Starbucks offers 300 billion possible drinks combinations, according to mathematicians – but this very feature may be what is causing the coffee giant’s downfall.
The Seattle-based chain has become a Willy Wonka playground for customers who want to order any number of elaborate syrups, whipped creams, drizzles, different types of milks and cup sizes.
According to Bloomberg, there are more than 383 billion combination possibilities just for a latte.
But the down side of this is that it takes baristas longer to whip up each creation, and the long lines with extreme wait times for a $8 several-hundred-calorie drink are starting to put customers off.
The Seattle-based chain has become a Willy Wonka playground for customers who want to order any number of elaborate syrups, whipped creams, drizzles, different types of milks and cup sizes
Nothing angers customers more than speedily putting in a drink order on the app, only to walk into a mosh pit of people and your drink nowhere to be seen
Starbucks suffered a six percent drop in US orders in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 as sales tumble.
Around 30 percent of all US orders are done on the app, which has also led to large crowds around the mobile order pickup counters in stores.
‘Everyone shows up, and all of a sudden we’ve got a mosh pit, and that’s not Starbucks,’ former CEO Howard Schultz said on a podcast in June.
Part of his vision for the cafe, while it was under his tenure, was to create a ‘third place’ where customers wanted to stay awhile.
But in order to keep up with the demand of drinks, many stores are removing seating to make space for to-go lines.
Starbucks has also begun rolling out to-go pickup stores that don’t even offer a place to sit or use the restroom – a staple in many big cities.
In addition, cold drinks offer an array of add-ons, from cold foam to syrups to mix-in options that it’s adding to the time it takes to whip one up for a customer.
Cold beverages alone make up roughly 70 percent of drink orders in the US, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Despite being a Gen-Z staple, the coffee giant saw a six percent drop in US orders in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 and customers are citing price as a problem
Starbucks has hired in Brian Niccol – who has been applauded for his successful turnaround of Chipotle – as its new CEO to save the dying chain
The company is rolling out new innovations to help speed up the process, such as a cold-bar station, to help alleviate some of the problems.
Along with the soaring cost of Starbucks coffee, another crack in the coffee chain’s armor is the incessant tip promptings that are begging customers to dish out more of their hard-earned money prior to even receiving their drinks.
This month, Starbucks hired Brian Niccol – who has been applauded for his successful turnaround of Chipotle – as its new CEO to save the dying chain.
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