Starbucks Heats Up the Breakfast Wars

Chain to Offer Toasted Muffin Sandwiches for Breakfast

2007 is shaping up to be a breakfast battle to end all breakfast battles. Yet one more player has stepped in, a big one -- coffee goliath Starbucks. According to a Dow Jones article, Starbucks plans to test some 200 TurboChef ovens (the superfast high-tech ovens that toast, not heat, Subway subs in 17 seconds) to offer a new roll out of McMuffin-like sandwiches. Motley Fool adds this insight:

The real battle here for Starbucks is actually looming from the old-school fast-food chains. McDonald's and Burger King have been upgrading their java brews to go along with their warm morning eats. That may not smell like much of a threat, but Wendy's will be rolling out a breakfast menu next year, too.

With so many places begging for your early morning dollar, it's a sound strategy for Starbucks to broaden its offerings.

These ovens may also come in handy later in the day, when Starbucks isn't as crowded, if more conventional mealtime sandwiches make it on the menu. Panera Bread has nothing to worry about just yet, but keep an eye on this next summer, when Starbucks determines whether this is a concept worth expanding.