A luxury coffee chain has rocked the internet after switching to ‘colostomy bags’ to serve its drinks, instead of the usual plastic cups.
Popular coffee chain 787 Coffee, with locations in New York City, Texas and Puerto Rico, made the switch to plastic bags in April 2023 and has been enjoying the internet’s backlash ever since.
The buzz around the ‘IV bag lattes’ exploded last year when popular TikToker Delaney Ager, 24, raved about them in a video that has since racked up 620,000 views.
Some commenters loved the bags, while others criticized the aesthetics, comparing them to “colostomy bags”: a small, waterproof bag that collects waste from the body after a surgical procedure.
787 Coffee Co, a luxury coffee chain, has shaken the internet after switching to ‘colostomy bags’ to serve their drinks, as opposed to the regular plastic cup
The popular coffee chain, with locations in New York City, Texas and Puerto Rico, unveiled the plastic bags in April 2023
Another TikTok user, Alex Pouloutides, expressed her outrage at the coffee chain’s new offering, comparing the bagged drink to “poop bags” used in hospitals.
“I love New York, but the next time I get coffee in a bag…I’m moving to Georgia,” she said.
“This s*** is ridiculous. “It looks like one of those little poop bags that sick people have to use in the hospital,” she added.
Since 787’s unveiling of the ‘colostomy bag’ coffee, the chain has done away with plastic cups and is offering the bag exclusively in all stores.
Unsurprisingly, coffee drinkers are divided over the new and now trendy approach, with some praising the innovation while others disapprove of the pouches to the point of being embarrassed to be seen wearing them.
‘I was really annoyed when I got this. Also, the dirty paper straw wouldn’t even reach the bottom of the bag. Give me a cup for a $6.50 cold brew,” one user on Reddit said of the bagged innovation.
‘WTF is this?? If they want to stop single-use plastic, can they just give you the iced coffee in a paper cup?” another user commented.
American icon Kylie Jenner pictured with the iconic 787 coffee in a bag
Actor and model, Paris Jackson, with bagged coffee from 787 Coffee Co
“I had this happen to me yesterday at 787. It’s a shame because it’s my favorite place down there. The straw doesn’t reach and the Ziploc doesn’t really stay closed with the straw in it. This will be a legitimate reason I won’t go back,” another added.
The chain, which grows its beans in America, says the switch was made with the aim of reducing its impact on the environment.
“They dissolve faster than hard plastic, reducing their impact on the environment,” 787 co-founder Brandon Pena said in a statement.
“They are reusable, allowing customers to reuse in creative ways.”
With little public information available about the environmental impact of the bags, some questioned their environmental impact, pointing to other chains such as Blue Bottle and Starbucks that offer paper and cardboard cups.
The packaged drinks approach also sets the store apart from a slew of competitors, said Adam Alter, a marketing professor at NYU.
In an interview with the GothamistAlter compared the bags to Apple’s switch to white headphones from the standard black ones in 2001.
‘Coffee cups are black headphones; they are used by almost every coffee shop,” he said.
‘bags are white ears; they are unique, so they stand out and indicate that someone is drinking 787.”