Starbucks will introduce Oleato drinks infused with olive oil nationwide

Paresh Jadhav

10 months ago

Starting on March 23 at select cafes and premium reserve stores across the U.S., Starbucks’ olive oil-infused Oleato beverages will launch across America as an expansion from their initial debut in Italy. Offerings such as an Iced Shaken Espresso made with oat milk and Golden Foam Cold Brew with hazelnut flavor will also be made available later this spring in Seattle and Los Angeles stores – featuring Nocellara del Belice extra virgin olive oil from Partanna, Sicily for an aromatic taste!

Howard Schultz first had the idea to add olive oil to coffee after meeting an olive oil producer in Sicily last year, according to the company. Since then he has become an avid consumer of this fatty condiment while working with his in-house team on formulating new recipes for this new coffee line.

Starbucks CMO Brady Brewer told Yahoo Finance that Oleato was developed based on trends and hopes it will resonate with customers. “People want personalized beverages, and our recent results show when we offer ingredients like alternative milks or syrups we see a significant uptick in sales,” she stated. Oleato is therefore a natural outgrowth of this trend.

Although many consumers enjoy olive oil-infused elixirs, others aren’t fans. Some become nauseous after drinking one according to one barista on a Starbucks Reddit thread; others don’t care for the sheen left by olive oil in their cup or its aftertaste.

Many are concerned that olive oil is not a nutritious ingredient and could potentially make them feel bloated or sick; however, according to Brewer, Starbucks does not make any health claims with their line; they simply aim to appeal to consumers who appreciate incorporating olive oil into their daily diets.

Analysts remain uncertain that Starbucks’ latest lineup will find favor with consumers, particularly given the challenging retail environment in which it operates – with sales growth slowing in the U.S., stock prices declining and an ongoing trade war between America and China. Starbucks executives remain confident in its long-term success, noting its growing global footprint, rising product demand and customized beverages as indicators of this.

Furthermore, the chain plans on offering cold brew on tap in stores worldwide in 2018. Starbucks continues to update their menu with limited-edition offerings, while also providing customers with an option of including Partanna extra virgin olive oil as a topping to any drink purchased at company-operated locations in both the U.S. and abroad – plans include expanding this service to Japan and Middle Eastern stores this year – in the meantime they plan on beginning trials of cold brew brewed using oat milk sometime this month in the UK.