The high-protein trend is coming for your Starbucks order
Business Insider2 days
Starbucks Testing Healthy Menu Items Amid Sales Decline
Above: Customers enter a Starbucks coffee shop in New York, U.S., on Monday, July 28, 2025. Image copyright: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
These health-focused innovations represent a smart pivot toward growing consumer demand for wellness products. The protein cold foam taps into the booming fitness market while coconut water beverages offer natural hydration with reduced sugar. With cold foam sales already up 23%, adding protein creates a functional benefit that justifies premium pricing and builds customer loyalty.
Narrative B
This menu overhaul is clearly a desperate attempt to hide deeper operational issues by relying on trendy ingredients. With six consecutive quarters of declining sales, it's evident that coconut water and protein foam will not resolve the fundamental problems at hand. Wellness experiments are nothing but costly distractions from the real challenges the business must confront — Starbucks is losing customer goodwill on multiple fronts.