Which Starbucks Drinks Are Disappearing? Starbucks won’t say

On By Littum

Image for article titled Starbucks says it's making the menu simpler. But that will not say what is being fooled

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Starbucks (SBUX+0.91%) says an important part of its turnaround strategy under new CEO Brian Nicol is to simplify its notoriously extensive menu by make it smaller.

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“To improve throughput, quality and consistency, we are simplifying our complex menu to align with our identity as a coffee company,” Niccol said Wednesday during the company’s earnings call. “We will maintain customer choice, but focus on fewer, better offers.”

But the coffee giant has doubts about what is actually being cut.

Starbucks has said it will drop its olive oil-infused Oleato drinks starting Nov. 7. But it won’t say which other items can be cut off. In multiple conversations with a Starbucks spokesperson this week, the company would not confirm or deny other menu items slated for elimination.

The decision to drop Oleato, which was introduced with much fanfare only to trigger customer complaints, fits nicely with Niccol’s plans for a turnaround after three quarters of declining sales. Niccol, a former Chipotle CEO who took the helm as Starbucks chief in September, says the menu cuts are intended in part to lighten the burden on baristas and speed up service.

“As a standard business, we regularly update our menu,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Quartz this week. “From the beginning of November, we will no longer offer Oleato drinks. Although this decision was made before Brain assumed the role of CEO, the decision to remove the beverages is in line with the strategy to simplify our menu.”

Starbucks also said this week that it will stop charging extra for non-dairy milk replacers. Starbucks has said it will keep menu prices stable through the 2025 fiscal year.

The company is shifting its marketing focus back to coffee quality and preparing a redesign of its stores, along with increased staffing and simplification of mobile ordering. It remains to be seen how it will develop in the long term. Niccol, who led successful turnarounds at Chipotle (CMG+4.39%) and Taco Bell (YUM+1.02%), plans to get Starbucks back to its roots – at least in the US