When it comes to quality and style, it's difficult to compete with Target. And where else can
you grab a Starbucks drink to shop with and leave with a hot personal pizza? But no matter
how often you frequent Target, there’s probably a lot you don't know about its food court.
Here’s the untold truth.
When you think of the food at Target, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is Starbucks.
That makes sense, since a Target run often coincides with a venti cold brew or caramel
macchiato.
The fact is, Target and Starbucks have similar base customers. These are buyers who want
a high level of quality without having to pay a fortune to get it, and that's just what
both brands offer. Plus, Target wants to treat shoppers to an experience; and the fact that
customers can sip on something or even get a snack before they shop means they'll be
less likely to rush out of the store.
The Starbucks locations in Target might offer the same food and drink as any other Starbucks,
but they're actually managed by Target and not by Starbucks itself. That means that the
people who are working behind the counter are actually Target employees — they just
don't get stuck wearing the red shirts and restocking shelves. Starbucks doesn't consider
its Target stores to be Starbucks at all.
This policy doesn't have too much of an effect on the customer, though. You can still use
a Starbucks gift card at a Target location, and loyal Starbucks customers can redeem their
points there as well.
If you're a long-time Target fan, then you've probably noticed that the store has changed
a lot in the past decade. Gone are the days of the budget-store aesthetics and '90s decor,
but some stores have tried to revamp their previous cafes while embracing the newer and
more sophisticated Target aesthetic. Enter the grab-and-go snack bars, which Target started
testing in 2019.
These self-serve snack bars have a lot of the old Target favorites like Pizza Hut pizzas
and popcorn, but also offer other quick bites like salads and fruit. It strikes a balance
between beloved Target cafe favorites and trendier, healthier options that are closer
to Target's current consumer base.
Over the years, healthy and fast-casual restaurants have been gaining steam — and food courts
stocked with just hot dogs and pretzels are not as trendy as they once were. So, in 2015,
Freshii became Target's attempt at offering healthier "fast" food to customers as they
shopped. Freshii offers salads, bowls, wraps, soups — just what you'd think of when you
go to a healthy fast-casual restaurant.
It may have seemed like a good idea, but it didn't quite work out as planned. Just two
years after the chain restaurant moved into Target stores, it shut all of its Target locations
down. Apparently, Freshii food wasn't what Target customers were after when they headed
toward the food court.
Everyone knows about the seasonal drinks at Starbucks, but a better-kept secret is the
Target-brand ICEEs. Not only do they have a variety of standard flavors, but they occasionally
add new flavors into the mix. These flavors are often associated with a cute character
and come in a bright, Instagrammable color that's hard to resist snapping a photo of.
For instance, take 2019's mermaid ICEE with its bright blue shade and blue raspberry flavoring.
Then, over the holiday season, Target rolled out the cherry lime elf ICEE. And then in
February 2020, the baby narwhal-flavored ICEE came out as well. Did we want to know what
a baby narwhal tastes like? No. Are we going to buy it anyway because it's pink and you
can get a medium for under $2? Yeah, probably.
You probably know all about the "Target effect" and how it gets you to spend more money that
you planned.
“You may have just needed some Ziploc bags and one or two items, and the next thing you
know you’ve got a cart full of stuff!”
But one thing you might not know is that the food court is actually a big part of how Target
gets you to spend money.
According to Business Insider,
"The coffee shop helps establish a welcoming vibe, inviting people to come in and hang
out."
With a coffee from Starbucks in your hand — and the kids occupied with popcorn and
ICEEs, you're a lot more likely to wander the aisles mindlessly. You're there to escape
the reality of life and cheer yourself up with a pair of $15 earrings you don't really
need. We're on to you, Target, and we're totally fine with it.
“It’s, like, for everyone. I literally go to Target for everything.”
Target made another attempt at offering healthier meal options at one of its stores in 2016.
The Chobani Cafe in New York's Tribeca neighborhood opened in October, and it sought to offer
a variety of yogurt options in addition to soups, salads, and sandwiches. The company
boasted that Chobani only used artisinal ingredients, playing into the new ethos of Target's branding.
But less than three years later, the Chobani Cafe seemed unhealthy to profitability. These…
um… targeted food options seem to fall flat with the typical Target shopper for some reason.
It's not available everywhere, but where it is, it's a hit. Target popcorn seems to have
a cult-like following online. It's easy to grab and go, making it the ideal in-store
snack for when shoppers need a quick bite to eat. So it's no surprise that some popcorn
fans have been upset by the news that their Target popcorn was disappearing to make way
for Starbucks. There was even a Change.org petition to keep it in stores where it was
slated to be removed.
No need to panic, though. It looks like the popcorn is here to stay in many stores, especially
since it's been spotted in the new grab-and-go snack bars. If the snack bars see widespread
success, more Target shoppers who've lost their precious popcorn may see it return.
Super Targets are everything you love about a Target plus a full grocery store. The bakeries
have everything you'd expect to find in any grocery store bakery, but there’s a special
incentive that makes it a big hit for parents: the free cookie for kids. Children 12 and
under can get a free cookie anytime they go to the bakery.
This program has been around for years, and it's always been a big hit. But some parents
would prefer healthier options, so Target started offering a free piece of fruit as
well. Kids can choose between a cookie, a banana, or a clementine. This keeps kids occupied
when mom and dad are shopping. Plus, if the adults are lucky, they might be able to snag
a bite from their kids.
Imagine this: It's a Thursday afternoon. You need some caffeine to help you power through
the evening so you can make it to Friday. Then, you walk into your local Target and
come face-to-face with Starbucks.
Even though Starbucks' Target locations aren't officially Starbucks, they still offer the
coffee chain's famous happy hour. Happy hours take place every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7
p.m., and when you buy one drink, you get one free. That doesn't count for every single
beverage, but it does usually apply to most of them. Therefore, it's a perfect excuse
to grab a friend, go on a Target run, and indulge in your favorite Starbucks drink to
sip on while you shop.
One of the long-term staples of the Target food court is the ever-popular Pizza Hut Express.
You've got your chicken alfredo. You've got your twisty cheese sticks with sauce. You've
even got your breadsticks, loaded with all the carbs you try to care about. But the most
iconic item on the menu has to be the personal pizzas. Since you can choose from cheese,
pepperoni, and even sausage, there's something for everyone.
And while you may not see many old-school Pizza Huts across the country anymore, you
won’t miss out on the Pizza Hut Express at Target. In fact, the locations are popular
enough that they sometimes even get exclusive menu items, like the Mac N' Cheese Personal
Pan Pizza.
We're all familiar with this scene: You're at a baby's birthday party, and the little
one starts to go in for the cake. They're a baby, they don't care. Their tiny fingers
reach for the impeccably smooth frosting you've been dying to dig into, and a small but determined
fist snatches a hunk of the previously unblemished cake. Yes, that's the cake that everyone has
to eat from ... even the adults.
Smash cakes are an adorable way for babies to celebrate their birthdays, and they help
parents avoid the above dilemma. They're small cakes made just for the birthday baby. Baby
can get as messy as they want while the rest of the guests enjoy a separate dessert. And
Target might just be the best place to get your child's smash cake. If you buy your baby's
first birthday cake from the Super Target bakery, you'll get a smash cake for free.
Of the Target food court options, perhaps none is more coveted than the soft pretzel.
This street fair food has been around for quite some time, and it has a loyal fan base
who you might see snacking in the aisles.
The magic of these pretzels is the fact that you can get them both sweet and salty. Of
course, you've got your normal salted pretzels that everyone loves. But Target wanted to
offer something different as well, and that's why the cinnamon sugar pretzel bites are also
a huge hit. Add in the fact that you can get both regular pretzels and the pretzel bites
in both flavors, and it's easy to see why Target is keeping its most famous food items
around for its loyal customers.
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