Starbucks plans to cut the number of drinks on its menu

The company hopes the move will help baristas get customers through the line more quickly. More tidbits from this story:
* Starbucks plans to open another 1,700 new locations in the U.S. next year, even though store traffic is barely growing.
* The number of purchases at U.S. locations grew less than 1 percent in the last quarter.
* Outside of the U.S., Starbucks stores posted a healthier 5 percent rise in traffic. (Associated Press)

Comments

[averrycafinatedbarrista]

Wonder what they are planing to get rid of...hopefully that failed experiment of the Tangerine Fruit Juice Blend...maybe a few of the Frappachinos as well. the array is dazling.

I mean, while I see the benefits of this, i also see less flexibility with the drinks, which is what Starbucks is known for after all. I wonder how this will effect business.

[sanren]

i like when they get rid of products and then wait a year or so then "introduce" a new item that was like what we used to have...but worse.

example: Valencia, it was good, like an orange.

So now they have orange, ugh! like tang, and not in a good way.

Why can't they leave good enough alone?

[Zipy]

Seriously. Valencia wasn't selling for crap in 99% of the stores, why introduce another type of orange.

[Az Mgr]

Just because they are "cutting drinks off the menu" doesn't make it any different. Unless they reduce the amount of syrups, powders and sauces, we will still have the ingredients to make all of the beverages when customers ask. (ie: MMM, CSM, and up untill recently the MV) It will just add "Do you still have _______? I don't see it on the menu." (Like I've been getting for the CVF right now.)

[exSFbarista]

I really hope they cut back on the cold and blended drinks. It's a lot easier to blow through the line with all hot drinks; cold station is where things really start to drag.

And if the rumored switch to all lowfat milk also goes through, that will be another way to speed things up.

[Alistair]

Yes, I can't see how this helps, unless it's to cut down the number of things Joe First-Time-Visitor has to choose between.

But they clearly still have buttons on the register for things that aren't on the menu, like the White Mocha Frappuccino. So the registers may not change, just what's displayed behind them.

[Elizabeth]

What is "CSM"?

[Az Mgr]

Cinnamon Spice Mocha, hasnt been on the menu for over 5 years but I get one ordered about once every 2 months.

[volusia]

The article said nothing about cutting drinks. However, if we do cut drinks...

can we please cut the Caramel Macchiatto?

[mochalala]

From the article "Starbucks also said it plans to cut the number of different drinks on its menu, a move it hopes will help baristas get customers through the line more quickly."

i agree hot drinks are fine - the cold bevs slow us down --like the "blend once, add whip,then blend twice more, line the cup with caramel, add affagato and some caramel and mocha sauce" serously though - cold bev sucks. and i hate that i can never hear customers over the blenders - i have to read lips, nod and smile.
anyway, we have 2% milk where i work now - so we make 2% and nonfat instead of whole and non fat...it doesnt change speed one bit.

[drivethruhater]

rite, rite, rite...how can we get the custy through even faster...i tell ya, starbucks won't stop at anything to make us feel more like a machine...

we've transitioned to 2% milk as well...it doesn't change anything...people most of the time haven't even noticed the switch, except for 2% drinkers...now their order is shorter...woohoo...

taking drinks off and on at starbucks is just a tradition...really...we can all come up with examples that this has happened with. whatever...change is inevitable...

the only thing that will make things faster is if there's less choices of modifications...1 equal, 1/2 a sweet and low, 1 pump hazelnut, 3 1/2 pump mocha, a splash of brewed coffee, whip cream blended in, double blended, blah blah blah blah...

Given the propensity of clients to specify special combinations "Half decaf, Half chai, 3 Spendas, and a splash of lemonade", I'm not sure the answer is to cut down on the actual drink options offered on the menu. It's that one overweight, unemployed teenie-bopper who want to customize her drink to the -enth degree. Nobody can call that back rapidly; she can't even order it rapidly. That (to me) is what slows down the service.

[Amanda]

Wow, this is fascinating. I go to Starbucks regularly and my favorite drink (since it was introduced) is the orange mocha light frappacino. Had no idea you all felt "orange" was a waste of time, or that it was so difficult to have to deal with ALL those flavorings, or that it was SUCH a hardship to make cold drinks. Interesting . . . you're all supposed to be customer-oriented, right???

[Terry]

lollllllll, did you guys notice they added "Cup O Water" to the bottom of the "other" menu? :p

I love the humor.

[Mugsy]

I agree, people order their regular preferences all the time, despite their being on the menu.

If you really want to make things faster, I say eliminate breakfast sandwiches. Talk about a slowdown -- it makes being a floater really difficult/annoying/makes the cafe smell like grease.

[Christine]

I love the cin. dolce latte and the cin. spice latte. I hope they keep those and some seasonal drinks like gingerbread and eggnog latte. Or how about cut down on the cold drinks in the winter?

[Elizabeth]

Can you make a Cinnamon Spice Mocha with the current Cinnamon or CDL syrups?

[Kathi]

I can't see how this helps. Now instead of (most people) being able to glance at the menu and tell us what they want, we'll have bunches of people saying, "I want that, you know, drink you use to make. It was kind of sweet." (we get this on occasion now; we can usually feel them out with 2-3 questions - is it hot, over ice, or like a milkshake? does it have chocolate? what color is it?)

If they remove oodles from the menu it will slow us down more - plus be VERY VERY frustrating for customers.

Amanda... some (probably most) of us ARE customer-oriented. However there's got to be a balance between giving customers the drinks they like, and making a dozen "specialty" fraps for teenagers trying to be seen@theBux (and then they grab the wrong drink and blame us, or say, "Ooops! I didn't mean a caramel... I really wanted a Strawberries & Creme. Didn't I tell you that?"

[Jeff]

Folks,

Back up. The reality is that when you have no good news to tell stock analysts you obfuscate. Make up some BS to make it seem like you have a firm hand on the business and that you have ideas to make things better.

Last year it was "huge demand for Frappuccinos slows down sales." This year it's "too many choices."

Starbucks has a fundamental problem in the business model and management has started grasping at straws. Next step is to pay McKinsey millions of dollars to tell management what they want to hear.

The problem may well be that management is so invested in the current strategy that smart out-of-box thinking is ignored.

I've lived (suffered) through this before. It's all predictable and it will test the mettle of our leadership.

[Lilith]

Customization is a part of being legendary! Why pay $4 for something you have to tinker with at the condiment bar?

But, yes...some can be annoying (ie: whip blended in)

[Gym Bo]

I agree with Lilith, it's about being legendary and providing what our customers want, especially for the prices Starbucks put the beverages at. To add to everyone's thoughts, just cause it says cutting down on drinks, doesn't mean we can't still make the beverages the way the customer wants it.

Weighing in on Frappuccinos, if anyone has ever worked at the one at Rockefeller Center in NYC, we were always swamped with frappuccinos, but you deal. We always had annual frappuccino contests to see who can make a frappuccino the right way, the fastest and partners from all over the city participated (back in the old days). It's an art. Does it take more time to make? Yes. Are they paying for it? You bet! Is it your job? Yuppers.

I still don't see why partners look down on making a frappuccino, like, when a customer orders one and you turn around and give a dirty look to your partners. Love your job and what it means to provide an uplifting experience for your customers. Just cause it takes a little more work to make a frappuccino, shouldn't give frappuccinos a bad rep....and if its messy, well, you're the one who made it - so you really can't blame anyone.

i dont really hate the frappuccinos so much ---or give annoyed looks, because we need the sales. and even with "summer success" deployment (because we got no extra labor to do the deployment that way) it makes it hard to keep the hot bevs going, take bulk orders (i work near a medical center) and grind coffee. the floater ends up doing 'ccinnos all morning instead of floating. we still make efficient time with drinkd out - but the legendary is hard when you are so busy. so - i dont think people are hating the frappuccinos as much as what it does.

and ps i like the orange and the valencia - and to the customer up above...we just have our favorite drinks , too. please dont take offense. id make you an orange mocha any day. some people cant break with the change of losing the valencia - even tho no one bought it. it was very good and one of my favorites as well.

[helpful]

The cup of water button helps control labor and inventory. Working in a place where we give away water like crazy, it is perfect!

[Darleen]

you agreed with her so much you wrote it 3 times...

LOL @ pat nerr, good one! I think he was in complete agreement :)

[Gym Bo]

Haha...thanks Pat. I hear where you're coming from with all your posts on this site and your own. Even though my tenure wasn't as long as yours, I felt that Starbucks has changed its dynamic so much from what it was and quite frankly, I don't think they know what is currently happening to their own company. I just wanted to acknowledge your awesome posts and wits. I still remember the days when it was just 5 frappuccinos customers ordered from...and now they want to "cut" the number of beverages.

[Gym Bo]

Darleen...you're awesome also with your enthusiasm and love for your job and just life.

[Darleen]

Awww, Gym Bo, aren't you sweet. Thank you so much! you just put a HUGE smile on my face. I appreciate the kind words. You're the awesome one to come on here and spread some sunshine! :)

[Zepling]

Can they please cut the Caramel Frappuccino? Sometimes I leave work smelling like caramel syrup instead of coffee.

On a more serious note, I don't think the changes to the menu will speed things up in the least. It will just make communication between the cashier and customer a little more difficult.

[Darleen]

Hey Gym Bo, did you work with LeKeisha Perryman? She was the SM over at Rockefella plaza for awhile. I used to manage the one at 47th and b'way. Talk about a crazy store! I miss my NYC partners. I wonder if our paths crossed. It's too bad you no longer work for starbucks, partners such as yourself are a true treasure. I hope all is well with you, if you ever get out to the rockefella plaza store tell LeKeisha I said hi. :)

[Gym Bo]

No, really Darleen...you make me feel nostalgic about when I worked for Starbucks and when I loved it so much - mission statement, guiding principles, green apron behaviors, and star skills - and spreading my passion as a CF and all the community collaborations and events. So keep up the passion and awesome posts, I look forward to hearing more. :)

[Darleen]

Pat Nerr,
Well we have something in common. I was hired may 22nd as well!! Maybe the stars were alligned, although I've only been with the company a little over 5 years, so it wasn't the same year. I'm really digging the stories you're adding to your site. I'm sure christopher is going to love his mug award. You are awesome! I am sure eating some humble pie over here. I also enjoyed the tip story. I'll bet those partners were there with wide open mouths. Damn, why couldn't our paths have crossed when you were still with the company? I hope you will soon forget the bad and only cherish the good memories you have of your time there. Keep those warm hearted stories coming, you're making me feel all warm and fuzzy :) And no, I'm not flirting ;)

[Darleen]

Many thanks Gym Bo, I'd like to ask if you ever think about going back to the bux? We sure could use people like you. Something to think about, maybe a part time gig? Come on down to florida, I'll hire you to work in my store in a new york minute :) LOL

[Gym Bo]

Darleen

I remember LaKeisha!!! When I became a store manager, she was over at Sony Plaza tho. It's been a while though. Aww...you're too sweet. I'm trying to remember if we ever did cross paths but nothing comes up right at this moment. Regarding the job offer - I did for a while after my post Starbucks relapse LOL but thanks!!! NYC partners are one of a kind.

[Darleen]

No doubt, they are one of a kind. Who was your DM? Mine was Tracy Bryant for awhile, then Tim Cooper. But in between I had Nancy Cutrofello, she is no longer with the company. I'll bet we've met. What a small world huh? I'm glad we have connected here. I look forward to more of your posts. People are gonna start getting mad if we take up this post just to blab. I'm all verklempt now, lol. Have a great night and I look forward to catching up with you again.

[BaristaFromtheNorthwest]

I don't think its a good idea... First raising prices and then cutting choices??? Customer will start going to the 'lil coffee stand down the street. And here in Washington you see one every 5 blocks.
The sad thing is that valencia, coconut and tangerine juice blends are very popular at our store.

[corianderstem]

To whomever suggested eliminating the caramel macchiato:

That's crazy talk!

(This is coming from a non-retail partner who loooooves a CM as a once-in-a-while treat.)

[transnational]

Cut the GRTL. The iced ones are such a bitch to make and they look so disgusting unless you stir them for fifteen minutes. Plus, they smell terrible and they don't sell that well (at least at my store).

My store would go out of business if CM was cut, seriously.

And I would be overjoyed if the warming ovens were thrown back to the fiery chasm from whence they came.

[midwestern biker]

I have a small issue that's kind of unrelated but i was hoping to get some help.

I'm a partner at starbucks, and I bike to work. A few weeks ago my tire got a flat and I had no way to get home (5 miles away) and no money. Thankfully, there is a bike shop very near my starbucks and i knew a few people at the store (they were customers). I asked them to help me with my flat but I had no money and no way of getting any (looking back, I should of just borrowed $20 from another partner, but I can't dwell on that.) I told the guy that I would pay him back the next day and i would get him a drink. The next day I come in and try to give him money ($15 approx.) but he said no and he wanted 7 frappucinos. I couldn't say know and i knew he thought i would get them for free, and since he was such a nice guy and fixing my bike for me i agreed so before i got off i bought 7 fraps and brought them in. (it was around $17-18)
The problem is that this customer comes it daily and expects me to give him free drinks. He knows some way or another that starbucks gives employees free drinks. I've given him a couple and later on i've rang up the drinks (regular price) and paid for them from my own pocket, so on paper the drinks were payed for.
Obviously, this can't keep happening.Paying for this guy's daily drinks is getting expensive.However, what this guy did was really nice and I can't control when I might need his help again. As a new partner (around a month, not certified yet), I would like to ask any partners/customers their ideas and advice on this issue
Thank you so much your help will be greatly appreciated

(On the topic of taking out drinks, I agree that taking the number of drinks down won't help, it would be taking out all the modifiers but then *$ would lose customers if they did so)

[Terry]

Just talk to the guy and said you can't afford to buy him drinks anymore.
I'm sure he'll understand it's not a high paying job and you've already paid him back .

[SoCal Rocks!]

well, I would recommend having a conversation with the guy, I don't think it needs to be any more complicated than that. I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, but I would tell him that you will lose your job if you give him any more free beverages. You don't have to make up a story, or go on and on about the Bux corporate policy or anything, I would just tell him that any time you need help with your bike, you will gladly repay in the form of some fraps (and highlight that you would be purchasing these) and that you enjoy having a local place for bike repairs.

I think sometimes people overcomplicate things when they look at how to solve a dilemma. It's just a simple conversation with a customer, and the more you practice this, midwestern biker, the easier it will be. Good luck!

[Fivebucks]

Nobody wants to hear it, but sometimes you have to simplify and get back to basics. Unfortunately, this often means cutting prices back as well. Often, companies - big and small - will shoot themselves in the foot by trying to change things around with the product when all they had to do to begin with, is to simplify. I have noticed that at work. You try to fix the problem by making tons of changes and it only hinders progress.

As somebody said a few days ago - it's only coffee.

[sixyearpartner]

To everyone complaining about customization. . .

PARTNERS have the drinks with the most customizations and are the most particular about how it is made. Why? Because we know what we want and we deserve to get it. . . . .

SO DO OUR CUSTOMERS.

Have fun with it. . . make customized samples and have your partners guess what's in it-better yet, have your customers guess too. Sweeping floors and taking out the trash get old, connecting with people never does. Use the quirkiness of SBUX to connect. Uplift. Daily.

[Joe Clark]

How about giving me a real damned espresso and not some milky swill from a pushbutton machine?

If they’re getting rid of drinks, why not start with milky swill?

[volusia]

Joe,

What is this milky swill you speak of. Inside our Verismos and what comes out is-- you guessed it-- espresso.

There's nothing fake about it. Just automated and fast espresso.

[BurntOutShift]

Transnational:

Iced GRTLs are so easy!

Syrup
Milk
Ice
Powder
Lid
Shake

Easypeasy.

[NewShift]

Joe Clark-

Sorry, buddy. Not a lot I can do about it. All we can do is calibrate our machines to pull properly. That's all. If you want real espresso, go to another shop, buy an espresso machine, or start a campaign aimed at the higher-ups. Don't bother asking here. Won't do much good. I'd love to give every person what he or she wants, but unfortunately it's tough. Fortunately you're smart enough to know you're not getting the best possible espresso for your personal taste. I assume that means you know enough not to expect it when you come in.

I'm not sure I see any follow-up to the statements in the article. I agree with a poster above, it was probably more of a saving-face thing than a real strategy. That said, what would happen if we got rid of drinks? Some drinks are huge in some regions, and flops in others. Even in the same district, three of our stores were hitting 300% on their Orange goals, while two other never climbed above 40%. And I'm not sure Starbucks can or will regionalize drinks, anyway. The food stuff that comes from our suppliers is one thing, but most people come in for a drink, and the food is a secondary concern. And what with the longstanding desire to have consistency among its stores, if somebody flies in and we don't have the GRTF in our area, bad things will happen. Bad things.

I appreciate the thoughtful comments above from some of our former partners with more business savvy than I. My background isn't in business, at least not yet. I very much want to get into the corporate side of Starbucks if I remain with the company. But that's another story.

And thank you to SixYearPartner- I love doing customized sampling! I especially do it during the 2-4 pm time when things at my store are slow, and I know all the people who come in.

Cheers!

[Home Roaster Starbucks Partner]

I bike to work and got a flat recently. Had to fix it myself. No big deal. Nice of the guy to help you, but he should not take advantage of you like that. Let him know you think it's uncool.

Personally I think Starbucks should go back to using non-automated Espresso machines in order to compete with others in the coffee market. That being said, I also think Starbucks should increase the quality of their beans and not get them from such low-growing regions. And stop roasting ALL their coffees so dark. Granted a few like Italian Roast and French are fine, but the lightest roast is Breakfast Blend and it's still super dark.

The smartest thing Starbucks SHOULD do is install roasting machines and start using large amounts of high quality green coffee beans. THAT will bring in customers right quick since fresh roasted coffee is better than anything ANY corporate cafe is selling right now.and will not cost them alot since it will cut the roaster out of the equation. They would just need to assign a coffee master to an automated roaster and the manager would have to anticipate the amount of coffee/espresso sold each day so as to prepare fresh batches of coffee for the next morning.

While I understand there could be some problems with this (more specialized training, more numbers for the manager to process, possibly higher pay for the in-store roaster). It would put Starbucks back into a speciality market and would make the job less like working at McDonalds and more like working at a cafe.

The Frappuccino should reflect back on its origins. It means, in Italian, coffee, blended with ice and milk. Not a box of liquified sugar mixed with freeze dried coffee and non-fat milk. Who cares if it's non-fat milk if the calories would give you diabetes and put on many pounds in a few months of daily consumption?

Cut out the sugar, use real milk. But I suppose I shouldn't go into this since Starbucks isn't even going to use whole milk soon due to costs. The loss of whole milk as a staple is a travesty since what makes a latte, cappuccino, and macchiato good is the caramelization of various lipids when the milk is heated between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. In non-fat milk these lipids don't exist so the result is a watery espresso-based beverage.

Soy must be sweetened to even compete, that's why Starbucks will never use unsweetened soy milk in their lattes, it would never caramelize properly and even so, steamed soy just doesn't taste right.

The solution is to look back on its Italian roots and increase the amount of high quality espresso in the drink like the drink originally was supposed to. A latte is AT LEAST half espresso. So is a cappuccino. Using such a recipe, and cutting out the size, VENTI, would decrease the amount of milk required per drink and IF the espresso were higher quality (which does NOT mean a higher price on the coffee IF it's roasted in the store) the customers who appreciated the drink would understand. They'd just need to be told that Starbucks is following true Italian recipes, that milk is overrated when the quality of the coffee is that good.

Yes, good espresso has the consistency of butter. Properly steamed milk, properly prepared espresso, and free-pouring is an Art form that many people choose to go to school for, and Starbucks should be training their "baristas" to do properly.

Starbucks went around competing with Mcdonalds the wrong way. We're SUPPOSED to be a cafe, not a music store/milk shake shop/ice creamery/ video store/sandwich shop. Who cares if Mcdonalds is trying to compete in speciality coffee? They could not compete with in-store roasted coffee, no commercialized cafe could either. Starbucks would be back on top, though they'd loose the people who wanted diabetes, generally meaning children and sugar-fanatics.

[PDXBarista]

Home Roaster Starbucks Partner has some awesome points and ideas, IMHO.