Starbucks Debuts New Pairing Menu Starting at $5

Starbucks wants to ensure that you can get the best of both worlds — coffee and breakfast — all in one go. So, it’s offering an all-new combo meal — and it starts at just $5. 

On Tuesday, the coffee chain announced it’s launching the limited-time Pairings Menu. It includes hot or iced coffee or tea with a croissant for $5, or a hot or iced coffee or tea with a breakfast sandwich starting at $6. (The Pairing Menu, Starbucks notes on its website, costs $7 if you’re ordering a Double Smoked Bacon or Impossible breakfast sandwich. And it can’t be combined with other offers or discounts.) 

The pairing menu, available now, is just the latest in a long line of fast-food chains trying to lure back customers with better deals. In May, McDonald’s launched its own $5 value meal, which includes a McChicken or McDouble, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink. A few weeks later, Burger King did the same with its $5 meal that includes the choice of one of three sandwiches, nuggets, fries, and a drink. 

As National Restaurant News noted, Starbucks experienced a major slump in its second quarter, and CFO Rachel Ruggeri suggested the decline could be partially due to its value propositions not being evident enough to its consumers. 

“More recently, what we are seeing is headwinds related to our customers, particularly our occasional customers, largely as it relates to the awareness of what we have and the perception of value,” Ruggeri said at the Deutsch Bank global consumer conference, according to NRN. “It is going to take some time to strengthen those relationships, but I am very confident that as we continue to focus on relationships, particularly with our partners and our customers, it will continue to differentiate us as we grow.”

This isn’t the only promotion Starbucks is offering this summer. In May, Starbucks unveiled three new Refreshers, each inspired by the “swicy” — aka sweet and spicy — trend, including Spicy Dragonfruit, Spicy Pineapple, and Spicy Strawberry. And, in early June, it announced its new seasonal summer offerings, including a boba-inspired Summer Berry Refreshers drink, a White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew, and a Pineapple Cloud Cake. Now if only they’d add all these to the pairing menu, we’d be set.