Starbucks ends non-dairy milk surcharge ahead of new holiday menu launch

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Customising your Starbucks drinks with non-dairy milk will soon be cheaper.

The global coffee chain has announced that, from 7 November, it will no longer charge customers extra for customising beverages with non-dairy milk. The change will coincide with the company’s launch of its latest holiday menu next week.

According to the coffee juggernaut, substituting non-dairy milk — such as soy, oat, almond or coconut milk — is the second most requested customisation from Starbucks customers, behind adding a shot of espresso.

Brian Niccol, Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer, who took over the company in September, said, “Core to the Starbucks Experience is the ability to customise your beverage to make it yours.

“By removing the extra charge for non-dairy milks, we’re embracing all the ways our customers enjoy their Starbucks.”

The coffee company estimates that customers who pay to modify the milk used in their handcrafted drinks will see a price reduction of more than 10 percent following this change.

“I made a commitment that we’d get back to Starbucks, focusing on what has always set Starbucks apart – a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and we serve the finest coffee handcrafted by our skilled baristas,” continued Niccol.

“This is just one of many changes we’ll make to ensure a visit to Starbucks is worth it every time.”

Further changes include plans to reintroduce self-serve condiment stations in stores, which were removed during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as the return of baristas handwriting customers’ names on their drink orders in marker.