What Changes Are Coming to the Starbucks Americano Menu?

Starbucks announced new policies for US and Canadian stores, including free refills, glass and ceramic tableware, the return of the condiment bar, handwritten names and rules limiting seating to paying customers. CEO Niccol called it a step in the Back to Starbucks strategy. About 30 percent of beverages and food will be cut from the menu.

Customers who buy in-store, member or not, can get unlimited free refills of hot coffee, iced coffee or tea during the visit, though nitro cold brew and regular cold brew are excluded, and delivery orders do not qualify. Whether an iced americano arrives in glass or a takeaway cup now depends on store rollout, and some shoppers question hygiene with reusable tableware.

Starbucks recently announced a series of major changes across its US and Canadian stores, covering free refills, tableware replacement, the return of the condiment bar, the restoration of handwritten names, and more, while also formally implementing new rules limiting store space to paying customers only. CEO Niccol described this as a key step in the "Back to Starbucks" strategy, and said the company will further cut about 30% of beverages and food in the future. The menu will undergo a major slimming down, but new categories will also be added. Whether this series of changes can reshape a warm café atmosphere and retain regular customers is worth watching.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

On January 27 local time, Starbucks headquarters issued its latest announcement, declaring that starting this week it will roll out multiple new measures in physical stores, with the core goal of making customers more willing to stay and consume in-store.

It is understood that Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada will implement a series of brand-new policies, among which the most closely watched is the restoration of free refill service. Under the new rules, customers who complete a purchase in-store, whether or not they are members, can enjoy unlimited free refills of hot coffee, iced coffee, or tea during their visit.

But it should be noted that some beverages are not included, such as nitro cold brew and regular cold brew; delivery orders also cannot enjoy free refills. Customers can ask Starbucks staff for specific details of this service when placing an order.

At the same time, some consumers have recently noticed that if they choose to dine in, staff will replace paper cups with glass cups or mugs, and food such as bread and pastries will also be served on ceramic plates instead of the previous paper bag packaging.

This is also part of Starbucks' new policy, as some stores will gradually switch to reusable glass cups and ceramic tableware to present meals. For customers who like taking photos, an iced Americano in a glass cup is obviously easier to photograph attractively than one in a takeaway cup, so they are quite supportive of this change in stores. However, some people have raised concerns: although tableware such as glass cups is environmentally friendly, can hygiene and safety be guaranteed during use?

In addition, the condiment bar that was removed during the pandemic has also returned to stores, allowing customers to add milk, sugar, and other condiments to their drinks themselves; the handwritten name service on takeaway cups will also be restored. The brand revealed that it has purchased 200,000 markers and distributed them to stores, and customers will soon again receive paper cups with their own names written on them.

The previously rumored cancellation of the open-store policy will also officially take effect. Starbucks' newly formulated "Café Code of Conduct" clearly stipulates that all store spaces—including indoor seating areas, outdoor patios, and restrooms—are open only to customers who actually make purchases and to store employees. This means that non-paying customers will no longer be able to occupy seats for long periods or use store facilities.

In-store codes of conduct have also been adjusted accordingly, such as prohibiting begging and other behaviors, in order to further ensure the comfort and safety of the store environment. But some employees worry that this move may intensify friction between customers and staff.

In response, Starbucks emphasized that the new policy can allow employees to work in a safer environment and help maintain order in stores. Some stores have even installed system monitoring to ensure the safety of restroom use, which also reflects the brand's emphasis on the in-store experience and employee safety.

Starbucks CEO Niccol said that the adjustments to physical stores are an important part of the "Back to Starbucks" strategy, aimed at optimizing customers' dine-in experience and reshaping a warm café atmosphere, thereby winning back consumers' favor and making regular customers willing to stay in the comfortable spaces Starbucks creates.

In addition, the CEO revealed on Tuesday's earnings call that the company will soon "reduce beverages and food by about 30%." He pointed out that Starbucks' menu is "too complex," causing customers to wait in line too long, so it decided to simplify the menu. At present, the olive oil beverage and iced energy drink lines have been discontinued, and perhaps other poorly selling drinks will also be removed from the menu.

But consumers do not need to worry that store menus will become monotonous and dull, because while cutting some drinks, the brand is also introducing new items, such as an espresso beverage called cortado, and a pistachio drink that customers once loved may also return.

Image source: online screenshot

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large volume, some images and texts may not have been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any dispute, they may contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reprinting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

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