Starbucks said on Wednesday that it will no longer charge extra for dairy-free drinks. This will save some customers in the U.S. more than 10% on their drinks.
Customers have been begging for years to get rid of the extra fee, especially as milk alternatives have become more popular.
The change will take effect on November 7. Since prices have gone up, fewer people are buying coffee at Starbucks in the U.S. because their budgets are already tight from inflation.
A Starbucks CEO said in a statement, “This is just one of many changes we’ll make to make sure a visit to Starbucks is always worth it.”
Starbucks says that adding a shot of espresso is the most popular customization, with substituting a nondairy milk coming in second.
This change in surcharge pricing comes at the same time as the company’s holiday menu launch and the end of its line of drinks made with olive oil.
Niccol joined the company in early September after being CEO of Chipotle for six years.
Hey. He is in charge of turning around Starbucks’ business to make it more successful, especially in its home market.
Some of his first strategic goals are to change how the coffee chain markets itself, make menus easier to understand, and set prices.
In some markets, the extra cost for drinks that don’t contain dairy can go up to 80 cents. Hot or iced coffee, tea, cold brew, and Americano drinks can already have up to 4 ounces of a dairy substitute added to them for free at Starbucks.
But right now there are extra fees for drinks like lattes that are made with milk in the standard way.
Starbucks added soy milk to its menu in 1997, which was the first time it served milk that wasn’t made from milk. First, coconut milk showed up on menus across the country in 2015. The next year, almond milk did the same. In 2021, oat milk started being used in all U.S. Starbucks.
PETA has recently been going after Starbucks for the extra fees they charge for nondairy drinks. They use stunts to get people to notice their cause.
In New York City two years ago, James Cromwell, an actor and activist best known for his roles in “Succession” and “Babe,” stuck himself to the counter of a store.
Because Niccol was new to the company, PETA said they would stop the campaign so he could change the plan.
In March, three women who couldn’t handle lactose sued Starbucks in federal court, saying that the extra charge was unfair to allergy sufferers. The company wants the case to be thrown out. According to court documents, the next court date is November 6.
Starbucks wouldn’t say anything about the lawsuit because it’s against company policy to talk about cases that are still being argued.
