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 signifi cantly boost sales. The specialty business now accounts for about 16 percent of sales, but growth has been less than expected.