Does Starbucks really offer 87,000 drink combinations?

By Mack D. Male · April 3, 2008 at 7:15pm

I’ve written in the past about Starbucks and how it claims to offer 87,000 different drink combinations. I haven’t ever questioned that number though, and in retrospect I really should have. Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal’s Numbers Guy did question it:

Over the following weeks, I placed several phone calls and sent several emails, but didn’t get an explanation for the calculation. Nor could the company tell me who did the math. “It’s something a statistician put together, based on our menu board,” Starbucks spokeswoman Lisa Passe told me. “If you take all of our core beverages, multiply them by the modifiers and the customization options, you get more than 87,000 combinations.” She said a spreadsheet contained the relevant calculation, but added, “it’s not something we’ve ever circulated.”

Turns out he never did get a straight answer. The math isn’t simple. You’d have to know all of the various syrups, sizes, milk options, cream options, etc. You’d have to know all of the drinks and bean types, and you’d have to keep up with menu changes. I’m not surprised that no one seems to know the true answer. It would be nice if Starbucks could justify their marketing somehow, though.

I guess at the end of the day it doesn’t matter much. Even if it’s closer to 8700 than 87,000 the simple fact remains, there’s no shortage of choice at Starbucks.

Read: The Numbers Guy

Starbucks: 87,000 Drink Combinations

By Mack D. Male · December 18, 2006 at 9:27pm

And you thought deciding between a Grande and a Venti was hard! In the December 18th issue of Time there is a really great article about Starbucks and the challenges it faces as it grows. Currently there are around 12,440 locations worldwide and the goal is to expand to 40,000 – more than even McDonald’s. Also included in accompanying graphics are some interesting stats, such as the number of drink combinations:

Historically, Starbucks has done a great job at balancing new ideas with efficiency, says Frances Frei, a professor at Harvard business school who has studied the company. A classic example: the way it trains us to order in Starbucks jargon, grande this and half-caff that. Serving tens of thousands of possible drink combinations would be an operational nightmare were it not for a regimented logic to ordering, a marketing flourish that helps establish the atmosphere of an Italian café.

I always chuckle when people walk into Starbucks and order a non-fat, extra-hot, double-shot, no-whip, blah blah blah kind of drink. Why do they even bother drinking the coffee? I had never really thought about these combinations from the perspective of Starbucks, however. When you consider the 87,000 possible combinations, it’s amazing that half of Starbucks locations average 3 minutes per customer (less than 60% do according to the article).

I’ll probably still chuckle when someone orders what sounds to me like an incredibly complex drink, but at least now I’ll know this: it could have been worse!

Read: Time

Eggnog Season

By Mack D. Male · November 25, 2005 at 11:35am

I mentioned earlier this month that the Starbucks Christmas Drinks are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and the Eggnog Latte is far and away my favorite (a quick search reveals I mentioned this in 2004 too). I think it’s because I like Eggnog itself so much! Last night I went grocery shopping with Kim and Tom, and bought a litre of Eggnog. As I poured myself a glass in the office, Dickson (who hates eggnog, by the way) asked why they only sell it during the holidays. Good question, and I haven’t found a really good answer. This one is the best I could find:

Today eggnog is used in a very different way. Now stores only sell eggnog around the holidays because eggnog is seen strictly as a holiday drink. Wealthy Brits often celebrated eggnog because it was a new drink that would not spoil. Considering that refrigerators were not yet invented, this was a big deal. This may be an explanation for why it is only served around the time of cheer and celebration. For some, eggnog is a drink that is symbolic of the holiday season in general.

I also found an interesting eggnog history, a recipe for Holiday Eggnog from the Alberta Egg Producers, and a bunch more recipes for things like Chocolate Eggnog and Eggnog Martinis. If you want to try my favorite holiday drink, pour some rum into your eggnog!