Starbucks Removing Its Extra Charge For Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes

Topline Starbucks customers who prefer non-dairy milk will soon start saving a bit of change when ordering from the coffeehouse chain, as Starbucks announced Wednesday it will remove its extra charge for dairy substitutes next week. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts : We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.

Surprising Fact Actor and activist James Cromwell, known for his roles in “Succession” and “Babe,” once protested Starbucks ’ non-dairy surcharges, gluing his hand to a Starbucks counter and wearing a "Free the Animals" shirt while verbally denouncing the extra charges. Tangent Starbucks’ stock, which closed at $97.32 per share Wednesday, is up nearly 4% since the start of the year despite a summer slump that brought its price as low as $72.



50. Key Background The removal of the extra charge comes after Starbucks announced North American same-store sales fell 6% in the quarter ending this September, while global same-store sales fell 7%. Brian Niccol, who recently took over as the chain’s CEO and has been trusted with fixing Starbucks’ decline in traffic and sales, is seeking to win back customers.

He told investors Wednesday the company is setting a goal for customers to receive their orders in four minutes or less. Alongside that change, brewed coffee will soon be given to customers at the register and customized by the customers at condiment stations Starbucks will reinstall into its locations. Starbucks also announced Wednesday it would not increase prices in the 2025 fiscal year.

Further Reading Starbucks will stop charging extra for dairy substitutes (CNBC) Somewhere Amid the Frappuccinos, Fans Say Starbucks Lost Something (New York Times).