Starbucks is famous for its elaborate coffee drinks, from the upside-down caramel macchiato to the Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino. However, one barista spoke out about his complicated Starbucks order, setting off a chain of events involving internet fame and newfound friendship.
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The Drink That Started It All
It all started when a Starbucks customer, Edward, ordered a complicated drink in an LA Starbucks. His drink, the Venti Caramel Crunch Frappe, contained thirteen ingredients and was made with five bananas, caramel, a few different syrups, and extra whipped cream among other things.
The drink order totaled out at $14, and Edward then unknowingly went about his morning, savoring his custom-made drink order. Little did he know that his Frappe was going viral on the internet. Josie, the barista who served him, had posted a tweet of the order, joking that "this is why I wanna quit my job."
The tweet, which has since been removed, was soon trending on social media, and it was liked over 300,000 times and retweeted by over 30,000 twitter users. This started a trend of baristas sharing their own overly complex orders.
Another Starbucks barista replied with "I raise you this," tweeting a pic of a Starbucks coffee order with over 30 ingredients, including instructions like "in a venti cup, add cold foam, extra whip, mocha drizzle."
Starbucks' Response
Although many on the internet seemed entertained by the complicated orders, Starbucks was not happy about its baristas posting them on Twitter. Starbucks responded with the statement that "customizing beverages at Starbucks and our baristas' expertise in helping customers find and craft the right beverage has and always will be the heart of the Starbucks Experience. There are many ways for customers to modify their favorite beverage at Starbucks and most customizations are reasonable requests from customers."
However, if customers order ingredients that won't physically fit inside a Starbucks cup, employees are advised to accommodate requests to the best of their abilities.
In defense of his complex order, Edward said "I don't see a reason why I wouldn't order a drink like this again." Unfortunately, when Starbucks caught wind of the viral tweet, Josie was immediately fired from his position.
Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Edward found Josie on Instagram, reaching out to make sure that Josie didn't get in any trouble for posting the drink order. Edward found the tweet entertaining, taking it all as a joke rather than feeling personally attacked. When asked about his contact with Josie, Edward explained that he "wanted to let him know that he didn't do anything wrong. It's definitely an order people could find funny."
The Secret Menu
Although Starbucks was less than happy with Josie's Twitter behavior, some argue that the real culprit here is the Starbucks secret menu. There are endless ways to customize a drink, from using extra shots, extra caramel drizzle, asking for double blended, or even going the sugar-free or nonfat route. You can enjoy your Starbucks drink extra hot, decaf, with no foam, with caramel sauce, or iced.
The only limit to your Starbucks order is your imagination (and your barista's patience). The question is, is there such a thing as "too far," or is the customer always right?
