Starbucks Is Officially Saying Goodbye To Its Infamous Olive Oil Drinks
It's no secret that olive oil and coffee are two Italian specialties, but what happens when you mix the two? Evidently, nothing extraordinary. Starbucks just announced that its Oleato drink lineup will depart from menus in the United States and Canada in early November. The line first debuted in Italy in February 2023 and reached all stores in the U.S. and Canada by January 2024.
Oleato was created by Howard Schulz, the former CEO of Starbucks, who was inspired by the Mediterranean ritual of drinking olive oil daily. Schulz combined this with the universal ritual of coffee-drinking to create the innovative line, which infused Sicilian Partanna olive oil into arabica coffee. The main drinks in the U.S. were the oatmilk caffe latte and the iced shaken espresso, with various other beverages on menus around the world.
The decision to remove Oleato from Starbucks menus was made before the chain's new CEO, Brian Niccol, arrived in early September, but it is in line with Niccol's goal of simplifying the menu and making it "easier for our customers to get a cup of coffee," Reuters reported.
What did fans think of Starbucks' olive oil drinks?
The line was quickly met with criticism and negative responses from Starbucks fans around the world, with many thinking it was more gimmick than genius. However, when the line was first released, former CEO Howard Schulz was incredibly enthusiastic about it, writing that he felt he was "on the precipice of such incredible transformation." Diehard Starbucks fans, too, had some optimism at the start, despite the unconventional combination: Italy's La Stampa food critic ranked one Oleato drink a 7 out of 10, which is quite high, considering Italy's frequent pushback on Starbucks' growth. But in the end, the line missed as the drinks were described by fans as too overpowering and heavy.
Other Starbucks fans complained about stomach issues after giving the combo a try. According to one Redditor, the drink was stomachache-inducing. Another called it "so disgusting," stating that the olive oil infusion was "curdled and gathered at the top."
Former interim CEO Laxman Narasimhan recently spoke about Oleato's success, calling it "one of the top five product launches in the last five years in terms of brand awareness and excitement." Despite the lack of love from fans, Oleato certainly stood out and made a lasting impact on Starbucks history.