The Starbucks Item You Should Avoid Ordering On The Side

Many of us love Starbucks refreshers for the inclusions, which are not only eye candy but also add a hint of flavors to the drink and a fun texture to boot. Sometimes it can be tempting to ask for those fruity bits only on the side; perhaps so you can munch on them separately, or so you can precisely add seven cubes of dragon fruit instead of nine to your spicy refresher. But hold that thought!

Inclusions are not charged when mixed in your drinks, nor are they supposed to be given to you on the side. So, when requested separately, the standard protocol is to ring you up with a "custom iced tea" with the inclusions but minus the tea or water. Of course, this "tea" will set you back a few bucks depending on the location. It's your call whether that's worth it for a handful of freeze-dried fruit, but what we do know is fresh fruits are tastier and a lot more affordable at grocery stores.

This wouldn't be a problem if you ask for more inclusions in your drink, but every time you order them on the side, a new cup is used. This can add up quickly in the landfill waste. Unless you're asking for a full cup, which is unlikely granted and definitely not free, it's probably not worth wasting a clean cup for a few fruit morsels.

Though not standard, some super-nice Starbucks baristas may still give you the inclusions on the side if it's already part of your drink and you ask nicely. Some of them may cave in simply for lack of time and energy to go back and forth explaining why they can't do that for you. Regardless, that adds unnecessary hassle to their work, especially during a busy shift. Anyone who has worked in the service industry can confirm that it only takes a few customers with special requests, however small and simple they may seem, to disrupt the normal workflow and slow down service for everyone. Plus, because the policies for these kinds of situations differ slightly from one store to the next, giving you some frozen fruit could sometimes get that nice barista into trouble with their manager.

So, if you love the inclusions, do yourself and the barista a favor and stick to the classic mixed-in method. Your wallet will thank you, the planet will be happier, and you'll still get to enjoy all that refreshing, fruity goodness.