Starbucks 'Pairings Menu' panned: 'Where's the meal?'

Starbucks announced a new "Pairings Menu" on Tuesday, June 11, becoming the latest chain to jump onto the value bundle trend. 

The "Pairings Menu" options range from $5 to $7, said Starbucks' website, and feature a combination of a Tall-sized iced coffee or tea along with a croissant or breakfast sandwich. 

At Starbucks, a "Tall" beverage is 12 ounces. 

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The $5 pairing consists of a Tall beverage with a butter croissant, said Starbucks. 

For an additional dollar, a customer can get a choice of breakfast sandwiches with their coffee or tea. 

The most expensive option, the $7 "Pairing Menu," said Starbucks, is an iced coffee or tea and a Double Smoked Bacon or Impossible breakfast sandwich. 

Customizing the beverage costs extra, said Starbucks. 

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On X, reactions to the announcement of the Pairings Menu were decidedly tepid. 

"How [is] this a meal box," said X user "@MyolLife." "They mean a pastry and a coffee." 

"Where exactly is the value?" asked X user "hughart_michael." 

Another user pointed out that two items are not typically considered a fast-food meal.

"If there was a third item in this box then it would be a value meal," said user "S117doteth." 

And another joked that it was similar to a McDonald's Happy Meal but for adults.

"Happy meal for stressed out grownups just dropped," said user @TheMovieMermaid.

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The announcement of the "Pairings Menu" comes about a month after Starbucks fell far short of earnings expectations – the company's first decline in same-store sales since 2020, Fox Business previously reported. 

Other fast-food chains in the United States have also attempted to woo customers with some sort of "value" offering. 

McDonald's is expected to begin its limited-time $5 meal deal – featuring a double cheeseburger or McChicken, fries, four McNuggets, and a drink – later in June. 

Wendy's, which already had a "$5 Biggie Bag" combo on its menu, is also offering a limited-time combo meal, albeit only during breakfast hours.

And Burger King started offering the "$5 Your Way" limited-time meal deal earlier this week.

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That meal deal, similar to the one that will be offered by McDonald's, includes a Whopper Jr., Bacon Cheeseburger, or a Chicken Jr. sandwich along with four chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. 

Since 2019, fast food prices have increased dramatically, Fox Business previously reported. Restaurant prices as a whole have risen 22% since that time. 

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This is due to a combination of factors, including increased wages and the rising cost of ingredients.

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"Across almost all major markets, industry traffic is slowing," McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski told analysts in April. "We know our customers are looking for reliable everyday value now more than ever."