Coffee giant Starbucks is shaking up its drinks menu, removing 13 “less popular” beverages from the list of offerings to help streamline operations and move customers through stores more quickly, according to the company.
The move comes as the company also plans to cut 1,100 workers as part of a turnaround plan CEO Brian Niccol hopes will help revive the brand which has suffered from a series of quarterly sales declines.
Which drinks is Starbucks getting rid of?
Here is a complete list of the 13 drinks Starbucks is cutting form its menu.
- Iced Matcha Lemonade
- Espresso Frappuccino
- Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino
- Java Chip Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
- Chai Crème Frappuccino
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
- Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino
- White Hot Chocolate
- Royal English Breakfast Latte
- Honey Almondmilk Flat White
Why is Starbucks removing drinks from its menu?
The less commonly purchased drinks were complex to make and were too similar to other more popular offerings, creating menu redundancies, a Starbucks spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
The drink cuts, along with some food changes, reflect about a 30% reduction of menu items, according to Starbucks.
The brand said it’s responding to customer trends and preferences in making the changes.
“As part of our plan to get back to Starbucks, we’re simplifying our menu to focus on fewer, more popular items, executed with excellence,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. “This will make way for innovation, help reduce wait times, improve quality and consistency, and align with our core identity as a coffee company. “
When will the Starbucks drink menu change?
The Starbucks menu changes will go into effect on March 4.
The company offers recommendations for fans of the soon-to-be eliminated drinks to try instead. For example, a spokesperson encouraged Iced Matcha Lemonade fans to try the Green Tea Lemonade, which will remain on the menu.
For fans of the Royal English Breakfast Latte, the London Fog Latte shares similar sweet floral notes, a spokesperson said.
Peter Cohan, associate professor of management practice at Babson College, lauded the coming menu changes as a step in the right direction for the coffee company, but said this move alone won’t be enough to turn the brand around.
“I think about Starbucks and the amount of frustration people have when they’re ordering and want to pick something up and it’s not ready; there’s a lot of confusion,” he said. “And Brian Niccol is good at figuring out how to uncomplicate things and speed up operations by getting rid of things that are not working.”
As far as the menu changes go, while a small share of customers might miss the beverages that are being eliminated, Starbucks probably “did the math and figured the cost of keeping them on the menu was greater than the benefits,” Cohan said.
“The dissatisfaction of those few customers is a small price to pay and hopefully they will get better service and other products those customers want to buy instead,” he added.
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