Starbucks Enters the Battle of the Breakfast

2007 is looking to be the start of the “Breakfast Wars” Coffee behemoth STARBUCKS is stepping into the dash for your breakfast dollar with plans to offer toasted muffin sandwiches and more during the morning meal-time rush. According to a Dow Jones article, Starbucks has plans to trial some 200 TurboChef ovens (the superfast high-tech ovens that toast, not heat, Subway subs in 17 seconds) to offer a new line of McMuffin-like meals. Motley Fool had some insight into the new venture: The real battle here for Starbucks is actually looming from the old-school fast-food chains. McDonald'''s and Burger King have been upgrading their java brews to go along with their warm morning eats. That may not smell like much of a threat, but Wendy's will be rolling out a breakfast menu next year, too. With so many places begging for your early morning dollar, it's a sound strategy for Starbucks to broaden its offerings. These ovens may also come in handy later in the day, when Starbucks isn't as crowded, if more conventional mealtime sandwiches make it on the menu. Panera Bread has nothing to worry about just yet, but keep an eye on this next summer, when Starbucks determines whether this is a concept worth expanding.