Starbucks is famous for encouraging customers to create their own personalized concoctions. But at least one of those special requests will now Starbucks to charge extra.
The Decision
Starting Tuesday, the coffee chain will charge customers a dollar extra to get their Refresher beverages made without water, angering some brand loyalists. Starbucks said the charge is necessary because the juice drinks are more expensive to make when they’re not diluted.
“There will be an additional cost of $1 for Starbucks to charge extra Refreshers Beverages customized with no water, as this customization requires extra ingredients,” the company said in a statement. According to the chain’s website, Refreshers are cold drinks made up of flavored juices, freeze-dried fruit chunks, water, several milk options, and lemonade. Social media was used by drink fans to express their dissatisfaction.
Starbucks to charge extra $1 for ‘no water’ Refreshers
Fans expressing Dissatisfaction
One Reddit user commented on Starbucks’ ongoing unionization efforts, saying, “Bye Starbucks, constant changes, price increases, and treat your employees better.” This was in reference to Starbucks employees at numerous locations across the nation.
Many supporters of Starbucks complained that certain locations appeared to have misunderstood the new corporate policy, leading to customer confusion. The user posted a picture of a notice outside their neighborhood Starbucks that said Refreshers ordered with “light ice” also came with a $1 fee, even though this was untrue.
Another Reddit user responded to the post with the comment, “Lmao how are store managers even getting this so wrong.” “It says on every single resource that the $1 upcharge is for NO WATER ONLY, and the resources also back up the fact that ice modifiers will be unaffected and filling it up to the top is still standard.”
Another commenter questioned whether the company’s outlets could smoothly adapt to the changes. The Reddit poster said that “Corporate [is] implementing something that’s just going to create confusion and chaos for the workers.”
