Is coffee with olive oil a product US drinkers will accept?

Starbucks has brought its Oleato olive oil coffee line to the United States after an Italian debut. The series adds olive oil to drinks to appeal to health-conscious buyers. Italian customers complained of greasiness shortly after launch, and US consumers now describe the texture as clumping, with some calling it lard coffee.

The idea came from the Sicilian habit of consuming olive oil daily, which is why Italy launched first. In Italy, iced drinks in the line drew criticism that oil clung to the mouth. Starbucks still plans to extend Oleato to the UK, Japan and the Middle East, but acceptance in those markets remains uncertain.

Starbucks' Oleato olive oil coffee series sparked endless controversy after its debut in Italy, and has now officially landed in the US market. This product aims to attract health-conscious consumers by adding olive oil, but it has encountered complaints about greasy taste and clumping oil in both Italy and the US. American netizens even jokingly call it "lard coffee." Although Starbucks plans to roll it out to the UK, Japan, and the Middle East, market acceptance remains to be seen. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the launch background, consumer feedback, and future prospects of this product line.

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Last month, Starbucks unexpectedly launched an industry-first new product—the Oleato olive oil coffee series, which quickly sparked a heated discussion online.

The idea for this series originated from the tradition of Sicilian residents in Italy consuming olive oil daily, so the launch location was not the usual US, but Italy first.

However, just three days after going on sale in Italy, this product was fiercely criticized by local consumers, who pointed out that it was too greasy. Many Italian netizens noted that extra virgin olive oil should be refreshing and not greasy on the palate, but the iced drinks in this series were disappointing—the ice caused the oil to cling to the inner walls of the mouth, bringing extreme discomfort. Some more professional netizens, after analyzing each product, said that aside from the strong greasiness, other aspects were acceptable, but this did not convince those consumers who found it too greasy.

To this end, Italian media interviewed some customers on the street who were tasting the new products. One interviewee believed that compared with Italians, this product might be more appealing to foreign consumers.

So, Starbucks firmly launched the series in the US market on March 27. After another three days, how has this coffee been received in the US?

"It's so weird! It's basically lard coffee."

That's right, American consumers also find it hard to accept Starbucks' innovation this time. Based on the complaints from US netizens, the greasy taste is not the core reason they find it weird; the real problem is that the olive oil congeals into blocks on the ice, looking much like lard paste...

Some netizens also reported that if the cold drink is not consumed immediately after getting it, the oil floats to the surface and gradually solidifies. Starbucks currently rarely provides straws, and customers usually drink directly through the small opening in the lid. With one sip, the oil is oil and the coffee is coffee, and the solidified oil blocks stick to the mouth... truly "try it and you're done for."

Some netizens also mentioned that before trying it, an Italian Starbucks barista had tried to dissuade them, but they refused to believe it, and later regretted it deeply.

Starbucks decided to launch this series because, on the one hand, this approach is highly novel, with no one in the industry trying it, which can attract a lot of attention; on the other hand, the product can attract health-conscious consumers, because directly consuming olive oil helps reduce inflammation and promote heart health.

Hmm... but the market reaction really does seem to show signs of failure...

Currently, in addition to Italy and the US, Starbucks also plans to launch this product in the UK, Japan, and the Middle East. Can it become a classic and remain on the regular menu for the long term? Let's wait and see~

Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.