Starbucks goes local, include chai and filter coffee on its menu!

With an aim to woo Indian customers, Starbucks will include local favourites 'masala chai' and 'filter coffee' to its menu. The desi change of its menu in the country aims to make it more friendly, likable and affordable for the Indian consumers.

 

Apart from these, Starbucks menu now also features street-style freshly assembled sandwiches, milkshakes, bite-sized snacks and a smaller beverage cup. This is initially being tested in four markets – Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Bhopal and Indore.

 

"The introduction of these things is to take it to the next level. We think this will help us to get new consumers to our fold. The trigger is to create new occasions for current consumers and also get a larger expanse of consumers to come in," Sushant Dash, CEO of Tata Starbucks, a joint venture that operates Starbucks in India, told Economic Times.

 

 

"Some of the food items that we are launching as the starting point in a Starbucks become more affordable and attract a larger segment of consumers. The idea is to also learn, see the consumer acceptance across markets, see the nuances, check and adjust and then see where it goes," Dash said.

 

In India, Starbucks’ main competitors include Cafe Coffee Day and McCafe, which offer beverages at significantly lower prices. The American firm’s, which entered the Indian market in October 2012, move also comes close on the heels of two global rivals – Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons and British sandwich and coffee chain Pret a Manger –announcing their plans to enter India this year.