Hollis Johnson
- Starbucks is limiting how many pumps of the same syrup or scoops of a single fruit can be added to drinks ordered on its mobile app.
- At the end of July, Starbucks updated its app to prevent customers from adding the same "modifier," like syrups, purées, or espresso shots, to a drink more than 12 times.
- "I think it will help when it comes to mobile orders," one Starbucks employee told Business Insider. "People seem to be as extra as they possibly can be through the app because they don’t have to sound stupid asking us for all the mods."
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
If you’re a Starbucks customer who enjoyed ordering a cappuccino with 30 espresso shots or a Frappuccino that is mostly pure caramel syrup, you may have realized that the coffee giant made a change in recent weeks.
At the end of July, Starbucks updated its app to prevent customers from adding the same "modifier," such as syrup, purée, scoops of fruit, or espresso shots, more than 12 times.
Kate Taylor/Business Insider
"We know you have a passion for creating the experience that each customer is looking for, but we heard loud and clear that excessive modifiers ordering through MO&P [mobile order and pay] creates tremendous complexity and inconsistent experiences for our customers," Starbucks said in an internal memo that was shared with employees and seen by Business Insider.
It is a change that has likely impacted very few customers, as a drink with massive amounts of a single ingredient is typically more of a stunt than an actual order.
The change is seen as a step in the right direction by many in-store workers who are frequently asked to create complicated orders off of a "secret menu," made up of countless drinks invented primarily by customers who combine various Starbucks ingredients.
"I think it will help when it comes to mobile orders," one Starbucks employee told Business Insider. "People seem to be as extra as they possibly can be through the app because they don’t have to sound stupid asking us for all the mods."
If you still desperately need to have 30 shots of espresso added to your Frappuccino, you can still order your modified drink by asking the barista face-to-face.
In early August, the coffee giant said in an answer on its online FAQ: "You can add the same modifier to your beverage up to 12 times. There is no limit to the total number of unique modifiers you can add to one beverage."
So, baristas will still occasionally end up making drinks that are the stuff of Starbucks horror stories, like the "venti 9 shot, 1 pump mocha, nonfat, no whip, with exactly 4 shakes of cinnamon" and the cold brew with "10 pumps vanilla, 5 pumps caramel, five pumps classic syrup, 5 pumps caramel, 5 pumps white mocha, whole milk, coconut milk, heavy cream, almond milk, sweet cream, cinnamon and vanilla powder, Sweet & Low, Stevia, Splenda, sugar, dark chocolate curls, and extra whipped cream."
At least the 20 pump vanilla, 20 pump hazelnut "20/20" is finally no longer available on the app.
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Source: Business Insider – ktaylor@businessinsider.com (Kate Taylor)