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It seems the corporate giants are battling it out in the new product zone. If McDonald’s is gonna get in on the premium coffee game, then Starbucks is gonna take on the breakfast sandwich game. But Starbucks says it's not trying to compete with the McMuffin, but rather keep up with the “Starbucks experience,” (whatever that is). 
On Wednesday, Starbucks introduced five hot breakfast sandwiches to 126 select locations in Chicago. Offerings include sausage, egg and cheddar; eggs Florentine with spinach and havarti; black forest ham, egg and cheddar; reduced-fat turkey bacon, egg and white cheddar; and peppered bacon, egg and cheddar.
Already available in Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Washington, D.C., Chicagoist checked it out for ourselves at the Starbucks on Michigan and Lake. At $2.95, the Starbucks sandwiches are close enough in price to the McMuffin. And, with ingredients like havarti, white cheddar and spinach, it seems a step up from a syrup-infused pancake with an “M” stamped in it. However, taste buds and timeliness rule the morning meal, so we wondered, “How do these things taste and how fast can we order one?”
Serving breakfast sandwiches all day, Starbucks claims it only takes 70 seconds to warm the one. But, with the prep time and waiting for a few more sandwich orders to come in (the machine warms four at a time), it took more like five minutes. 
Although sacrificing some precious morning moments, our sandwich arrived warm and toasted. The muffin was soft, the havarti cheese flavorful and the spinach fresh. The egg was decent, but no better than the processed egg patty on any other sandwich.
Starbucks also plans to use the warming machine to heat up muffins and pastries for customers. Some baristas are none too thrilled. But, what could be naughtier than asking for a toasted muffin at 8 a.m.?
Double entendres aside, let us know what you think. Have you had the new sandwiches? And, how do you like your muffin toasted?
Image via gisarah
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Starbucks is the worst corporate entity on the street. It's boring and bland attempt of selling overpriced drinks takes away from what coffee shops used to provide to society - which was a venue for local community artists. If you are looking for convenience, I suggest that you save your money and use the microwave and coffee machine in your company's breakroom instead.
Starbucks has been selling sandwiches like these in Honolulu for maybe a year now. They're not bad, aside from the fact that they're loaded with fat and probably a really high overall calorie content -- not to mention, they're also pricey in that typical Starbucks way.
I'm so fucking happy I left that shit-storm of a company when I did so now I don't have to deal with an extra shot grande 2 pump hazelnut, 2 pump vanilla soy no foam caramel macchiato and a crispy burnt reduced fat blueberry muffin. There's not many companies I hate, but after the way this company treats their employees, they should be eating a bowl of dick before serving out warm muffins.
i'm no fan of corporations, and neither am i fan of the starbucks on every corner.
however... i will give them huge props for one thing if nothing else in this fucked up capitalist society: they give benefits. even to part-time employees. in a world where people can't even afford to see a doctor or get regular checkups or god forbid, pay for their monthly scrips, this is huge. and it's about time that companies that are making HUGE profits take some off the top and buy their employees health insurance. good stuff, like blue cross and shit. even though it's horribly expensive, i know. when you're making a shitload of money, you can afford to shoot some your employees' way to make them healthier and happier employees.
that is, until we get some sort of standardized health care. yeah, i said it.
As someone who wouldn't drink Starfucks coffee, even for free, and who generally detests their red weed like spread across the earth, I have to say...breakfast sandwiches all day. Breakfast sandwiches all day!
Ever since I was a kid, I've loved all forms of breakfast, but especially breakfast sandwiches. My current problem is that I rarely eat breakfast before I leave home, and then go right to the office when I get off the train. By the time I'm comfortable enough to take a break, it's usually too late to get a McMuffin or anything else with eggs for my breakfast.
Damn you Starfucks, it looks like you may have found a way to ensnare me after all.
who fking cares?