Starbucks is following the lead of the burger giants by offering a you-pick-the-parts meal at a bargain price.
Customers who opt for the Power Lunch deal pick three elements to build a meal for a set price of $8. Coffee is not one of the options.
Rather, Power Lunchers have a choice of a protein (sandwich, salad or bento box), a carb (chips, pretzels or popcorn) and fruit item (a banana or a fruit bar). The included drink is a bottle of water.
The website BrandEating.com computed that the package would cost $3 to $4 more if a customer chose the components a la carte.
The Power Lunch will apparently be offered for a limited time, though the time frame was not revealed.
The deal is a tonier version of the you-pick bargain meals that all four of the industry’s largest burger chains have introduced in roughly the last year. Wendy’s, for instance, offers a 4 for $4 deal, while Burger King is trying to trump its competitors with a 5 for $4 offer.
The bundles are permanent menu items, but the chains have cycled products in and out of the selection array.
McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King have all cited the offers as a major factor in their sales growth. They say the bundles are a way to appeal to bargain hunters without doing the same damage to margins that a dollar menu might.
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