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Starbucks cutting back on some drinks because of nationwide supply shortage

The ‘Starbucks shortage’ hashtag is trending on Tiktok, as users report drinks and food out of stock across the country

Jade Bremner
Wednesday 09 June 2021 12:06 BST
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<p>Starbucks employees have been buying other branded items to meet customer demands after nationwide shortages</p>

Starbucks employees have been buying other branded items to meet customer demands after nationwide shortages

Starbucks coffee shops throughout the US are reportedly experiencing supply issues, with numerous social media users complaining their favourite menu items are out of stock.

The ”Starbucks shortage” hashtag is trending on TikTok, and a number of customers and even staff have commented on shortages on social media, since the end of May.

“We’re out of all of our paninis, all of our sandwiches, we’re out of our vanilla sweet cream,” said one employee in a video while listing off numerous items.

One user shared a video with a Starbucks sign in San Diego listing 14 shortages, including white mocha, apple juice, dark roast, chai, peach, hazelnut, with Capone’s “Oh No, Oh No, Oh No No No” playing in the background.

Another TikTok video appeared to be a Starbucks employee buying Minute Maid-branded lemonade to sell in-store and one Starbucks barista showed his branch using Smucker’s Sundae Syrup Caramel Sauce instead of the Starbucks-branded syrup. The clip has clocked up more than 300,000 views.

Numerous comments on the videos confirm the shortages. “Starbucks is running short on literally everything,” wrote one user.

An employee from a Minnesota Starbucks confirmed that they had a shortage of oat milk recently and that shortages vary from day to day, said the employee, “today we are not particularly out of anything, but it depends on the day”. The employee was unable to identify why the shortages were happening.

“There’s just a national shortage with the Starbucks company with some syrups, the oat milk, the brown sugar syrup and a bunch of other random things,” they said.

The best way to keep up with what’s in your local coffee shop is via the Starbuck app, explained the employee: “We keep that up to date so you can check on there what we have daily.”

The Independent has contacted the Starbucks head office for further information on the shortages.

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