At Starbucks, Innovation is Always Ahead of The Curve: Vibhor Mishra

Starbucks wants to offer something new to customers and we are constantly innovating to do that. We use world-class coffee beans, each with unique flavours. To take it further, we pair these beans with regional flavours from different geographies, creating a Starbucks Experiential Store concept. We have got coffee variants like Malabar Coconut Cream, Kanthari Chili, and Red Peru, carefully curated to show which regional flavours complement international coffee beans. Our customers love it, showing our concept is truly differentiated and ahead of the curve.

We constantly update our menu with diverse food offerings, catering to different tastes. Recent vegan options include the Amaranth Parfait and tofu and spinach croissant – our first vegan croissant. Amaranth is a nutritious millet. We have also introduced healthier options like palm jaggery and date syrup, available across all stores. These natural ingredients pair well with our world-class coffee, and customers are really liking them.

Yes, as customers’ preferences evolve, we want to cater to every palate. We offer something indulgent in the morning, and local, lighter options in the afternoon. Our agenda is to meet all your requirements, which is why we introduced healthier coffees with palm jaggery and date syrup.

The coffee experiential store in Hyderabad has four key pillars. First, we offer coffees from around the world with various brewing methods, allowing customers to explore different coffee expressions. Second, we blend regional spices and fruits with world-class coffee. Third, we have a state-of-the-art Black Eagle machine. And fourth, 60% of our food is freshly baked in-store through our bake-in program, making this store a unique experience.

The Black Eagle machine is a state-of-the-art, semi-automated, proprietary Starbucks machine – the ‘Ferrari of the coffee world’. It makes espresso-based beverages more concentrated and flavorful, using more coffee beans to pull robust and elevated espresso shots. Once you taste it, you will understand the difference.