starbucks is launching almost entirely all-new food offerings as of July 12, 2011. The new lunch-type options are called “Bistro Boxes” and come in a variety of choices. The United States versions of the new food boxes include a small piece of dark chocolate branded as “Starbucks Dark Chocolate.” I have heard that the Canadian versions of these Bistro Boxes skips the dark chocolate but is otherwise the same food box.
Here’s a list of the new Bistro Boxes:
- Protein Bistro Box
- Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box
- Chipotle Chicken Wraps Bistro Box
- Sesame Noodle Bistro Box
- Chicken Hummus Bistro Box
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps Bistro Box
- Tuna Salad Bistro Box
- Salumi & Cheese Bistro Box
The salumi meat box, so I have heard, is actually the same salumi offering that has long been available at the Olive Way Starbucks as part of their “elevated” Starbucks experience platform. I’ve had the meat platter many times, and it’s delicious. One of the meats on the Olive Way Salumi plate is very peppery, almost a bit too much for me, but I still like it. I am really excited to try the new food on Tuesday the 12th! They certainly look good. Feel free to weigh in if you’ve tried these, or any conversation related to Starbucks food!
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Oh, I’m interested in the box.
Starbucks should add a boiled egg and a grape to this.
These look so good!!
I feel very sad that we don’t have anything like that here in Germany and most European countries…I am interested which of these will be the most successful one if the customers. I would go with Tuna. 😀
Melody funny you should post this blog today because I asked the partner at my local SB if they were coming out today and she looked clueless and said she had to check. I hope the vegetarian choices are good and truly vegetarian.
looks yummy! too bad none of the stores in my area has the cool lunch boxes or any lunch items.i’ve been wanting to try them but it seems that the NC stores don’t get the option to carry them.
I am a partner so we have gotten sample sent to us so that we can be knowledgeable about our products, so I have had the chance to taste both the chicken wrap and the Sesame Noodle and boy-o-boy looks like I have a new favorite thing at Starbucks! I’m so excited! They were delicious and fresh tasting! I eat at Starbucks every time I work there. It’s the only thing I can go to that is quick and not choc-full-o-grease– so to create who new set of options for me makes me THRILLED! So excited! thanks for posting MELODY!
I have food allergies and do not eat meat, so I was unable to try the partner samples. All the partners at my store said the ingredients tasted fresh and the chicken was very tender for the wraps. I did indulge in the dark chocolate and it is splendid! I did the order yesterday and they will arrive in stores tomorrow(couldn’t order before).
These do all look really good. I’m wondering actually how much content there is….ie: size, portions etc. Will this be a real lunch or just a mini version of everything?
Also curious about what they will price for. ??? I think the sandwiches (not the breakfast ones) are very good but definitely overpriced. am wondering what these will sell for. I think sometimes Sbux gets carried away with itself with pricing: they can justify the coffee prices but really, I don’t see that they’d be able to do that with the food they sell.
Interesting tho, thanx agian Melody, for the info!
Denise interesting you should ask- The two samples I saw did not seem to have big portions in the boxes, however, I guess that is relative to the person eating it. I am not a big eater so probably for me it would be ok. I asked the cost and one partner said either (can’t remember) $6.25 or $6.95 for the bistro boxes. Agree with your comments.
It is a decent portion and the average person shouldn’t eat more that that in a meal anyhow. I think the price at $6 is a deal breaker.
Will be stopping in tomorrow to try. The chocolate is a nice touch!
Hi Melody,
I was wondering how they would look! We only received pictures with the boxes plated in stores previously.
In Canada, we have 2 fewer boxes than the States and no chocolate. We do not get Chicken Lettuce Wraps Bistro Box or the Tuna Salad Bistro Box
Does Canada still have eggs Florentine? If so, I will trade the bistro boxes in a heart beat!
In about 10 minutes, I will be at my store for a shift meeting and promo set up. I will post the exact price.
The Sesame Noodle vegetarian option is in fact actually vegan! No hidden animal products. 🙂 And it’s also delicious, I enjoyed my partner sample as well.
My store/area isn’t getting the Tuna or Salumi, alas. But the others look good, although I am a vegetarian so I didn’t try them.
Jess glad to hear the sesame noodle box is truly vegetarian and also vegan. I agree that some of the products do have hidden animal products and it is nice to see that finally SB has paid attention to this because I have found that some food items I thought looked good I could not eat because of those hidden animal products.
$6 or $7 a Bistro Box sounds about right, and perhaps even a bit of a deal. It’s very easy to spend $9 to $12 on lunch every single day. Lots of good conversation – Sorry I’m having a busy morning and can’t reply to everyone. I definitely thought all along that some stores won’t get all the boxes, and some stores might not get them at all! There are still some “remote markets” that Starbucks has that don’t really get much of anything in the way of food. I think on this blog I wrote a store review of a Starbucks in Eureka, California, and I remember that it really had almost no food whatsoever. There are probably spots like that all over the country! I can’t wait to dig in tomorrow!! This will definitely be my lunch tomorrow.
The Sesame Noodle box rocks my rocks! The tofu has delicious flavor. The pickled cucumbers paired well with the noodles. The sesame peanuts satisfied my desire for something crunchy. I loved the square of dark chocolate for the perfect non-guilty dessert.
I’m so excited for the new lunch choices! I think $6.95 is a fair price for a quick, healthy lunch.
^^^ rocks my socks!
I’m so jealous 🙁 I was really looking forward to being able to try these but then I was told by my district manager that NO store in Alaska will be getting them. Apparently we aren’t classified as “fresh-market” stores because all of our product is flown in.
Hmmm… Looks like a trip to Seattle might need to happen soon… I’m missing out on all kinds of stuff up here !
P.s your picture of the box shows the price of $6.95
@Brandon: holy cow! yes, there it is, quite plain, $6.95.
Maybe that will be a good price…sounds like it might be. But the other sandwiches (~$5.95) I think are a bit pricey. I agree, you’d pay at least $12.00 in a restaurant for lunch, but…Sbux seems NOT exactly a ‘lunch’ place, altho I get that it is (and was for me for many yrs) for some.
Maybe these will surprise me! (and I also think the piece of dark choc. is a great little touch, that alot of people will appreciate and probably costs Sbux almost nothing, overall)
I’m a bit sad to miss Gazebo this yr. I don’t ‘get’ that move. I also don’t ‘get’ keeping a coffee specificaly called something ‘summery’ all yr round. maybe it certain regions….no. not even in certain regions. I think it’s a crazy move.
saw the new summer lbs and half/pds out at Sbux today. clearly say for “Iced”…which would not lead me to buy it and brew, for one thing. The other thing is they are displayed with the ‘for-iced’ VIA….all light blue (pretty, but all yr??). I put a pic up on Sbux FB . Also, there’s a sign about a free tall beverage with VIA purchase for a certain date period in July. (can be seen in the pic I put up)
and, another odd thing for this “new” not new coffee is: the packaging has the old logo on it. Considering Tribute, (out in early March) had the new logo…..isn’t this a little odd? I know it takes time but comparing it with the release of Tribute (March, new logo) and this one (July, old logo)…… ???
I definitely won’t be buying this one. (Terraza, as we’ve been told)
denise – I thought it was strange that the iced coffee had the old logo on it too. The free tall beverage with the VIA purchase is a US only promotion.
In response to the question about the price of the Bistro Boxes, I think you’ll find that the prices vary depending on the box. I do not have the exact price points in my head but I believe the Fruit & Cheese and Protein boxes will actually see a small price reduction (at least in my market) and some of the new boxes will be priced a little bit higher, which makes sense considering the difference in the price of the ingredients.
I’ll be having a Bistro Box for lunch tomorrow…and I can’t wait! 🙂 In Canada we did not get partner samples but are able to take one as a partner markout this week and next. I decided to try the Salumi Box and the Chicken Chipotle Wraps. I was very excited when I saw the Noodle box but as it contains nuts, I can’t have it 🙁
As far as I can figure, over here on the east side of the Cascades (Tri-Cities, third largest metro area in WA) we must be considered remote–you know those trucks have a hard time getting through those mountain passes 😉 . I have not check all of the locations here in the Tri-Cities, but my reliable store managers are being quiet on this one–unusual.
The Columbia Center Mall and Clearwater stores could sell a bazzillion of these when there are events at the Toyota Coliseum, of which there a several weekly.
Our store is expecting big things from the new boxes. We have very high lunch sales (we’re downtown, near a hospital with very few restaurant choices within walking distance), so the variety is exciting for our partners. The new boxes do replace and supplement the existing ‘plates’, but all the panini’s and cold sandwiches are remaining unchanged. The only item lost is the pesto salad, which wasn’t a big seller even in our location.
We’re also lucky enough to be included in the Refreshers test expansion, so on our 100 degree plus days, customers will have a new option to quench their thirst.
I’m dying to know what everyone thinks of the Bistro Boxes. At $6.95, I think it’s a more than fair price. I’ve tried this chicken chipotle one – It’s a bit spicey for me, but very good. The salsa is amazing. The little piece of dark chocolate is fantastic.
@DadCooks – I am sorry that the tri-cities area in Washington State is “remote.” It surprises me that any place in WA, outside of perhaps Omak or Colville, could be remote. But as I mentioned above, I know there are spots all over the country, and even in California, that are “remote.”
@Chris -That is so exciting that you’re part of the Refreshers test. That’s a little further north than where I was thinking I would find them (I don’t really know exactly where you are.)
Diele – I forgot to say that for now we still have Eggs Florentine, but I heard a rumour that it’d be going away after Summer 2 is over.
I don’t have much input yet…but I will certainly be at Starbucks tomorrow morning to check everything out! And….hopefully see Refreshers! 🙂
Baristas at my local Starbucks were setting up the cold case for the new Bistro Boxes tonight. I got to kibitz and ask all sorts of questions – everything except take photos. Here are my impressions – I wish I could have taken detailed notes – but I wasn’t expecting to try to write anything until I saw Melody’s blog post.
– I believe the Chipotle Chicken and Salami & Cheese are priced at $6.95; everything else is $4.95. I could be wrong though.
– Baristas raved about the chocolate bar inside. Raved. It isn’t large though – maybe an inch square? And it appears to be hidden from sight if you just pick up the bistro box and look at – as if the chocolate is a surprise bonus Easter Egg once you get the meal and open it up.
– To the average person used to a meal at even a fast-food restaurant, the portions are going to be …. small. Some of the bistro boxes have 4.6 ounces of food; I don’t remember which the largest is, but I think it is under 9 oz. — To put that in perspective – according to the Internet, a fully dressed Whopper is a little over 10 oz. To the health-conscious set, they’re possibly going to be considered acceptable – and we all know that is where Starbucks is going – it doesn’t have to taste good anymore (frappuccinos, pastry) – is just has to be good for us (Vivanno).
– The container of hummus with the Chicken Hummus meal is about the size that sides of salad dressing comes in.
– I’m no health nut, but I’m wasn’t overwhelmed by the nutrition information. The fat was about 8-9 grams per meal. The sodium and cholesterol levels for some of the meals (again, I can’t remember as I didn’t take notes) were in the 20-30% range – and again, that is for less than 9 oz. of food. By comparison, a Whopper has 678 calories and 37 grams of fat. It also has 911 milligrams of sodium.
– The packaging is wide and flat and does not fit into the cold case well at all. A large amount of cold-case real estate is being given up to it – at least in the short run. At the store I was at – they were being laid four across on the bottom two shelves. There’s virtually nothing left in the cold case but the drinks and a wedge of space for juice boxes and some of the cups of fruit – which are very popular at this store.
– The general consensus seems to be that certain ones (Salami, Chicken Hummus, Cheese & Fruit and one of the vegetarian items) will be very popular and the line will eventually contract to those items instead of the eight now offered.
– There was some discussion over whether the price point – $5 for the cheaper ones – would make it an attractive enough option despite the relative “lack” of food customers get. Most baristas found the old food offerings over-priced – and believed the Bistro Boxes would sell well. I personally don’t know. When you pick the Bistro Box up – it just feels “light” – and if you’re hungry, I just don’t know that you emotionally want to pay $5 for what is essentially an appetizer instead of a sandwich when you CAN SEE a sandwich the size of your fist. Then again – the Starbucks sandwiches were flat-out awful (even when I brought them home, toasted the bread, added more cheese and mayo, etc.) – and I don’t have a product research division the size Connecticut to tell me how/when to launch a product. We will see.
– The packaging they’ve chosen is … interesting – going for the simple look. I think it looks plain – and cheap. It is very likely designed to be recycled AND made of recycled materials. I just wish it didn’t look so … peasant?
I am VERY excited to get my hands on the Chipotle Chicken Wrap.
The pictures and descriptions make it sound absolutely AMAZING.
@sbuxdrama – That’s interesting. From what I’ve seen, the portions definitely seem small by the ordinary American’s standards. There was probably some tension between price point and portion side. I would think that the Chipotle Chicken Wrap would be a huge hit – Dustin, you’ll love it!
As I read through your comment Chris, I see how you too have easily written a blog for years. Who else would describe it as a product research division ‘the size of Connecticut’ – That made me laugh!
http://www.sbuxdrama.com/2011/07/starbucks-bistro-box-will-it-sell-will.html
^ I just went and looked at your own post on the same topic. You’ve got snark definitely. But I think it really is called “Salumi” my friend, not “Salami.” I always thought that Salumi was a real word, but now I’m beginnng to think that Seattleites made the word up. Here the word is made famous by a hole in the wall but famed restaurant called Salumi in Pioneer Square, actually not far from my office. The line at Salumi frightens me so I’ve never come close to a table.
See ya’ later Chris!
We received partner samples a few days ago too. I actually wasn’t all that impressed with the sesame noodle, personally – it just didn’t taste exciting to me – but I loved the chipotle chicken wrap. 🙂
We had our Summer 2 meeting today – $6.95 for the “entree” sizes (Chicken Chipotle, Sesame Noodle, Salumi, and Lettuce Wraps). The “snack” sizes (everything else) are $4.95. Protein, Hummus and Fruit & Cheese seem to have the same items as the current plates, with a new packaging that is supposed to be easier to eat on the go. I got to try samples of the Chicken Chipotle and the Sesame Noodle, and they were both quite good (I didn’t get the sesame peanuts though, because the person I was sharing with ate them all – LOL). We’ll get an opportunity to try the others in the next two weeks as well. Personally I’m looking forward to the Tuna one – it sounds delightful.
On a side note, I actually pouted at my manager today when she confirmed for me that Gazebo was gone. I’m glad she has a sense of humor because it turned into a funny moment, but I really just pouted, and whined “but I LIKE Gazebo…”
The sesame noodles are amazing, the tofu inside was really tasty and I don’t eat tofu!! I fly through our regular lunch items at our store. I ordered up on these. I think they will be a great seller in my store. Hands down.
Melody,
Any insider info on whether this food is highly processed, organic, where it’s sourced from, whether it benefits agribusiness or actual farmers? Seems to be what everyone I’m talking to cares about the food they eat. Do you talk to the local food manager? Do they know where the food comes from? Or is it just contracted out? -you are what you eat
Soooo… how much does this thing cost? $45.99?
Tuesday- The bistro boxes are at my local SB this morning all of them. Got the sesame noodle box and will have it for lunch. No real fanfare re new items.
Have not been to Sbux yet today…shortly tho, then I’ll see what we have here.
re: salUmi vs salami: I never heard salUmi….are you meaning the same Italian sausage as salAmi? anyway, around here, we have salami. that’s all I know of.
sorry a bit off Bistro boxes but, after seeing the new lt blue (not-Gazebo 🙁 yr round “iced” summer lbs of coffee….I think one could easily overlook them and just think it’s more of the “for iced” VIA display…at least what I saw. looks like one big VIA summer display. It will be interesting to see how all this sells…..
[…] (Images via Starbucks and StarbucksMelody) […]
@Shiek soooo. …… um ….. $6.95
@Denise – The Olive Way meat platter is a “Salumi” plate. I really thought that Salumi was a generic word for cured meats, but maybe just in Seattle! LOL! I could be out in left field right now.
@Melody and Denise — salumi is generic for Italian cured meat products that are predominately made from pork.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salumi
I am sitting in my favorite “remote” Starbucks enjoying Yukon, very appropriate for our remote location 😉 .
No Bistro Boxes for us.
@DadCooks – Thank you for the “salumi” definition.
We all know that everything east of the Cascades is “remote.” 😉
Just had the sesame noodle bistro box and overall it was good. I thought perhaps it could have less sauce on the noodles though. A minor point and it might have been an oversight, but I did not get a fork with the box. Perhaps they should include a fork in the box? I am sure the partner just forgot to give me one. I was at home, but if not I would have had a difficult time eating it for sure.
Starbucks has a fact sheet up about the bistro boxes: http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=548
@purple1 I didn’ get a fork either!
I got a sesame noodle bistro box for lunch
I didn’t get a fork, luckily i carry a spork with me
i would the little bin too full when i tried to mix in all the noodles, tofu and other things (sesame balls?) – since the box was partioned – i managed not to make a mess, but barely
the flavor itself was very yummy, and filling
i love that a little piece of chocolate was included for dessert!
I would think there’d be a fork as it is intended to be made for on the go. Thanks for the heads up- I will off a fork to all my customers.
@Jo – Thanks for the link. I published this article one day before the news release. Lots of good info in the official press article.
I really really like the chicken chipotle one. Haven’t tried them all yet, but I think that one stands out as fabulous.
I think I want to overdose on the little dark chocolate square. Wow. Starbucks should sell those separately. Yum.
well, just home from 2 different (one earlier, one now) Sbux. Didn’t have time earlier to look around much. Just now went by my regular store, which did get the ‘bistro’ boxes..only had 2 left. one was actually the re-made-re-named fruit and cheese plate…very small. I forgot which other one but didn’t look inviting to me.
And, re the ‘trenta’….they’d sold 16 by 1P and had 4 requests for frapps or something else in trenta sz.
I also did finally taste the iced-caramel VIA and can say I thought it was tolerable, not good especially…..more of a chemical sweetened caramel taste. I prefer the plain “lightly sweetened’ one much more.
@DadC…I’d have to go to the urban dictionary re: the ‘salumi’. I asked 3 of my 2nd generation Italian friends about it (all raised with Italian speaking homes) and none of them knew this term. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t so, obviously. Thanx for your info.
I always get asked for trenta chai tea lattes. It never gets old explaining how it is not a iced tea, but a tea LATTE.
I loved the chocolate. I am just heading in to work the closing shift. I hope the treat receipts bring in business and I can sample the bistro boxes and iced caramel via to customers. It tastes much better with half the amount of water by the way.
Just had the salumi & cheese..it was soooo good!!
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I just googled (not in the urban dictionary) the ‘salUmi’ thing and from what I can tell, it appears to be a Seattle thing…… ??? just fyi