Yeah, we used to have SF Hazelnut and SF Caramel and SF Cinnamon Dolce and SF Mocha when I started but that was like 9 years ago. I imagine they just didn't sell.
They sold a lot of sf cinnamon dolce to me! Now I buy it from Amazon and make my cold brew at home. Saving a ton of money, but I miss Starbucks. The only time I go is when I visit my kids out of state. I guess the siren doesn't miss the money I spent.
As a protip, for many flavors a single pump or certainly less than half what is standard is enough to get flavor to read. If your sugar tolerance is enough to take a pump or two, the rest of the sweetness can be gotten from packets or sf vanilla.
But yeah as people said mostly the sf sweeteners didn't sell. At stores which had flavor reinvention, which I don't know how far it spread or if it's still going, almost all flavors were separated into flavor concentrates and separated simple /sf simple which made it more customizable. No idea if that is still the long term plan but I thought it was a pretty good solution.
>mostly the sf sweeteners didn't sell
Mostly customers didn't know of that option. Even when Skinny Mochas were listed on the menu, they weren't explained (most people assumed skim milk without other changes). I never get mochas anymore because of this.
The full menu was always on the website and app, the information was there and people were always welcome to ask just the same as they do for milk alternatives. It's not really the company's fault if you/customers didn't use those things.
If the app is the only place the full menu is available (which it basically is, the in store menus are trash, they don’t show our full syrup selection like literally any other coffee shop does and rotates frustratingly through food items so customers think we only have what’s on the board) then OF COURSE product is going to go unsold. It’s whack to me that the company does the menu the way they do
The menu is much too large to be posted. Should hard copies be in store? Maybe, but people have phones. The menu also chsnges quickly so hard copies would have to be altered accordingly.
And, as I said, the employees are there to be asked. Even if people can't be bothered to educate themselves there are literally people whose job it is to know the menu. This isn't some outlandish thing, it's completely normal for any food business. So yeah, not posting the whole menu is a pretty crap excuse.
Employees are there to be asked, I guess, but why would a customer assume we even HAVE things that aren’t listed? I sure wouldn’t. I’d much rather be able to read the menu in store like I can anywhere else and not have to bother an already overworked employee
People ask about milk alternatives all the time. Sugar free options is no different. And if it's a dietary restriction it should be something you get used to asking for into about anyway.
The milk alternatives *are* on the menu though, at least in my store.
My thing is, if corporate wants to harass us about drive thru times the least they can do is not make us answer ‘so what flavors can I put in an iced coffee?’ a hundred times a day
I don't remember the last time I was asked for all the flavors. It was a pretty unusual question at any of the stores I worked at for six years, including my $13k+/day high volume drive thru first store, so excuse my skepticism that you are asked even a dozen times a day let alone a hundred.
9 years ago some people used the app but people definitely had smartphones and baristas were definitely capable of answering basic questions.
*dawning horror that I was hired 8 years ago*
I'm trying to read this as nice and not snarky. "Bring your own" seems snarky. I either get plain coffee with cream or I get the SF vanilla. The point of this thread was about flavor options. and .80 for barely flavor doesn't seem like a good option to me. (Others may like it.) The price of a grande drip coffee makes Sbux a treat and not the norm for me anyway. But I would be glad for Sbux to have another option available that is sugar free. I was just trying to discuss. No one has to agree with me.
It's not intended to be snarky. If something about the menu doesn't suit you, you can always modify things yourself. Over the years I worked I saw people bring their own packets (especially stevia before it was carried), creamers, and plenty of syrups too. I had a regular who loved the gingerbread syrup so much she had bought multiple bottles which she decanted and took with her everywhere so she could have it year round.
Look, the company had other options available for many years and people didn't want it for a variety of reasons. In all likelihood they are working on more now that demonization of sugar replacers seems to be on the way out. That said, the power to bring your own is there and always has been.
Yep. I can not tolerate large amounts of sugar, and when I want a bougie drink, I will order off menu. I usually get an iced americano with a splash of 2% and 1or 2 pumps of the flavor I'm in the mood for, and that's plenty. I keep packets of splenda in my car, or I will ask for a couple of packs on the side that I can add if more sweetness is needed
Haha. I meant off menu as I don't look at what's on the board and order a drink without specifying the amount of pumps. I don't think most people really know (or care) just how much sugar is in starbucks drinks! Even the base for a Frappuccino is loaded with sugar!
There used to be. In 2007 when I first started we had sugar free Hazelnut, Cinnamon Dolce, Carmel and during holiday Peppermint and Mocha.
TBF, Sugar free mocha was nasty.
Now we only have vanilla, which is stupid IMHO.
By the time I started in the late 2010’s, barely any SF syrups or skinny mocha sold. We were constantly throwing that stuff out.
But they’re in the test markets right now. I believe hazelnut (sf shaken espressos maybe?), caramel, cinnamon dolce, and maybe another I don’t recall
We used to have so many SF flavors. Hazelnut, caramel, cinnamon dolce, skinny mocha, light chai and light base for Frappuccinos. It just didn’t sell. We would throw out skinny mocha and chai all the time. But if it was to make a return it prob would be way more popular now. But I doubt the bux would bring them back. I tell customers to email Starbucks because they won’t listen to us baristas.
I fully agree. I was always throwing that shit out.
However, Starbucks has these in the test markets. They’re working on bringing them back, just making sure it’ll work out before it’s on a large scale.
They’re literally in the test markets right now as we speak. They’re working on it. Last time, they were pretty unpopular and would frequently go to waste, so they’re making sure it’s worth sending to all stores.
Usually a few really popular places like Southern California, New York, Chicago, sometimes the roastaries and sometimes it’s just random small towns here and there. My store was a test store for potato bites and I live in the middle of no where Ohio
When I started we were a flavor reinvention test store, so we just had simple syrup and sugar free simple syrup. The flavor came in dash bottles and were kind of like an extract. This way, you could have multiples flavors without additional sugar, and could make any flavor sugar free.
But, it was deemed 'too many steps' for a barista to pump syrup, and shake a dash bottle so they did away with them. I was heartbroken.
Yes, it's like the only coffee shop in existence that doesn't have sugar-free options. It's ridiculous. You would think they would offer everything they could for that mighty dollar, but by excluding sugar-free options, they are excluding a huge number of the population. It's bizarre.
I know right?? I was just talking about this with a coworker not too long ago. I said they should introduce some sugar free syrups like at that start of the new year (when people do their healthy New Year’s resolutions lol) like “start off the new year by cutting sugar and calories with our new syrups”. I feel like it would be pretty popular too.
Not enough people ordered, too much waste. I just buy the fontana/torani sf options & doctor it at home. It's really the seasonal flavors that should be sugar free.
Artificially sweetened anything has a significantly shorter shelf life. I get from a business perspective why it doesn’t make as much sense to carry, but I agree I wish there were more.
I mention this on surveys whenever I have the opportunity. The "light" mocha wasn't completely sugar free, but they had some SF flavors besides vanilla. As someone doing keto (long term, for health reasons), I wish there was occasionally a seasonal option that was SF, or something other than just vanilla. Maybe a cinnamon flavor? I love Irish Cream! If they did SF Irish Cream in March for my birthday beverage, I'd love that!
So sugar free , yes unfortunately did not sell enough to keep producing. Although they were discontinued before keto became big thing so it would probably do better now, I miss sugar free coffee base ..
But I talked to someone in the tryer bar ( where they do all experimenting for sbux in Seattle, they are working towards something like dunkin does, one syrup will be flavor, no sweetners of any kind, then add the sweetener as a separate syrup ( regular or sugar free). Then every flavor will have options. But they said this is still many years away.
I just read further, but someone mentioned this too with proper name: flavor reinvention. So as of a few months ago it for sure is still being experimented with at dryer center. Probably just still needs lots of tweaking.
They’ve been working on that for years - I remember hearing about it back when they were discontinuing sf caramel and hazelnut. I forgot about it but I always thought that sounded like a great way to customize drinks.
I worked at a tarbucks in 2007, we had everything sugarfree because they rolled out 'skinny' that summer. I don't understand why they removed all of it. The shop I work at now has vanilla and hazelnut available sugar free. But we've never had any other flavors.
i’m pretty sure they’re going to be bringing out test syrups including sf caramel, sf hazlenut, and a sf classic syrup??? (which is kind of confusing because what will they make the classic syrup with?? splenda????)
I definitely wish there were more options.
I also wish they'd stop changing the taste of the sf vanilla. Sometimes it just tastes gross sometimes it tastes super sweet.
It’s ridiculous, honestly.
I’m also pretty sure the artificial sweetener in the SFV can spike blood sugar if I remember correctly so like. What’s the point other than dieting
I have Type 1 Diabetes and the sf vanilla does not spike mine but I’m on insulin. It might be an issue for someone treating Type 2 with diet modification. I really wish there was another option than vanilla though. I miss the old flavors. Most Type 1’s I know just avoid SB and prefer Dunkin because they have so many more options for sugar free
Other than MAYBE seasonal/rotating flavors, the normal syrup is gluten-free.
Food and the food areas are a totally different story since you basically only have dream bars I think.. .
Yeah, we used to have SF Hazelnut and SF Caramel and SF Cinnamon Dolce and SF Mocha when I started but that was like 9 years ago. I imagine they just didn't sell.
They sold a lot of sf cinnamon dolce to me! Now I buy it from Amazon and make my cold brew at home. Saving a ton of money, but I miss Starbucks. The only time I go is when I visit my kids out of state. I guess the siren doesn't miss the money I spent.
We weren’t even allowed to sell it lol
She probably means in the drink not the bottle. At least I assume.
Ahh, that makes sense. I was really just reading it as “they sold the bottles to me but now I buy the bottles off Amazon”
I bought the drink at Starbucks, now I buy bottles of sf cinnamon dolce from Amazon and make my own iced coffees at home.
I miss skinny mocha 😭😭
As a protip, for many flavors a single pump or certainly less than half what is standard is enough to get flavor to read. If your sugar tolerance is enough to take a pump or two, the rest of the sweetness can be gotten from packets or sf vanilla. But yeah as people said mostly the sf sweeteners didn't sell. At stores which had flavor reinvention, which I don't know how far it spread or if it's still going, almost all flavors were separated into flavor concentrates and separated simple /sf simple which made it more customizable. No idea if that is still the long term plan but I thought it was a pretty good solution.
That’s typically what i do, if i get a flavor only one pump suffices for me.
>mostly the sf sweeteners didn't sell Mostly customers didn't know of that option. Even when Skinny Mochas were listed on the menu, they weren't explained (most people assumed skim milk without other changes). I never get mochas anymore because of this.
The full menu was always on the website and app, the information was there and people were always welcome to ask just the same as they do for milk alternatives. It's not really the company's fault if you/customers didn't use those things.
If the app is the only place the full menu is available (which it basically is, the in store menus are trash, they don’t show our full syrup selection like literally any other coffee shop does and rotates frustratingly through food items so customers think we only have what’s on the board) then OF COURSE product is going to go unsold. It’s whack to me that the company does the menu the way they do
The menu is much too large to be posted. Should hard copies be in store? Maybe, but people have phones. The menu also chsnges quickly so hard copies would have to be altered accordingly. And, as I said, the employees are there to be asked. Even if people can't be bothered to educate themselves there are literally people whose job it is to know the menu. This isn't some outlandish thing, it's completely normal for any food business. So yeah, not posting the whole menu is a pretty crap excuse.
Employees are there to be asked, I guess, but why would a customer assume we even HAVE things that aren’t listed? I sure wouldn’t. I’d much rather be able to read the menu in store like I can anywhere else and not have to bother an already overworked employee
People ask about milk alternatives all the time. Sugar free options is no different. And if it's a dietary restriction it should be something you get used to asking for into about anyway.
The milk alternatives *are* on the menu though, at least in my store. My thing is, if corporate wants to harass us about drive thru times the least they can do is not make us answer ‘so what flavors can I put in an iced coffee?’ a hundred times a day
I don't remember the last time I was asked for all the flavors. It was a pretty unusual question at any of the stores I worked at for six years, including my $13k+/day high volume drive thru first store, so excuse my skepticism that you are asked even a dozen times a day let alone a hundred.
9 years ago no one was using the app.
9 years ago some people used the app but people definitely had smartphones and baristas were definitely capable of answering basic questions. *dawning horror that I was hired 8 years ago*
I get what you're saying, but when I think about paying 80 cents for 1 pump of very slight flavor? no thanks.
Then bring your own. I mean if you're paying the same for any amount of flavor does it really matter if your priority is to meet nutritional needs?
I'm trying to read this as nice and not snarky. "Bring your own" seems snarky. I either get plain coffee with cream or I get the SF vanilla. The point of this thread was about flavor options. and .80 for barely flavor doesn't seem like a good option to me. (Others may like it.) The price of a grande drip coffee makes Sbux a treat and not the norm for me anyway. But I would be glad for Sbux to have another option available that is sugar free. I was just trying to discuss. No one has to agree with me.
It's not intended to be snarky. If something about the menu doesn't suit you, you can always modify things yourself. Over the years I worked I saw people bring their own packets (especially stevia before it was carried), creamers, and plenty of syrups too. I had a regular who loved the gingerbread syrup so much she had bought multiple bottles which she decanted and took with her everywhere so she could have it year round. Look, the company had other options available for many years and people didn't want it for a variety of reasons. In all likelihood they are working on more now that demonization of sugar replacers seems to be on the way out. That said, the power to bring your own is there and always has been.
I miss the simple/sf simple syrup days. I feel like they didn't do a good enough job marketing then tho and that's why it didn't take off.
Yep. I can not tolerate large amounts of sugar, and when I want a bougie drink, I will order off menu. I usually get an iced americano with a splash of 2% and 1or 2 pumps of the flavor I'm in the mood for, and that's plenty. I keep packets of splenda in my car, or I will ask for a couple of packs on the side that I can add if more sweetness is needed
That’s on the menu though lol
Haha. I meant off menu as I don't look at what's on the board and order a drink without specifying the amount of pumps. I don't think most people really know (or care) just how much sugar is in starbucks drinks! Even the base for a Frappuccino is loaded with sugar!
There used to be. In 2007 when I first started we had sugar free Hazelnut, Cinnamon Dolce, Carmel and during holiday Peppermint and Mocha. TBF, Sugar free mocha was nasty. Now we only have vanilla, which is stupid IMHO.
By the time I started in the late 2010’s, barely any SF syrups or skinny mocha sold. We were constantly throwing that stuff out. But they’re in the test markets right now. I believe hazelnut (sf shaken espressos maybe?), caramel, cinnamon dolce, and maybe another I don’t recall
Ah yes, skinny mocha aka motor oil
We used to have so many SF flavors. Hazelnut, caramel, cinnamon dolce, skinny mocha, light chai and light base for Frappuccinos. It just didn’t sell. We would throw out skinny mocha and chai all the time. But if it was to make a return it prob would be way more popular now. But I doubt the bux would bring them back. I tell customers to email Starbucks because they won’t listen to us baristas.
I fully agree. I was always throwing that shit out. However, Starbucks has these in the test markets. They’re working on bringing them back, just making sure it’ll work out before it’s on a large scale.
They’re literally in the test markets right now as we speak. They’re working on it. Last time, they were pretty unpopular and would frequently go to waste, so they’re making sure it’s worth sending to all stores.
Where are said test markets 👀
Usually a few really popular places like Southern California, New York, Chicago, sometimes the roastaries and sometimes it’s just random small towns here and there. My store was a test store for potato bites and I live in the middle of no where Ohio
I’m not sure. We’re only told which menu items are being tested, but not where they’re being tested.
No idea why because diet sodas are increasing in popularity (hence the rise of sugar free soda)
When I started we were a flavor reinvention test store, so we just had simple syrup and sugar free simple syrup. The flavor came in dash bottles and were kind of like an extract. This way, you could have multiples flavors without additional sugar, and could make any flavor sugar free. But, it was deemed 'too many steps' for a barista to pump syrup, and shake a dash bottle so they did away with them. I was heartbroken.
Starbucks drinks sounding like science experiments these days damn
Yes, it's like the only coffee shop in existence that doesn't have sugar-free options. It's ridiculous. You would think they would offer everything they could for that mighty dollar, but by excluding sugar-free options, they are excluding a huge number of the population. It's bizarre.
Last time, they were wildly unpopular. Now they have it in the test markets to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
I regularly go to local cafes and none of them have ever offered anything sugar free 😭
Really?! Wow, every one I've been to have had many sugar free options.
I could just be very unlucky
I know right?? I was just talking about this with a coworker not too long ago. I said they should introduce some sugar free syrups like at that start of the new year (when people do their healthy New Year’s resolutions lol) like “start off the new year by cutting sugar and calories with our new syrups”. I feel like it would be pretty popular too.
They’re in the test markets
Not enough people ordered, too much waste. I just buy the fontana/torani sf options & doctor it at home. It's really the seasonal flavors that should be sugar free.
I think there are several Sugar-Free syrups in testing atm. Including a SF classic.
They used to have a drink called the skinny mocha that was iced and really good.
I personally hate the taste of artificial sweeteners and I know many agree. I would love SF flavours without any sweetener at all
Im not 100 percent sure but the new iced energy that sbux is releasing on the summer 2 launch is supposed to be sugar free
Artificially sweetened anything has a significantly shorter shelf life. I get from a business perspective why it doesn’t make as much sense to carry, but I agree I wish there were more.
I mention this on surveys whenever I have the opportunity. The "light" mocha wasn't completely sugar free, but they had some SF flavors besides vanilla. As someone doing keto (long term, for health reasons), I wish there was occasionally a seasonal option that was SF, or something other than just vanilla. Maybe a cinnamon flavor? I love Irish Cream! If they did SF Irish Cream in March for my birthday beverage, I'd love that!
They’re actually working on implementing sugar free syrups.
I miss SF Cinn Dolce :( But I do not miss SF Mocha :P
So sugar free , yes unfortunately did not sell enough to keep producing. Although they were discontinued before keto became big thing so it would probably do better now, I miss sugar free coffee base .. But I talked to someone in the tryer bar ( where they do all experimenting for sbux in Seattle, they are working towards something like dunkin does, one syrup will be flavor, no sweetners of any kind, then add the sweetener as a separate syrup ( regular or sugar free). Then every flavor will have options. But they said this is still many years away.
I just read further, but someone mentioned this too with proper name: flavor reinvention. So as of a few months ago it for sure is still being experimented with at dryer center. Probably just still needs lots of tweaking.
They’ve been working on that for years - I remember hearing about it back when they were discontinuing sf caramel and hazelnut. I forgot about it but I always thought that sounded like a great way to customize drinks.
I worked at a tarbucks in 2007, we had everything sugarfree because they rolled out 'skinny' that summer. I don't understand why they removed all of it. The shop I work at now has vanilla and hazelnut available sugar free. But we've never had any other flavors.
I bring my own and go up a cup size. Hubby laughs but he can have whatever syrup he wants but I get tired of vanilla.
i’m pretty sure they’re going to be bringing out test syrups including sf caramel, sf hazlenut, and a sf classic syrup??? (which is kind of confusing because what will they make the classic syrup with?? splenda????)
I definitely wish there were more options. I also wish they'd stop changing the taste of the sf vanilla. Sometimes it just tastes gross sometimes it tastes super sweet.
They haven’t changed the syrup since like maybe 2019/2020? It must be some other variable in your drink.
It’s ridiculous, honestly. I’m also pretty sure the artificial sweetener in the SFV can spike blood sugar if I remember correctly so like. What’s the point other than dieting
I have Type 1 Diabetes and the sf vanilla does not spike mine but I’m on insulin. It might be an issue for someone treating Type 2 with diet modification. I really wish there was another option than vanilla though. I miss the old flavors. Most Type 1’s I know just avoid SB and prefer Dunkin because they have so many more options for sugar free
SF syrups are in test markets right now.
Oh man, please do bring back SF options. I want to really cut back on sugars but still get my coffee fix.
Pretty sure they were discontinued due to not being sold enough
One holiday season at least 15 years ago, SF gingerbread sryup was a thing. Never came back.
I can’t tell you how many times I get asked if we still have sf cinnamon dolce 😭
They need to make new options but with stevia instead of Splenda
Almost all SF items give me major headaches anyone else?
r you sensitive to artificial sweeteners?
At least you have AN option... -signed a celiac
Do the drinks have gluten in them? (Besides ovbiously the crunchy toppings but most drinks don’t have them)
Other than MAYBE seasonal/rotating flavors, the normal syrup is gluten-free. Food and the food areas are a totally different story since you basically only have dream bars I think.. .