Will Starbucks Pizza Be Able to Compete With Chicago Pizza?

By Anthony Todd in Food on Dec 8, 2016 4:00PM

Brace yourself, folks, because things might get nasty. An interloper (and a coffee company to boot!) is about to try to break into Chicago's pizza scene. Noted purveyor of delicious coffee and pre-made pastries, Starbucks, is apparently bringing a new pizza concept to Chicago.

Eater Chicago reports that "Princi," the new Starbucks pizza concept, is coming to Chicago, New York and Seattle in 2018. That's not all: according to Fortune Magazine, Starbucks plans to bring Princi-inspired products, often crafted on-site, to new, higher-end Starbucks locations.

Real food at Starbucks might be nice, though it's not generally a place we go at mealtimes. But in a city with a heck of a pizza scene, it'll be tough for them to break in—especially if the pizza is sold at Starbucks' traditional high prices. However, the brand loyalty that people have to Starbucks, which seems to be never-ending, might tip the balance.

Oddly, this news was buried as the 9th item in a Starbucks release issued yesterday. Clearly, new sous vide egg bites (arriving January 2017!) deserve more attention than an entire new chain concept.