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Starbucks Charging More For Extra Stuff - Yes or No? (1 Viewer)

Are you ok with Starbucks charging more for extra stuff?


  • Total voters
    44
Starbucks is already a luxury purchase. They're commoditizing themselves, which is probably not a great move. Unlike airlines, who pull this all the time, folks don't need this like they need air travel.
 
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For extra stuff I am fine with it. I will equate it to condiments at fast food or pizza places. Charging for ranch, ketchup, etc is bad business. Charging for extra cheese, pepperoni, avocado is fine. Those are extra beyond the actual standard for consumption.

I don't do coffee so I have never done a starbucks concoction. But on the surface it seems reasonable. Those don't seem like condiment type additions. More like extra cheese or another topping type addition.
 
They been doing it for years not sure why the policy just changed. Very confused
I guess they officially started breaking the extras down on the receipt early this year when prices went up. Used to be a regular customer but haven't been since March. Just too expensive now
 
Article is behind a paywall, but makes sense. Trend on TikTok of making the most ridiculous drinks possible for clout. If a customer wants something out of the ordinary that adds to the company’s cost (either through extra materials or extra labor) over a regular drink, charge away.
 
For extra stuff I am fine with it. I will equate it to condiments at fast food or pizza places. Charging for ranch, ketchup, etc is bad business. Charging for extra cheese, pepperoni, avocado is fine. Those are extra beyond the actual standard for consumption.

I don't do coffee so I have never done a starbucks concoction. But on the surface it seems reasonable. Those don't seem like condiment type additions. More like extra cheese or another topping type addition.

A lot of pizza places (especially chains who Starbucks would equate to better than local shops) charge extra for ranch.

But I do agree this Starbucks change is more akin to toppings on a pizza.

Honestly it kind of makes sense. They charge more for "specialty" flavored drinks, but you can order a regular drink and add flavor for free. Seems like an inefficiency that they're closing the loophole on.
 
Article is behind a paywall, but makes sense. Trend on TikTok of making the most ridiculous drinks possible for clout. If a customer wants something out of the ordinary that adds to the company’s cost (either through extra materials or extra labor) over a regular drink, charge away.


Sorry. Thought everyone could see:

I support Starbucks' new policy to charge for the extras in your drink. Don't hate me — let me explain!

For many things, I don't mind paying a little more to benefit society. I know my taxes pay for things like schools and the military, and I think that's just fine. I pay the same gym membership fee as someone who goes every single day — in a sense, I'm subsidizing the swole. And I'm fine with that.

But there is a limit to even my strongest socialist impulses. I refuse to subsidize your disgusting Starbucks custom order, with its extra pumps of flavored syrup and fruits and powders. I believe healthcare is a human right. Matcha powder isn't.


Starbucks just changed its policies so that adding extra syrups or matcha powders will cost extra. People are upset. I'm sympathetic — I wouldn't be happy to pay more, either.

But the logic here is sound. Adding extra ingredients costs money. Inflation is real. Starbucks likely has two options if it wants to keep its profit margins: charge people extra for custom add-ons, or raise the prices on all drinks.

This new charge is for adding ingredients that wouldn't be included in the standard version of a drink. Extra matcha powder scoops will cost $1 a scoop, extra pumps of syrups and sauces will see a flat fee of 80 cents, and fruit bits will be 50 cents a serving. There are details in the fine print, which my colleague Alex Bitter reported on earlier this week.


Starbucks' CEO comes from the land of avocados​

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is not unfamiliar with this issue. He was previously the CEO of Chipotle, the place that taught us the sacred millennial phrase, "Yes, I know guac is extra." Sometimes, adding in pricey extras like avocados should be an option.
https://www.businessinsider.com/sta...green-dot-assist-ipad-efficiency-speed-2025-6

Starbucks' new OpenAI-powered tool helps baristas remember drink recipes and suggests food options

In the last few years, elaborate custom drinks have become a thorn in Starbucks' side. They came as a byproduct of the shift to in-app ordering during the pandemic — it's a lot easier to remember the details of an eight-ingredient custom drink when you're ordering on the app vs. an actual store. These custom drinks would go viral on social media — a windfall of earned media!

But actually serving the drinks was a huge pain for baristas and slowed down service, creating extra wait times for everyone.


Niccol has expressed a desire to return Starbucks to its coffeehouse roots, and has said that problems tied to mobile ordering had "chipped away" at the brand's "soul."

There is another element to the changes, too: People have been sharing "hacks" on social media where you can load up on powders or syrups to "cheat" the system for a cheaper Starbucks drink. For example, I saw a recent TikTok of someone ordering a small matcha latte with four times the amount of normal matcha powder and no ice, and then using it as a concentrate at home to pour over several glasses of milk. I'm not sure how prevalent this was, or how much these sneaky people inspired the new pricing.


That extra pump of syrup is going to cost you at Starbucks. Smith Collection/Gado/Gado via Getty Images

Starbucks' new pricing has some people mad​

Now here's where my personal bias comes in: I like regular coffee, hot or iced — and I'm not a fan of overly sweet coffee drinks like the Frappuccino or a hazelnut shaken espresso. I'm not yucking anyone's yum or stopping anyone from ordering what they like. But I don't want caramel syrup or dried fruit in my coffee, and I don't want to subsidize the people who do.


As you might imagine, the people who are now being forced to pay more for their regular drinks are not happy.

I watched TikTok videos from people who were outraged by the new pricing for their regular drinks. One woman was mad that her drink, which includes two extra syrups, had gone up by over a dollar. "I might as well buy a bottle of the syrup and make it at my coffee station at home!" she said.

Well, yeah. You should! You should absolutely just make coffee at home instead of buying Starbucks every day! That is, in fact, a very wise thing for anyone to do. I feel like a real boomer saying so, but you should absolutely just make it at home. If you don't want to: Well, there's a price for that!
 
For extra stuff I am fine with it. I will equate it to condiments at fast food or pizza places. Charging for ranch, ketchup, etc is bad business. Charging for extra cheese, pepperoni, avocado is fine. Those are extra beyond the actual standard for consumption.

I don't do coffee so I have never done a starbucks concoction. But on the surface it seems reasonable. Those don't seem like condiment type additions. More like extra cheese or another topping type addition.

A lot of pizza places (especially chains who Starbucks would equate to better than local shops) charge extra for ranch.

But I do agree this Starbucks change is more akin to toppings on a pizza.

Honestly it kind of makes sense. They charge more for "specialty" flavored drinks, but you can order a regular drink and add flavor for free. Seems like an inefficiency that they're closing the loophole on.

For the writer's perspective, they're saying the alternative is the extra stuff stays free and prices rise on all drinks.

I have no idea if that's the right way of looking at it. Just how they framed it.

Starbucks just changed its policies so that adding extra syrups or matcha powders will cost extra. People are upset. I'm sympathetic — I wouldn't be happy to pay more, either.

But the logic here is sound. Adding extra ingredients costs money. Inflation is real. Starbucks likely has two options if it wants to keep its profit margins: charge people extra for custom add-ons, or raise the prices on all drinks.
 
Only go there in an emergency. I drink my hot coffee black so never an issue. I do like oat or almond milk in my cold brew with some simple syrup. Local coffee shops never charge extra for those but sbux always has. I'll never go unless it's my only option.
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.

Could be. I never order anything extra so I can't say. I'd hope the article wouldn't have missed the point that badly but maybe it did.
 
I guess I'm that rare weirdo that actually likes Starbucks coffee. I think their dark roasts are terrific. I don't go often but when I do, a dark roast with a couple of ice cubes is just *chef's kiss*.

They could tack on a few cents here or there and it wouldn't cause any frustration. I know I'm buying something that I can make at home for pennies on the dollar (and do, we brew a pot of coffee every morning) but I like it. To me, Starbucks is like a bar. I'm paying more for something I can have at home for a fraction of the cost but I enjoy the interaction and convenience.

So, if they start charging for more pumps of sugar or whatever, so be it. If all of a sudden my Venti Dark Roast with 2 ice cubes jumps from $3 to $3.25 I'll survive and be back. The prices have only ever gone up and yet, here I still am, enjoying delicious dark roast coffee.
 
Not a coffee guy...but yeah, its fine.

The fancy drinks at Starbucks have a set recipe. 1 pump of this....a sprinkle of that....a shot of this, etc. Anything beyond that is undeniably an add-on that eats away at their margin. Just like adding Bacon to your cheeseburger or a protein to your salad order.

The product at Chipotle is fully customizable. You're building it from the ground up. But they're well within their rights to say that "premium ingredients" (Guac, queso, a higher end meat, whatever) are extra.

If they thought they could make more money by just building the cost into the main product, they would. But the very smart bean counters over there have obviously done the math and determined that it makes more sense to just hit the guac lovers for an extra $3. (probably because this markup is insane)
 
It's very vague what the increases are, I think the way to do it is to include x number of add ons, and really whack people if they wanna behave like a princess. Then the TikTok challenge will be $60 coffee
 
All the more reason to go there as little as possible. That said, I will occasionally "treat" myself to a blended iced drink (mocha frap or whatever) on a hot day like today. But, I usually order it with less syrup (their standard drinks are too sweet), and an extra shot of espresso (which they undoubtedly charge me for). I wonder if they'll discount the drink for LESS pumps of syrup/powder? :lol:
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.

Could be. I never order anything extra so I can't say. I'd hope the article wouldn't have missed the point that badly but maybe it did.
I swear it was just a few months ago that I read that they were waiving the extra fees for certain add-on's (like extra pumps of syrup, etc.). Seems weird that they would be flipping back to the reverse of that so soon.

Edit: Actually, it was in October of last year that they announced that they were no longer charging for non-dairy milk substitutes (oat, soy, etc.). So I was confused.
 
I guess my thought is that, if people want to load up their drink with extra stuff, charge them. It's no different than Chipotle, I suppose, in that regard. Although, I would ask... Where do you draw the line? Guac is $3. But extra salsa is no charge. Extra pump of mocha syrup is 80 cents. But, I could put a half cup of cream in my coffee at no charge.

I was at a baseball snack bar a few weeks ago that had a sign that read "Only one condiment (ketchup, mayo, etc.) per order. All additional requests are $.50..." Which again begs the question.... Where does it stop? Sour cream is typically extra. Ketchup and mustard? Never seen a place charge for that. Ranch dressing... usually free, but some places (Buffalo Wild Wings, for example) nickle and dime you for every little cup. And, I get it, for the most part. Everything is expensive these days. Except salt. Salt is dirt cheap. :lol:
 
All the more reason to go there as little as possible. That said, I will occasionally "treat" myself to a blended iced drink (mocha frap or whatever) on a hot day like today. But, I usually order it with less syrup (their standard drinks are too sweet), and an extra shot of espresso (which they undoubtedly charge me for). I wonder if they'll discount the drink for LESS pumps of syrup/powder? :lol:

Lol....I think you're on to something here! Discount items for those who ask for less. Brilliant!
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.

Could be. I never order anything extra so I can't say. I'd hope the article wouldn't have missed the point that badly but maybe it did.
I swear it was just a few months ago that I read that they were waiving the extra fees for certain add-on's (like extra pumps of syrup, etc.). Seems weird that they would be flipping back to the reverse of that so soon.

Edit: Actually, it was in October of last year that they announced that they were no longer charging for non-dairy milk substitutes (oat, soy, etc.). So I was confused.

Starbucks is pretty famous for NOT advertising. When was the last time you saw a Starbucka commercial on TV? That said, where are you hearing/seeing all these press releases about Starbucks?
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.

Could be. I never order anything extra so I can't say. I'd hope the article wouldn't have missed the point that badly but maybe it did.
I swear it was just a few months ago that I read that they were waiving the extra fees for certain add-on's (like extra pumps of syrup, etc.). Seems weird that they would be flipping back to the reverse of that so soon.

Edit: Actually, it was in October of last year that they announced that they were no longer charging for non-dairy milk substitutes (oat, soy, etc.). So I was confused.

Starbucks is pretty famous for NOT advertising. When was the last time you saw a Starbucka commercial on TV? That said, where are you hearing/seeing all these press releases about Starbucks?
Well, I saw the one here today. The one last October? I have no idea. I had to Google search just to recall what it was that I remembered seeing/hearing. I'm guessing I either heard it somewhere (radio, podcast, etc.) or saw something about it pop up on social media (most likely Instagram). :shrug:
 
:shrug:

I drink coffee from 3 places 99% of the time.
1. Home.
2. The local station. Inexpensive refills.
3. Buc-ees, which is sort of a local gas station. We’ll stop by for any road trip. Make your own, and it’s the best coffee from any place.
 
The product at Chipotle is fully customizable. You're building it from the ground up. But they're well within their rights to say that "premium ingredients" (Guac, queso, a higher end meat, whatever) are extra.
yep. Cava is the same. Base price plus extra for steak, lamb, etc. no issue there whatsoever
 
Don’t drink Starbucks, but have no issue with this.

Coffee is great for you, but the add-ons kinda negate the benefits. Since tax payers are all paying for the downstream public health consequences, seems appropriate to charge consumers on the front end, or deter the behavior altogether.
 
Don’t drink Starbucks, but have no issue with this.

Coffee is great for you, but the add-ons kinda negate the benefits. Since tax payers are all paying for the downstream public health consequences, seems appropriate to charge consumers on the front end, or deter the behavior altogether.

What's worse for the human body: sugar or ranch dressing?
 
Don’t drink Starbucks, but have no issue with this.

Coffee is great for you, but the add-ons kinda negate the benefits. Since tax payers are all paying for the downstream public health consequences, seems appropriate to charge consumers on the front end, or deter the behavior altogether.

What's worse for the human body: sugar or ranch dressing?
They both suck, though ranch would probably work well as sunscreen.

I’d charge to add either to your coffee. :shrug:
 
I may be the only person that has never stepped foot in a Starbucks. Also, coffee smells awesome and tastes horrible.

I know I'm in the extreme minority, but i feel exactly the same way.

I also REALLY like coffee ice cream. But actual coffee.....I feel like I give it a shot every 5 years or so and hate it every time. Maybe I'm just making bad choices but it just always tastes super bitter to me. I'm the same way with wine. Dont get it AT ALL. Why would THAT be what you choose to drink?
 
I have drastically reduced my Starbucks visits in the last 12 months. If you don't specify the amount of flavoring, they usually put 4 pumps of the syrup. I typically get a "grande cappuccino half decaf with one shot of sugar free vanilla." Now they are charging the full 80 cents for the syrup whether it's one pump or four pumps. . Yes, sure 80 cents isn't breaking the bank but one shot is like 5 cents of syrup. I just make my own cappucino at home now. If I go to a Starbucks at like an airport I just skip the syrup flavoring.
 
Don’t drink Starbucks, but have no issue with this.

Coffee is great for you, but the add-ons kinda negate the benefits. Since tax payers are all paying for the downstream public health consequences, seems appropriate to charge consumers on the front end, or deter the behavior altogether.

What's worse for the human body: sugar or ranch dressing?
They both suck, though ranch would probably work well as sunscreen.

I’d charge to add either to your coffee. :shrug:

Had a friend who always said "the one thing all fat people have in common is a love of ranch dressing". And as a fat guy, I find it pretty mid. I'd never use it voluntarily.
 
I may be the only person that has never stepped foot in a Starbucks. Also, coffee smells awesome and tastes horrible.
I'm floored by the lines at nearly every SB. Not drinking coffee, I have no interest in them (don't like the smell, either). My wife insists on going.

She only drinks black coffee, but also gets pastries/bread, on occasion. Admittedly, their spinach/feta/egg white wrap is pretty good - we often get this in airports.
 
I may be the only person that has never stepped foot in a Starbucks. Also, coffee smells awesome and tastes horrible.

I know I'm in the extreme minority, but i feel exactly the same way.

I also REALLY like coffee ice cream. But actual coffee.....I feel like I give it a shot every 5 years or so and hate it every time. Maybe I'm just making bad choices but it just always tastes super bitter to me. I'm the same way with wine. Dont get it AT ALL. Why would THAT be what you choose to drink?
Every adult drink is an acquired taste. Nearly no one likes beer, wine, coffee, or liquor the first time.

Cultural/peer pressure, and the mind-altering properties entice people to acquire the tastes. After repeated exposure, they like it.

I kinda understand enduring coffee, for the benefits. Alcohol, not so much.
 
We have a Starbucks on campus usually go twice a day (first one’s free)

90% of the time I’m getting an Americano or Cold Brew. Will get an occasional cappuccino

Never add anything other than a splash of cream to the cold brew
 
This article is a little confusing to me since I was under the impression that they already charged for extra pumps or powder. I go to Starbucks pretty often (love their lemon loaf cake) and they are more than just coffee.

Yes I think that is actually kind of the point. They charge extra for menu items that add pumps, but when you order a regular drink you can just ask for the pumps (a lot of times they even ask you if you want to add any) and they'll just throw them in there for free.

So a pumpkin spice peppermint vanilla latte may be a separate menu item that costs $1.25 more than a regular latte, but currently you can just order a regular latte and ask them to add a pump of pumpkin, peppermint, and vanilla to it and they don't charge any extra for that.

Most of the other coffee shops around me, even local shops, charge extra for pumps. I'm actually kind of surprised to learn that Starbucks didn't until now.
 
I Never go to Starbucks. I just buy a bottle of Bailey's Irish cream and add it to my coffee at home. As long as people pay for it, they will just keep adding costs. It always amazes me at the airport the long lines I see at SB. I wonder how many of those people complain about paying for a carry on or an extra bag ?
 

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