Starbucks testing savory croissants, warm pastries

Advertisement Starbucks Corp. is testing new savory croissants and pastries in nine San Francisco stores, with plans to eventually expand distribution nationally, according to the Associated Press. The items being tested include a whole wheat spinach croissant; ham and cheese croissant; tomato, cheese and herb croissant; blueberry yogurt muffin; raspberry passion fruit loaf cake; and lemon vanilla loaf cake, which replaces the current lemon loaf cake. Unlike Starbucks' current bakery lineup, many of these items are served warmed. Although there's no time frame for the national rollout, Starbucks plans to start by expanding the offerings throughout the Bay Area to see how stores handle deliveries and warming up the products. The new items are produced by San Francisco bakery chain La Boulange, which Starbucks purchased this summer for $100 million. Read about Starbucks' acquisition of La Boulange. The move is intended to bolster Starbucks' reputation for food; the segment now generates about $1.5 billion a year and has become an important part of the company' revenue stream, with one-third of purchases in U.S. locations including a food item, according to the AP. Other items from La Boulange being tested include a chocolate chip cookie and chocolate cake that are served warm, as well as an almond cookie and vanilla shortbread cookie. Starbucks' bagels, breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal aren't being affected by the change in baked products. Starbucks has said it plans to expand La Boulange into a national presence in coming years.