Starbucks Corp. is removing the Princi brand of Italian baked goods from many of its higher-end cafes, stepping back from an initiative championed by longtime leader Howard Schultz.
The chain’s eight Roastery and Reserve locations in the U.S. and China will phase out the label, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News, which didn’t outline the timeline for the removal. The stores’ food assortment — which includes products such as a salami sandwich on focaccia bread and an Italian-style croissant — won’t change. But the Princi branding will be scrubbed.
Starbucks’ retreat from Princi marks another Schultz dream that fizzled, along with a goal to open more than two dozen Roastery locations around the world. The company bought a stake in the European purveyor of baked goods in 2016 after Schultz met baker Rocco Princi.
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