The countdown is on for the return of Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage – Starbucks Pumpkin Latte. In just a few short weeks, the warm, inviting fall spices and pumpkin flavor that make Starbucks Pumpkin Latte a customer favorite year after year will return to select Starbucks Foodservice operators beginning September 1, 2011.
Offering well-known products like Starbucks Pumpkin Latte provides non-commercial foodservice operators with the opportunity to create an enhanced experience to their customers, much like that offered in Starbucks retail stores. Operators like Beth Middleton, Retail Operations Manager for Sodexo Corporate Services at The Principal Financial Group, can attest to how marketing support and customer sampling of high-end products like Starbucks Pumpkin Latte can help fuel incremental sales:
“When we first started selling Starbucks Pumpkin Latte, customers were surprised that we were offering free samples of such a high end beverage. After sampling the Pumpkin Lattes in the skywalk coming into our buildings, we blew through the four cases of product we had ordered. We then carried that success into the winter flavors, and will continue to offer espresso drink samples with each new seasonal flavor that is released."
One of the top selling seasonal beverages in Starbucks retail cafes since making its debut eight years ago, Starbucks Pumpkin Latte is returning to the foodservice portfolio as a part of the company’s goal of extending the Starbucks experience beyond its retail stores.
This rich and velvety hand-crafted beverage is made with savory spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove to capture the essence of one of the most popular autumn flavors – pumpkin pie. Offering a well-known beverage such as Starbucks Pumpkin Latte allows foodservice operators to provide an enhanced customer experience, encouraging on-premise sales and customer retention, while providing opportunities for premium pricing.
