Regional Starbucks Fare

With more than 11,000 U.S. locations, Starbucks strives to deliver a consistent product no matter where you are on the globe; however, they do offer up some regional nuances.  I first noticed this in Hawaii where they have simple syrup at the cream and sugar stations.  

Brilliant!  I'll bet they have a much higher ratio of cold drinks to hot here.  I wish everyone did it because my go-to drink is Iced Coffee.  I began paying more attention to the goods behind the glass and in the cooler.  I found regional differences.  

There is the Pineapple Bran Muffin, which is quite tasty, but unfortunately not available in the SF Bay Area.  

There is also the Hawaiian Oatcake, which I couldn't discern any difference between the Oatcake on the mainland but it was like eating Medium-density fiberboard.

An.other regional option, which I have not tried yet, is the Guava Bar.  This I could see flopping miserably in the contiguous 48.

Doing a little digging I found some more regional fare.  Although they may not be limited to these cities, I found a Maple and Sausage Scone in New York City, a Blueberry Oat Bar with Organic Blueberries in San Diego, a Espresso Brownie in Cleveland, and a Hawaiian Bagel in Phoenix.  

What else is interesting is that the Starbucks' website even states, "Most of our markets are serviced by local bakeries to assure the freshest product."  If you think your Starbucks may be offering up something local or regional, put it in the comments!

Update on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 8:00PM by Dave Koch

photo by Dave KochI tried this one today... I didn't like it much.  Maybe you will.

Comments

[Loren Tama]

Good observation! During my travels, I have noticed several regional variations at Starbucks, both in terminology and product offerings, including the following:

-In the UK, you can order coffee white or black, white being with milk. Tea is ordered the same way. Skim milk is ordered "skinny," as in "I'll have a skinny capuccino." In addition, the snacks and pastries tend to be heavier and sweeter than the ones you find in the US.

-In Dubai, fresh bottled drinks of lemonade with mint are displayed in an ice tray next to the register. In addition to some of the more traditional Starbucks foods, Dubai Starbucks also offer a zatar crossant, which is covered with an herby thyme-based seasoning of the same name.

Pre-packaged iced coffee drinks are not available in the UK or Dubai Starbucks that I visited.