A Barista’s Review of Every New Spring Menu Item at Starbucks– and its New CEO, Brian Niccol
Being a “Partner”
I’ve dedicated nearly one-fifth of my life to Starbucks. I’m 19 years old and have almost four years of Starbucks experience on my resume.
I worked for my local Starbucks for two years in high school. Now, I work at a licensed store, Starbucks Memorial Union, through MU Campus & Dining Services. And yes, I do recite drink recipes in my sleep.
Every workplace has its qualms, but as I reflect on the past year working for a licensed Starbucks rather than a corporate one, I can confidently say I would never want to go back to work for corporate.
At least, not under the leadership of former CEO Howard Schultz.
Brian Niccol: The Savior of Starbucks?
Based only on how long the line is for hours at my campus location, you’d probably never guess that Starbucks has seen declining sales in the past few quarters.
Last fall, when Brian Niccol, former Chipotle CEO, stepped into a new role at Starbucks, baristas and stock bros everywhere held their breath to see his prescription for the struggling company. Niccol is famous for fixing– he has a knack for rebranding companies and swaying public opinion to save them from ruin. Investment bank TD Cowen’s CFA, Andrew Charles, describes Niccol as a “hall of fame restaurant CEO” and expects his changes to benefit the company and its shareholders.
“Back to Starbucks.” This is Niccol’s vision for Starbucks: To simplify, to reconnect with the company’s core and to revise the confusing, contradicting brand identity that drove the company to make desperate decisions over the past few years.
Cloudy political interests included, the company has driven many customers away for various reasons. I think Starbucks employees started noticing a shift toward desperation shortly after I started my first position with the company. The already expansive menu continued to grow– as did prices– at times, with so many new drinks, it was difficult even for seasoned baristas to keep up with the nearly 200 distinct recipes. On top of recipe memorization, baristas were also expected to conduct drink-making, store maintenance, and customer interactions robotically, identical to the particular guidelines they provided. There was no room for error from partners, which is what the company calls their employees, and Starbucks became a more solemn workplace. This atmospheric shift, in my opinion, greatly affected how customers felt in the space. It was sad to see regulars less and less often, though Starbucks dragged their partners in different directions so much that I never had much time to dwell on it.
It seemed like every quarter, the company’s task at hand changed. At first, it was speed, but for a few months, there was a focus on decreasing drive-thru times, customer waiting time, etc. Later that year, a shift to community– intentional, meaningful customer interactions and fostering the spirit of the ‘third place.’ Then, there was a shift back to speed because baristas were engaging with customers too much, which was slowing down service.
Until this quarter, changes to Starbucks’s policy and products have been a result of a tug-of-war between a contradictory brand identity that insisted on speed, connection, novelty, and familiarity, with no room for compromises. These ideals could not all be achieved at once, and so, as sales began to dip, Starbucks found itself desperate, doing anything its creative teams dreamt up to try and win back its once cult-like customer base.
In an open letter from his first week as CEO, Niccol says, “There’s a shared sense that we have drifted from our core,” which is something I’m positive nearly all employees, customers, and stakeholders agree on.
As stores worldwide have launched the spring menu, it’s clear that Niccol’s vision for inviting customers to return to Starbucks is working.
From dropping dragging drinks to introducing the best new flavor in years, the Starbucks Spring Launch menu is the earliest manifestation of Niccol’s changes to the company in action.
Let’s put it to the test.
The Return of Lavender
The Lavender Oat Milk Latte was a smash hit when introduced last year, and the number of LOMLs I write on cups every shift proves it’s just as popular this year. I think the lavender powder can be overpowering in larger quantities (i.e., more than two scoops.) However, the lavender, creamy oat milk, and Blonde Espresso ratio make a balanced, creamy and sweet drink. This will be a familiar, refreshing drink if you’ve tried a lavender vanilla latte elsewhere. But if floral scents and flavors don’t satisfy your palette, this latte could taste a tad like laundry detergent. Critics of this drink mostly say it tastes soapy or too overwhelming with lavender, which I can’t entirely disagree with. It’s a good drink worth stepping out of your comfort zone to try, but it won’t replace my go-to order anytime soon. The Lavender Oat Milk Latte is good, but it’s just not love-of-my-life good.
Alongside the espresso latte, the Iced Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha Latte returned this year. This drink is even better than I remember it being! The lavender foam is a gorgeous shade of, well, lavender that tastes as good as it looks., The new matcha powder and ability to customize the sweetness levels enhance every matcha drinker’s experience, especially mine, as I like my matcha on the bitter side! The mix of flavors is a heavenly pairing that also goes well with other syrups like white mocha or vanilla if one wants to try that. This drink is so creamy and refreshing and tastes exactly like I’d imagine spring to taste.
My overall take on the lavender is that it’s just all right. While both lattes are good– especially the matcha!– I think the lavender powder is best suited to customize drinks. Two of my favorite ways to do so are adding a scoop or two of lavender to my Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher or my Pink Drink and a Blonde Vanilla Latte with a single scoop of lavender powder or lavender cold foam on top!
Pit-iful or Perfect?
The Iced Cherry Chai is the cherry on top of the spring menu. Starbucks has introduced the best fruit-flavored item since the raspberry syrup (gone but never forgotten, RIP). The cherry powder is good in everything– matcha, vanilla lattes, cold foam, refreshers and anything in between. This menu item has been so popular already, and for good reason. The crunch and sprinkle topping with the Cherry Cold Foam is the perfect finishing touch to the sweet, tart, creamy drink topper. It pairs well with the chai flavor; it enhances its sweetness without taking away from its spice and cinnamon notes.
If you enjoy cherry slushies or candy, this drink will likely change your life like mine. Both the Iced Cherry Chai and the Cherry Cold Foam are evidence that Starbucks is moving towards introducing successful menu items rather than trying to implement unique ones that aren’t enjoyable.
All-YAY Snacking
Why the pockets are classified as “All-Day Snacking” when Starbucks sells all food items all day, I’m not sure. But these two new food items are excellent additions to the menu, and I, for one, hope they stay for longer than just the spring season.
The Spicy Falafel Pocket was introduced slightly earlier, with unsweetened matcha powder and the Blackberry Sage Refresher. I’ve never had actual falafel, and I’m sure this is nowhere near as good as fresh, high-quality falafel can be. The pocket is good but a little too dry to eat without Sriracha or a similar sauce. It’s almost like the primary flavors of this pocket are fighting for your mouth’s attention, and the texture doesn’t help that battle to win the approval of your taste buds. The tortilla gets a little soggy from cooking, but it is still good. It’s not greasy like many other Starbucks food items tend to be, and it’s been a refreshing meal to my palette since I pretty much eat only Starbucks food for most of my meals.
The Jalapeño Chicken Pocket, on the other hand, tastes like it was sent down from heaven. The lime-jalepeño sauce inside is creamy, tangy, and spicy. The pocket still gets soggy, but the sauce and chicken make up for it. The tortilla itself has a bit of a spice, almost like a glaze of buttery, spicy coating when made, and all of the flavors in this pocket exist in harmony. It’s quickly become one of my favorite menu items of all time, and I will be very sad if it’s not added to the core menu after this season.
Lastly, Starbucks has partnered with TRUFF to introduce two sauce packets to their stores. Let’s just say I was blown away. I’d never tried TRUFF before, and the Jalepeño Lime Hot Sauce is perfect on literally anything. Egg bites, a Bacon, Gouda, and Egg sandwich, the Turkey Bacon, Cheddar, Eggwhite sandwich, the Spinach, Feta and Eggwhite Wrap– you name it, TRUFF pairs perfectly. In my opinion, the Original Hot Sauce packets could be easily exchanged with Sriracha and make the food just as enjoyable, it is still delicious. TRUFF has magnified the customer’s experience with any Starbucks meal, and I hope they partner again– maybe permanently!– after the season ends.
Springing Forward: Starbucks’ New Direction
The spring menu is clear evidence that Niccol’s strategy for the company is steering Starbucks back to what first captivated customers in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Focusing on quality drinks, thoughtful innovation and the customer & employee experience could save the coffee giant from falling from grace completely. As Niccol works on rehabbing the company’s image and relationship with the public, changes and introductions thus far prove that Starbucks is taking steps in the right direction. I’m hopeful and excited to see what else Niccol has planned for Starbucks, and, for the first time in a year or two, I’m again proud to serve customers Starbucks Coffee.
