A Starbucks customer sparked a frenzy after claiming a barista informed her about a “new concentrate” in her drink.
A Reddit user posted one photo of a Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte on the platform, saying the color and taste were wrong.
“I was told it looks that way because they use a new concentrate, but when I taste it it’s just sugary milk,” the user wrote.
The skeptical customer added that the barista told her that customers “don’t like the new matcha” because of its “grassy taste.”
The customer said she purchased the drink on January 9 and asked, “Am I crazy?”
‘[The barista] was very nice and made me another drink,” she added.
“I just wonder if it’s really supposed to be that way.”
Reddit users quickly responded to the post, with many claiming the drink was made incorrectly.
A Reddit user shared a photo of an Iced Matcha Latte she ordered at Starbucks on January 9
‘That was 100% wrong. They need to review their recipes,” one person wrote.
Others felt that the color of the drink should have been darker and that the new Matcha with classic syrup has a ‘nasty aftertaste’.
Several self-proclaimed baristas commented on the drink, with one explaining the changes to Matcha drinks.
‘All the matchas I’ve made with the new formula look extremely light. Similar to this so I’m afraid it could be accurate,” one person wrote.
‘The matcha scoop is now very small and in my opinion there is SO much milk in it for the amount of matcha.’
Starbucks made several changes before and after the new year, including a revamp of its Iced Matchas.
Starting January 2, Starbucks employees will make Iced Matchas with an unsweetened powder instead of a sweetened powder.
Baristas should also mix the drink in a Cold Foam Pitcher rather than shaking the drink to mix it.
Users panicked after seeing the unusually colored drink
A few Reddit users brought up that the old formula was “too sugary” for them, leading to Starbucks’ formula change.
Customers now have the option to select their own sweeteners if they want to add sugar to their drink.
The Reddit user who made the post admitted that she was unaware of the changes to Iced Matcha and ordered her drink without making any changes.
Starbucks has experienced several declines in sales, suffering another decline for the third consecutive quarter in October 2024.
“It is clear that we must fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers,” Brian Niccol, chairman and CEO, said in the report.
“My experience tells me that when we return to our core identity and consistently deliver a great experience, our customers will come back.”
Niccol added that the company had a “clear plan” to improve and was working quickly to “get Starbucks back to growth.”
Niccol had only been CEO for a month before he announced he would simplify the chain’s “overly complex menu” to speed up service.
Starbucks has suffered multiple sales declines despite new menus and methods to control service speed
However, matcha formulas and menus may not be what Starbucks needs to get back on track.
“Simplifying the menu can help solve the problem of cafes becoming more stressful and less attractive, but these are not the only issues at play,” Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail, told DailyMail.com.
“The main problem is that consumers are buying less coffee at Starbucks to save money.”