In the wake of Starbucks' recent move to expand free refills (hallelujah!), and get rid of bathroom privileges (boo!), the coffee chain is now taking its menu to the chopping block and getting rid of 30% of its menu items.
But fret not, the scale back on the menu isn't imminent, but instead targeted to happen gradually by year's end. CEO Brian Niccol noted late last year that one of his goals for the company was to speed up service by simplifying the menu.
This week, in the company's quarterly earnings call, he elaborated. "In the coming months, you'll see us begin to optimize our menu offerings, resulting in roughly 30% reduction in both beverages and food SKUs by the end of fiscal year 2025," Niccol said, as reported by Axios.
Luckily, this doesn't impact the brand's commitment to changing with the times — Starbucks still plans to implement new items based on trends and customer preferences.
Additionally, Starbucks will be rolling out updates to its mobile ordering, implementing a capacity-based time slot model that will allow customers to schedule online orders, as well as simplify the customization process.
While we can get behind an easier mobile ordering experience, we certainly don't want to see any of our favorite items get the axe. Hear our plea: please, please, please don't get rid of our favorites of all time. Team shaken espresso for life!
Good news, though. Should the worst happen and you find that your top Starbucks picks are leaving the menu, we have have a handful of copycat recipes to tide you over...
