Starbucks offers 300 BILLION possible drinks combinations, experts say, as they reveal the annoying issue that’s hurting the ailing coffee giant

According to mathematicians, Starbucks offers 300 billion possible drink combinations, but it is this very feature that could be the cause of the coffee giant’s downfall.

The Seattle-based chain has become a Willy Wonka playground for customers who want to order all sorts of syrups, whipped cream, drops and different types of milk in different cup sizes.

According to Bloomberg, There are over 383 billion possible combinations, just for one latte.

The downside of this is that it takes baristas longer to prepare each drink and the long lines with extremely long wait times for an $8 drink with hundreds of calories starts to deter customers.

Nothing makes customers angrier than quickly ordering a drink through the app, only to end up in a mosh pit of people with your drink nowhere to be seen.

Starbucks saw U.S. orders fall 6 percent in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 as sales declined.

About 30 percent of all orders in the US are placed through the app, which has also led to heavy traffic at mobile pickup counters in stores.

“Everybody shows up and all of a sudden there’s a mosh pit, and that’s not Starbucks,” former CEO Howard Schultz said in a podcast in June.

Part of his vision for the cafe, when he was still running it, was to create a “third place” where customers would want to stay for a while.

To meet the demand for drinks, many stores are removing seating to make room for takeaway queues.

Starbucks has also started opening curbside pickup locations where you can pick up your order. These locations don’t even offer a seat or a bathroom, unlike many major cities.

In addition, there are all sorts of extra options available for cold drinks, from cold foam to syrups and other additions, which makes it take longer to prepare one for the customer.

According to the Wall Street Journal, cold drinks account for about 70 percent of all drink orders in the U.S.

Despite being a staple for Gen Z, the coffee giant saw a six percent drop in U.S. orders in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024, with customers citing price as an issue

Starbucks has hired Brian Niccol — who was praised for his successful turnaround at Chipotle — as its new CEO to save the dying chain

The company is introducing new innovations to speed up the process, such as a cold bar station, to alleviate some of the problems.

In addition to the rising cost of Starbucks coffee, there’s another problem with the coffee chain: the incessant demand for tips. Customers are asked to pay more of their hard-earned money before they even get their drink.

This month, Starbucks hired Brian Niccol, who has been widely praised for his successful turnaround of Chipotle, as its new CEO to save the chain.