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Starbucks is removing these “bad” drinks from its menu to speed up service
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Starbucks is removing these “bad” drinks from its menu to speed up service

These drinks are booted.

Starbucks' olive oil-infused drinks are being discontinued just a year after being added to the menu as the company's new CEO looks to streamline service.

According to a memo obtained by Bloomberg News, Oleato products will be permanently removed from the main menu starting November 7, when Starbucks' holiday drinks launch.

Starbucks olive oil-infused drinks are hitting the market after being on the menu for less than a year. Starbucks
Oleato products will be permanently removed from the core menu starting November 7th. Stefano Giovannini

The memo states that Starbucks is “phasing out Starbucks Oleato beverages and toffee nut syrup.”

New CEO Brian Niccol, who took over the chain on September 9, said one of his priorities to accelerate the company's growth is to simplify the “overly complex” menu so baristas can speed up service.

However, according to Bloomberg, the company said the decision to ditch the oleato drinks was made before Niccol's acquisition, although this is consistent with its plan to trim down the menu.

Oleato (Italian for “oiled”) drinks first launched in Italy in February 2023, before arriving at select locations in California in March 2023 and finally becoming available nationwide on January 30, 2024.

Oleato is Italian and means “oiled”. Stefano Giovannini

The drinks, infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil, were the brainchild of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who believed the drink was a “transforming way to enjoy our daily coffee.”

Oleato's origin story began with Schultz's visit to Sicily, when he was introduced to the Mediterranean custom of consuming a spoonful of olive oil daily, according to the Starbucks website.

While enjoying his morning coffee, the inspiration to combine the two products came to him.

Some consumers reported unfortunate stomach problems due to the coffee and oil combination.

The Post's Steve Cuozzo tries Starbucks' olive oil-infused oleato coffee drinks. Stefano Giovannini

Both baristas and customers gave the drink honest reviews on Reddit in a thread titled “Olive Oil Drinks…”.

“Caffeine is a stimulant for your gut and oil is a relaxant. So yes, a wonderful idea from Starbucks,” someone pointed out.

“Half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up… They had to go to the bathroom if you know what I mean… I'm honestly scared to try it because I already have stomach/intestinal issues,” wrote a suspected Starbucks barista.

Meanwhile, the Post's Steve Cuozzo examined the drinks in a review last year, writing, “The alleged spoonful of Partanna in each tasted less like olive oil than chemical solvent, with an unpleasant, lingering aftertaste.”

Cuozzo added: “Starbucks loves to ruin its very good, dark roast coffee with expensive, silly and ill-advised additives.”

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