Starbucks just debuted ice cream at 100-plus stores
Starbucks is debuting ice cream at 100-plus stores across the U.S. after the coffee giant saw ice cream offerings succeed at its upscale concept store in Seattle.
The chain's Seattle Roastery store, a "fancy coffee emporium" that serves up espresso in an extravagant, Willy Wonka-like atmosphere, began serving an Italian treat called affogatos last June. The item, a scoop of ice cream drowned in espresso, quickly became a top-five menu item for the location, according to Business Insider.
Starbucks is now testing a menu of affogato items inspired by the Seattle Roastery location at 100 stores in Orange County, Calif, the Orange County Register reported. Items include a classic affogato, $5.25 for a tall, as well as tall cold brew floats for $5.95 and tall cold brew malts for $6.45, according to the newspaper.
The chain will also start serving a "Roastery Affogato" menu at 10 of its higher-end Reserve bar locations in Los Angeles, Boston and Washington, D.C., Business Insider said. Affogato-inspired items at those locations will feature premium ingredients such as small-lot cold brew, bumping up their prices by about $1-2 dollars.
Starbucks rolled out three Frappuccino flavors based on the affogato last year, Business Insider noted. But the nationwide testing of an item from its Seattle Roastery location reflects Starbucks' strategic effort to experiment with higher-end items and push them out to new and existing stores.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz underscored the company's commitment to lure high-end coffee drinkers last year before announcing he would step down to focus in part on the Reserve brand's luxury coffees.
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