In case you’ve ever wondered, Starbucks absolutely loves it when customers customize their coffee drinks. The barista taking and/or making your order may not be too pleased, depending on the complexity of the customization. But when it comes down to the coffee company itself, it would prefer if you carry on adding extra espresso shots and a few more pumps of sweet syrup to your brew.
Why, you might ask? Well, it’s because customizations are a billion-dollar business for Starbucks. The Starbucks financial release from the end of 2022 reported that 60% of customers opt to customize their order, and just in Q4 of 2022, those customizations alone brought in $1 billion in revenue.
Even more impressive is that most Starbucks customizations are for cold drinks, not hot coffee. So, what are customers customizing? Just about anything in a Starbucks drink order can be adjusted, including the sweetness, the type of milk, flavors, sauces, and toppings. The sky is the limit, and the number of drink combinations is seemingly infinite.
The most popular Starbucks drink customizations
With an endless combination of add-ons, Starbucks drinks are never boring. But what are the best ways to dress up your favorite beverage? We’ve got a few ideas.
Try giving your Pink Drink a bit more pizzazz by adding Raspberry Flavor Pearls and cold foam on top. This will make your summer cold drink even more fun with the boba-inspired drink that combines strawberry and raspberry flavors.
It may not be the holidays, but that shouldn’t stop a peppermint mocha lover from getting their fix. Just add a pump or two of peppermint to a standard iced or hot mocha, and don’t forget that mocha drizzle on top for extra flair.
If you want a fancy hot drink but don’t love coffee, choose a hot chocolate and dress it up with caramel syrup and a caramel drizzle, or choose lemonade and add strawberry puree. It can even be blended to make a frozen lemonade to combat the hottest summer days. There are several ways to make Starbucks lemonade even more delicious. Here are 15 lemonade hacks you should try.
While Starbucks loves drink customizations because they make money off them, it’s worth sharing that you can use them to save some money, too. Like this drink hack that will make a shaken espresso just a little bit cheaper, all because of the way you order it.
