I’m a Starbucks employee – the 9 drinks we won’t make for you no matter how much you ask
THERE’S a firm belief that the customer is always right, but that’s not necessarily the case with everything.
Several Starbucks workers revealed to Spoon University the drinks they won’t make regardless of how badly a customer wants one.
HOT CHOCOLATE IN BULK
Hot coffee travelers are life-savers at workplace meetings, in study groups, and any other scenario involving many people who like to drink coffee.
According to Starbucks’ website, a traveler holds 96 fluid ounces of coffee – but that’s all it holds.
According to Spoon University writer Elizabeth Vana, hot chocolate fans are out of luck because the material the travelers are composed of does not react well with the milk in hot chocolate.
So, if you want a nice cup of hot chocolate, you’re better off ordering one separately.
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IT FRAPPUCINO
A singular Starbucks in California reportedly got into spooky season and created an It-inspired frappucino in 2017, when the first It movie remake was released.
According to Vana, the special drink consisted of “vanilla bean with strawberry purée, and a vanilla bean scone blended in.”
The It frappuccino didn’t seem to be a brand-wide promotion and that may be because it broke one of Starbucks’ rules: Employees cannot blend food into drinks.
Vana added: “One barista told me that technically they can blend pastry items from their case, but it could mess up their equipment and most stores will refuse.”
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HOME-SOURCED ADD-INS
While this may be obvious to some people, not everyone is aware that Starbucks is unable to mix things into their drinks that did not originate within their store, as it’s a health code violation.
So, if you’re looking to add your favorite cookie into your coffee shake, your safest bet is to try creating the concoction at home.
CAFECITO
According to Food.com, cafecito is a popular Cuban coffee that involves brewing coffee grounds and sugar together.
Apparently, brewing sugar is dangerous for Starbucks’ equipment and also slows down baristas, so you’ll most likely get turned down if you ask for this specialty coffee.
Vana added that if you want a little something extra in your drink, Starbucks baristas are cleared to steam nutmeg, cinnamon, and matcha.
SUPER HOT DRINKS
Asking for extra hot drinks is a huge no-no at Starbucks.
“Starbucks’ machinery heats their water to boiling automatically, and there’s no way for baristas to make the water hotter than it already is,” Vana wrote.
“Plus, consumer safety laws have regulated the temperature of water, so you probably couldn’t get it hotter even if they could adjust it.”
SECRET MENU ITEMS
It’s no secret that Starbucks has some secret items people can order, but sometimes, the hush-hush drinks are even unknown to Starbucks workers.
In fact, an unnamed barista supposedly told Vana that they were once requested to make a “Captain Crunch Frappuccino” and had no idea what it was.
Therefore, your best bet to get the drink you actually want is to know the exact recipe to relay to workers.
As Vana said, Starbucks baristas memorize the corporate-approved written-out menu, but they’re not required to know secret items.
A REAL MACCHIATO
Vana claimed that Starbucks’ macchiatos are “basically lattes with whipped cream and flavorings.”
And according to RoastyCoffee.com, macchiatos are an Italian-originated drink that are supposed to be an espresso “slightly moderated or subdued by a splash of milk.”
So, macchiatos with all the extra add-ins are not true macchiatos.
To get one from Starbucks, Vana said you need to specifically ask for an “espresso macchiato.”
Starbucks really has Americans tricked!
CAPUCCINOS WITHOUT FOAM
According to Starbucks, a cappuccino consist of “dark, rich espresso” underneath “a smoothed and stretched layer of thick milk foam.”
Therefore, a cappuccino without foam does not exist.
This will be the rule at any coffee shop – not just Starbucks.
If you want to order a mixture of espresso and steamed milk without foam, ask for a latte instead.
SMALL DRINKS IN A LARGE UP
According to Vana, some Starbucks locations sell cups that hold 30 ounces of drink, called a trenta.
However, there are rules about what you can get in the large drink containers.
For instance, you can have espresso added to a coffee in the trenta, but you cannot order an espresso-based concoction such as a latte.
It seems that the main drinks you can ask for in the 30-ounce cups are coffee, iced coffee, or iced tea.
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Then, you can add some extra flavorings – or espresso – as needed.
If you’re now craving coffee, a former Starbucks employee revealed her trick for getting more bang for her buck at the joint.
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