When Starbucks removes menu items, the chain knows it’s going to anger some customers. That’s why it has traditionally not made mass changes to its permanent menu.
CEO Brian Niccol did, however, make major operational changes as part of his “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan. Those include dropping less-popular beverage and food products.
He shared during the chain’s first-quarter earnings call that the company has grown both rewards and non-rewards transactions since 2022.
“It is clear from our top line results that our Back to Starbucks plan is working, and our turnaround is taking hold. As we return to growth, we can also see more clearly where we will improve further,” Niccol shared.
The process, he added, has shown his team where cuts can be made.
“Transaction growth has shown us continued opportunities to strengthen our supply chain and reevaluate menu offerings to ensure product availability while reducing future waste.”
Starbucks made big menu cuts
Starbucks had been quietly making some small menu changes, but the pace of item removal has increased.
“I believe we’ve reduced the menu by, like, 25%. And then if you even go back further, we’ve reduced it even further than that. But based on my time just here, it’s probably been a reduction of, like, 25-30%,” Niccol said.
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The chain defended the menu changes in comments to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN).
The beverages being removed from the Starbucks menu are “not commonly purchased, can be complex to make, or are similar to other beverages on the menu,” a company spokesperson told the website.
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Here are the beverages Starbucks is cutting
The axed beverages include nine Frappuccino flavors, including my occasional afternoon beverage, the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino.
That, of course, is the danger of making cuts: Everything you remove from the menu will be someone’s favorite, even if it’s not that popular overall.
- Iced Matcha Lemonade
- Espresso Frappuccino
- Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino
- Java Chip Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
- Chai Crème Frappuccino
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
- Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino
- White Hot Chocolate
- Royal English Breakfast Latte
- Honey Almond Milk Flat White
Source: NRN
The changes reduce the number of available standard Frappuccinos from 21 to 12, although the chain usually has a seasonal version of the frozen beverage.
Starbucks changes enhance efficiency
Having fewer items makes it easier for Starbucks baristas. The chain’s slimmed-down menu may actually offer a blueprint for other restaurants, according to Jason Valentine, CEO of Botrista, an automated beverage platform.
“After spending 30 years in the restaurant industry, I’ve seen this cycle many times. A brand expands its menu to meet customer demands and spark excitement, then inevitably scales back to address the operational complexity that follows. Starbucks’ decision is a perfect reflection of this broader challenge,” he wrote for QSR Magazine.
Valentine believes the smaller menu will pay off.
“For Starbucks, this menu reduction likely won’t be a negative — it could even be an inflection point. By giving baristas more time to perfect fewer offerings rather than juggling an overwhelming array of recipes, they’ll likely emerge stronger as an operationally excellent example for the industry,” he added.
Niccol agrees, but made it clear that there’s more work to be done.
“There’s also an opportunity to better enable efficiencies with technology solutions in our coffee houses and across our support centers around the world. We’re pleased with our progress, and we believe we remain ahead of schedule. And we’re confident on our path forward. But we also recognize that we’re still in our turnaround,” he shared.
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