#starbucks

#starbucks

There was a time when the Starbucks cake pops were having a viral moment, but sadly they no longer live up to their heyday for a few reasons. First, the quality just isn't there. When we ranked 17 Starbucks pastries, the cake pop nearly came in last place thanks to bland, one-note flavors and underwhelming sweetness. The second reason Starbucks cake pops leave something to be desired is because they aren't great value.

Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks is selling a 60% stake in its mainland China coffee shop business to Chinese private equity firm Boyu Capital in a deal valued at about $4 billion. Expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2026, the deal comes amidst rapid expansion of Chinese competitors such as Luckin Coffee and Cotti Coffee, while promising to reshape the coffee retail landscape in Starbucks' second-largest market behind the United States.

Leena Robinson/Shutterstock Who needs a calendar when you have regular trips to Starbucks? As lights start twinkling, tinsel begins draping, and festive choruses commence ringing from radios, there's another tell-tale sign that holiday festivities are knocking: Starbucks holiday cups. The chain's signature red products have become synonymous with winter, and fans eagerly await the new patterns each year. Still, there's something many people don't know: these designs weren't always red.

Which justice was responsible for the addition of Starbucks coffee in the Supreme Court cafeteria? Hint: The most recently appointed justice serves on the Court's cafeteria committee, so they've all had a go at the job.

Starbucks Workers United, the union representing more than 12,000 workers across 650 stores nationwide, is planning to picket and stage rallies outside 60 locations of the coffee chain this weekend. Seventy rallies and pickets will take place from today through November 1, the union said. Today the union will begin voting on a work strike authorization, stemming from demands for new contracts that address better staffing hours, higher pay, and "resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges," according to the union.

There are many discontinued foods at Starbucks that are sorely missed, with customers lamenting the loss of treats like the Morning Bun, Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant, Almond Croissant, and S'mores Frappuccino. Unfortunately, many of them are seasonal Starbucks items that we will never see again - and the Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini is one treat that has customers begging the chain to bring it back.

Starbucks' fall items aren't just limited to the commencement of the coffee chain's signature pumpkin spice latte. To celebrate spooky season this year, Starbucks is launching a new limited-time merchandise, Starbucks Halloween 2025 cups - many of which glow in the dark. But according to an announcement about the seasonal merchandise on Starbucks' website, you won't find two of its glowing cups in regular Starbucks stores. Instead, they can be found exclusively lurking in licensed Starbucks in "airports, grocery stores, hospitals, colleges, universities, and more."

The Juniper Latte is one limited-time Starbucks drink that we never want to see back on the menu, and we're not the only ones who think so. The drink, which was released in 2018, was described by Starbucks as like being in an "enchanted forest dusted with fresh snow." The flavor profile consisted of juniper, sage, evergreen, and citrus, and the recipe included espresso, steamed milk, green pine-citrus sugar, and juniper-flavored syrup. If you don't think that sounds great, you're not alone.

As Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol explained in an earnings call, the pickup-only stores have a "transactional" feel, lacking "the warmth and human connection that defines our brand." While Niccol also touted the mobile-order options at its traditional coffee shops, I see Starbucks's move as an attempt to return to its roots as a " third place " -a destination between home and work where people can gather and connect.

Initially, we had taken the tactic like 'hey, we just got to get this business turned around and then we'll start talking about what's going on,' and the reality is we needed to get into conversation from day one so people understood, transparently, what we are trying to do with Starbucks,

When the weather cools down, the coffee heats up (goodbye iced lattes and fraps). But for those in the know, the absolute best Starbucks hot drink can do more than just warm your tummy on a cool, foggy morning; it can double as a dessert. Starbucks' White Chocolate Mocha (WCM) is part of its "classic" array of drinks (tried-and-true long-timers with a loyal following that sticks around year after year).

In late September, Starbucks launched its new variations of its popular cold foam add-on to top cold drinks. The $2 foams add 15 grams of protein and flavors like chocolate, vanilla, banana, and pumpkin to any iced drink - and they're surprisingly tasty.

The cost of a Starbucks Corp. ( NASDAQ: SBUX) "short" cup of coffee, which is 8 fl oz, is $3.65. It comes in four versions: Blonde Roast - Sunsera, Pike Place Roast, Featured Dark Roast, and Decaf Pike Place Roast. Each has five calories. No matter what else Starbucks does to improve its tattered fortunes, it needs to charge less. The price of a cup of coffee brewed at home is $0.40. Factoring in electricity and water adds a few pennies. A coffee brewing machine costs as little as $15. The value of that machine per cup can be measured over years and thousands of cups.

The changing of the seasons always brings the excitement of special new drinks at Starbucks, but the 2025 holiday menu appears to be missing the new creations that fans look forward to. Announced by Starbucks in a new press release, the 2025 holiday menu, which will be released on November 6, features plenty of returning favorites, including six seasonal holiday drinks, four of which will be released on that date, and two more that will come at an unspecified later date.

it has also debuted protein-enriched milk and cold foams for specialty drinks like the Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha (24 grams of protein) and the Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew (19 grams). The banana number was mostly inoffensive (and flavorless) but the juiced-up matcha smacked of a musky, powdery flavor that was unpleasant. The chocolate cold foamed coffee had an actual cocoa flavor that worked well with the robust cold brew, and the double whammy protein-spiked vanilla latte and cold foam was sweet, but tasty.

"We wish it could have ended differently but the city had the power, the resources and the final word,"

Starbucks isn't your average espresso bar or even coffee shop. The world famous chain not only has espresso and drip coffee, but dozens of tea, chocolate, and creamy creations for all ages and tastes. Plus, with the ability to customize any drink, there are literally hundreds of drink variations to choose from. We tasted and ranked 29 popular Starbucks hot drinks that run the gamut of flavors and bases. The worst hot drink from Starbucks isn't necessarily bad, it's just basic.

Many Starbucks tea creations come as dried powders that instantly infuse into hot or cold liquid, but not the Iced London Fog Latte. This tea drink is made the old-fashioned way by steeping Earl Grey teabags in hot water and vanilla syrup before adding cream and ice. Baristas will thus place the steeping tea off to the side for at least five minutes to fully infuse, often forgetting about it as they prepare countless other drink orders that quickly pile up.

Well, here's an obvious win for Starbucks: The company is releasing a few new protein-ified offerings (it seems the protein craze is never-ending, with everything from protein sodas to protein-packed pasta being all the rage these days). I'm not mad about it. Who could say no to incorporating some nutrients into a drink that's already routine? Starting September 29, 2025, the company is launching several Protein Lattes alongside a few Protein Cold Foams, the latter of which can be added to any cold drink.

"This is literally the only reason I go to Starbucks over Dunkin. The cold foam," wrote one Redditor, proving that the whipped topping is the deciding factor for some customers. Starbucks' cold foam - added to everything from iced coffee and matcha to frappuccinos - also has the advantage over Dunkin's because it's made to order and can be customized with different flavors and milk alternatives. Unlike Dunkin', Starbucks also offers a non-dairy cold foam that makes the topping more adaptable to different diets.

I don't think I've talked to anybody who has had anything positive to say in response to this change of policy,

In 2024, Brian Niccol took over as the CEO of Starbucks. With his arrival, he promised a big revamp, - dubbed "Back to Starbucks" - that emphasized the overall experience a person has from when they enter Starbucks to when they receive their order. Niccol's strategy is customer-centered, including initiatives like the return of a classic, in-store café feature and an the updated message-writing policy that requires baristas to write cutesy messages on the cups.

Shortly after taking the Starbucks job a year ago, Niccol launched a back-to-basics strategy. He culled the bloated menu, launched an ad campaign that refocused consumers' attention on the quality of the coffee itself, jettisoned those printed drink-order stickers on cups for cute handwritten Sharpie notes, and worked to improve the physical experience of sitting in a Starbucks and enjoying your drink.

The workers, backed by the union, filed class-action lawsuits in Illinois and Colorado, and filed complaints with California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency in a push for the agency to penalize the coffee chain. According to the lawsuits, Colorado state law prohibits employers from imposing expenses on workers without the workers' consent. Meanwhile, several plaintiffs say they asked their employer to reimburse them for funds they spent on new clothing, but their requests were denied.

As the fall season approaches and Starbucks famed autumn lineup of cozy drinks prepares to hit menus around the country, fans have had concerns. Favorites of the season like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, and Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte would remain untouched and unchanged, but it was the line of apple crisp drinks that seemed on the chopping block.

"When it's truly a third place, I think that's our point of difference," Niccol told audiences at the Fast Company Innovation Festival on September 16. "It's why people fell in love with Starbucks. It's why I fell in love with Starbucks 20 years ago."

Vanilla sweet cream is a mix of milk, cream, and vanilla syrup. Starbucks employees prepare a fresh batch of this every day for use in various cold foams and signature drinks, like the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Its sweet, thick texture makes it a favorite for many customers. But an individual store can only hold so much of it at a time.

From a flat white made with half skim milk and half non-dairy milk for a customer who was "only a little lactose intolerant" to a lemon ginger tea with Tabasco sauce, the orders baristas share in the r/barista subreddit only get weirder and weirder. But, while it's true they see their fair share of unusual orders, and that most make for harmless after-shift stories, Starbucks baristas wish people would stop ordering shaken iced drinks without the ice.

Madrid now drowns in indie coffee shops with coffee brewed from specialty beans that are flown in by winged unicorns and roasted to perfection. In this city, the green mermaid feels as relevant as a McDonald's next to Casa Botín (the oldest restaurant in the world, opened 51 years before the United States declared its independence), Dabiz Muñoz's three-Michelin-starred DiverXo, or any other of the best restaurants on the planet that reside in Madrid.