Starbucks Sales Improve

Starbucks(SBUX Quote) said Thursday that its August same-store sales rose 5%, in the middle of its targeted range of 3% to 7%.

The coffee-selling giant's total sales for the month jumped 21% to $617 million.

"In August, we continued to deliver strong revenue and comparable store sales growth in line with our growth targets," said Jim Donald, Starbucks president and chief executive, in a statement. "The increase in comparable store sales was driven by the popularity of our handcrafted beverages as well as a strong contribution from food in both additional lunch locations and enhanced offerings."

The results represent an improvement over July, which saw 4% same-store sales growth. The July results were largely viewed as a disappointment and a sign the chain's growth may be decelerating. Starbucks at the time blamed the results on long lines at its stores for its icy blended drinks, which take longer to make than the standard cup of coffee.