Starbucks was hoping to make up much of that growth with
more sales of food and other noncoffee items but has stumbled
somewhat. In the late 1990s, Schultz thought that offering $8 sandwiches, desserts, and CDs in his stores and selling packaged coffee in supermarkets would significantly boost sales. The specialty
business now accounts for about 16 percent of sales, but growth
has been less than expected.