Starbucks has expanded its Mercato lunch menu to 200 stores in Sacramento, bringing the grab-and-go bistro line to 950 locations in the West and Chicago.
Widening the footprint of Mercato makes good on a company promise to beef up its food selections. During a shareholder meeting in March, the chain said it planned to double its food business by 2021. When the company launched Mercato, it said the chain had grown its food business by 1.5 times since 2013.
The Mercato menu debuted last year in Chicago. It has since grown to 950 stores in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco and Sacramento. The so-called “marketplace” menu features grab-and-go salads, sandwiches and sides made fresh daily. All items are priced under $10.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse company said its culinary team researched ideas for the menu by visiting restaurants and grocery stores all over the country to “look at what people were eating.”
The result was a menu of “thoughtfully prepared” foods made with handpicked breads, cheeses, veggies, grains and greens.
Items include a Roasted Turkey & Dill Havarti Sandwich, Grilled Chicken & Cauliflower Tabbouleh, Honey BBQ Sriracha Chicken Sandwich and a Cubano Sandwich.
Surplus food is donated to local communities through a partnership with Feeding America.
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