Starbucks Adds Local Food Items To Its Menu

Starbucks is the latest to latch on to a food trend that is rippling through the restaurant industry. Following the lead of chains like McDonald’s, Shake Shack and Firehouse Subs, Starbucks is incorporating locally sourced foods into its menu. In the Washington, D.C., area, for example, Starbucks patrons can buy sweet potato cakes from Delectable Cakery, which also has partnerships with Nordstrom, HoneyBaked Hams and Wegman’s. A few Starbucks stores in New York City have worked out a deal with Bantam Bagels, which provides stuffed bagels from its lone store in Manhattan’s West Village. Industry watchers say the local partnerships give the big chain some local, upscale nuance that appeals to millennials.