Topic Options
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Hayfa wrote:
~ Our feet are earthbound, but our hearts and our minds have wings ~
( Fri Feb 10, 1:01 PM ET
Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq:SBUX - news) on Friday said it would stop selling Chantico, a rich chocolate drink introduced with much fanfare last year, because it was not adaptable to different customer tastes.
In a rare flop for the fast-growing No. 1 coffee shop chain, Chantico was pulled from Starbucks' menu in January, a year after its introduction, spokesman Alan Hilowitz said.
Described as "a drinkable dessert," Chantico resembled the thick, sweet hot chocolate found in European cafes but was only available without any variations in a 6-ounce size.
In the end, that limitation irked customers who are used to dictating not only the size of their lattes and cappuccinos, but also whether they want regular or decaf coffee, non-fat, whole or soy milk, sugar-free or regular flavor shots, and even extras like whipped cream and caramel.
"It was something that customers did like, but they wanted to be able to do something else with it," Hilowitz said. "We wanted to go back and give customers what they are looking for."
The chain is testing other kinds of chocolate beverages and food offerings, Hilowitz said, but added that they were unlikely to resemble the now-defunct Chantico.
"I wouldn't say (it will be) a replacement for or a Chantico-like product," Hilowitz said. "I'd say kind of the next evolution of what an indulgent product would be at Starbucks."
