- Kat said many people don’t realize there is caffeine in refresher drinks
- Starbucks barista has noticed people buying them for ‘very young children’
- Users were shocked to realize that they contained a significant amount of caffeine
A Starbucks barista shared a little-known fact about a popular drink on the chain’s menu, warning parents that it is packed with caffeine, despite very few people realizing it.
TikTok creator Cat created a video with Texas Tween boutique Dear Hannah Prep, showing the reaction of one of their young ambassadors who was shocked to learn that a drink she regularly ordered, the Strawberry Acai Refresher, contained caffeine.
In the video, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, Kat said the reaction reminded her of when people would walk into the popular coffee chain and order a Refresher for their “very young child.”
“I’ve even had parents come back (and ask me), ‘Why is my child acting like this?'” the barista admitted. “It has a lot of caffeine in it.”
Starbucks barista Kat said people are often shocked to hear that the refresher menu contains caffeine
Kat made a video with a tween who was shocked when she realized her favorite Starbucks drink actually contained caffeine
She went on to say that the sweet drink is “one of the few things” that actually wakes her up in the morning when she’s at work.
“Caffeine is a chemical,” she continued. ‘And it doesn’t always come from coffee, so…’
She advised parents to stop buying the colorful drink for their children, “if you don’t want them bouncing off the walls.”
“There is coffee bean extract in the Refresher base,” she explained. “I’m a barista, I can fully confirm it contains caffeine.”
Shocked users responded to the video, with some unknowingly consuming more caffeine than they realized.
“I drink this all the time and didn’t know it had caffeine,” said one Starbucks regular, appalled.
“I never get it every time I go to Starbucks,” another commented.
Kat responded, saying the soft drinks don’t contain “quite” as much caffeine as coffee, but “more than an average soft drink.”
“Which I personally wouldn’t give to a young child,” she added.
“Is that why I get so wrecked after drinking them?” asked a shocked Refresher fan.
“I order it every time, I didn’t know they had caffeine,” said another.
Kat said that after ordering the drink, parents came back to the cafe to ask what was in it because their children started acting strangely
The drink contains 45 mg of caffeine in a 16 oz drink, but Kat says many people think it is caffeine-free
Commenters couldn’t believe the drink they ordered contained caffeine
“There’s so much caffeine,” exclaimed another TikTok user, who also claimed to be a Starbucks barista. ‘I always ask the parents: (are you sure?!)’
“I’m so thankful for the barista who clued me in when I started sharing mine with my toddler!” added another customer. “Took it away real quick lol.”
According to Starbucks’ website, there are 12 drinks available in the Refresher range, and they all contain between 45 mg and 50 mg of caffeine in a Grande (16 oz).
The Strawberry Acai in particular contains 45 mg of caffeine in a 16 oz serving.
For comparison, a cold brew contains 205 mg in the same amount, meaning the refresher contains almost a quarter of the amount of caffeine even though it’s not marketed that way.