Starbucks is experiencing shortages of many important ingredients for customers’ favorite drinks, to the point that one store is allegedly buying ingredients from supermarkets. This means the drinks will not taste exactly the same as customers are used to. Back on May 25, a Starbucks barista posted backroom footage on TikTok showing store-bought lemonade and syrups, writing that they “ain’t even Starbucks no more.” The video went viral and highlights an issue Starbucks locations are facing across the country.
TikTok user Tori’s video first shows her dumping ice into a bucket for drinks before she moves the camera to show syrups and juices anyone can buy at their local supermarket. The video has over 1.8 million views and thousands of comments. “And I thought my store had it bad,” one person wrote. “This was us like 2 weeks ago. Then the week after our truck showed up 3 days late. It was crazy,” another person wrote. “This is normal when shipments don’t come in or you don’t order enough product. Sometimes this is why your drink could taste a bit different,” one person commented.
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@torivile ice in the toddy bc no ice bucket / store bought lemonade and syrups?¿ ##starbucks ##fyp
♬ original sound – Ok
Although it is not clear where Tori’s Starbucks is located, the shortage issue is not an isolated incident. Back in April, several Starbucks employees told Insider their stores were short of several products they need to make drinks that taste the way customers expect. There have been shortages of everything from cups to flavored syrups and baked goods. The issue can be traced to supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
During Starbucks’ second-quarter earnings call in April, CEO Kevin Johnson said the company is working with its supply chain partners on labor shortages. “I do anticipate we’ll do a little bit more to invest and help our supply chain partners, whether it’s staff that they need in manufacturing or staffing they need for distribution and transportation,” he said, reports Supply Chain Dive.
People continue to have problems getting the drinks they love. Earlier this week, one person complained that many southwest Houston locations were missing products. “We are experiencing temporary outages and apologize if we don’t have your favorites in stock right now,” Starbucks responded. “We look forward to having items back on the menu again in the future. Thank you for your patience!”
Another person complained that their favorite drink, the Guava Passion Fruit Drink, was unavailable at their local Starbucks. “The Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink will be temporarily unavailable as we work to restock some of your other favorite beverages,” Starbucks responded. “Thank you for your patience!”
