Starbucks is cutting three drinks from its menu. Find out if your signature sip is on the chopping block, and learn about the chain's other new releases.
You Won’t Be Able to Get These Drinks at Starbucks Anymore—See If Your Fave Is on the List
Published on Oct. 31, 2024
How would you feel if your favorite Starbucks drink disappeared from the menu? Personally, I’d be devastated. So brace yourself: Starbucks is cutting three drinks from its lineup. Starting Nov. 7, three fan favorites will be getting the boot—news that may bring tears or cheers depending on where you stand.
Since opening its doors at Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market in 1971, Starbucks has become one of the best coffee shops for java and matcha lovers across the globe. Fans can’t get enough of their favorite coffees, teas and frappés (pumpkin spice, anyone?), making each visit a daily ritual. But when a beloved item gets cut from the menu, it can feel like a real letdown, especially if it’s your signature drink.
Curious about which Starbucks drinks are on the chopping block? Keep reading, and let the happy dances (or heartbreak) commence!
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Which drinks won’t be on the Starbucks menu anymore?
We hope you weren’t too attached to Starbucks’s Oleato drinks because the coffee giant is pulling the plug on all three of the Italian olive-oil-infused beverages. Here’s what’s heading out the door:
- Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew
- Oleato Caffé Latte with Oatmilk
- Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut
If you’re unfamiliar with Starbucks’s Oleato line, here’s the scoop: These drinks were the brainchild of former CEO Howard Schultz, inspired by the Mediterranean tradition of enjoying a spoonful of olive oil with coffee. Each drink is infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil, featuring the buttery, smooth notes of Nocellara del Belice olives.
If you’re a fan of Starbucks’s Oleato drinks, you’ll have to hop a plane to order them again: They will still be available in China, Italy and Japan.
What prompted these cuts?
Starbucks is making these cuts as part of its new “Back to Starbucks” strategy, and that means saying goodbye to its Oleato olive oil drinks. “We will simplify our overly complex menu, fix our pricing architecture and ensure that every customer feels Starbucks is worth it every single time they visit,” Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement.
And it’s no surprise—the drinks sparked a lot of debate. The three Oleato beverages first launched in Italy in February 2023 and officially launched in the United States in January 2024. Some fans loved the creamy, foamy texture and unique olive oil flavor, while others weren’t sold.
In fact, you’ll find various Reddit posts about the infamous drinks, with one user, sperguspergus, commenting, “I’ve been a daily coffee drinker for more than 5 years and I have never had a coffee which legitimately made me feel like I was going to vomit it back up.”
Even Jonathan Maze, editor-in-chief of Restaurant Business Magazine, weighed in on X (formerly known as Twitter), sharing his take on the divisive drinks: “Starbucks is indeed getting rid of its olive oil-infused Oleato beverage line next month, so those of you who need an extra laxative in the mornings will have to get it elsewhere.”
What other changes is Starbucks making?
Big news for nondairy milk drinkers: Along with saying goodbye to the Oleato drinks, Starbucks is making a game-changing update to its menu that’ll keep a little extra cash in your pocket. Starting on Nov. 7, there will be no extra charge for swapping in nondairy milk—so if you love soy, coconut, almond or oat milk, you’ll save more than 10% on your go-to drinks.
“Core to the Starbucks Experience is the ability to customize your beverage to make it yours,” Niccol said in a statement. “By removing the extra charge for nondairy milks, we’re embracing all the ways our customers enjoy their Starbucks.”
Overall, with this change, Niccol hopes to increase Starbucks’s reputation as “a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and we serve the finest coffee handcrafted by our skilled baristas.”
What new drinks are on the Starbucks menu?
Whether you’re thrilled or bummed about the Oleato drinks getting cut, Starbucks has plenty of holiday magic in store to keep spirits high. Beginning on Nov. 7, you can cozy up with seasonal drinks and treats. While the company hasn’t shared exactly which holiday favorites it’ll be adding to the menu, it has revealed that its holiday coffees and creamers will be back on grocery shelves soon.
In the gift department, Starbucks has unwrapped a new holiday drinkware collection. Highlights include a 24-ounce gemstone cold cup ($24.95), a candy twist jug and the Jade Green Studded Tumbler ($22.95), plus plenty more festive finds.
And just in time for the Wicked movie release on Nov. 22, Starbucks is debuting limited-edition Wicked-themed drinks. Try the Elphaba Cold Brew with peppermint syrup and green sprinkles or Glinda’s Pink Potion, a mango dragon fruit refresher with pink sprinkles and freeze-dried dragon fruit.
And if that wasn’t enough, starting on Nov. 7, you can search for Wicked-inspired drinkware in select Starbucks stores.
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Sources:
- Starbucks Stories & News: “Starbucks Reports Preliminary Q4 and Full Fiscal Year 2024 Results”
- Starbucks Stories & News: “Starbucks Announces Removal of Extra Charge for Non-Dairy Milk Starting Nov. 7”
- Starbucks Stories & News: “Starbucks Defies Gravity with New Beverages, Merchandise & More, Inspired by Universal Pictures’ WICKED”
- X: “Jonathan Maze”
- Reddit: “I tried the Oleato. Never again.”
