People have been accusing a Starbucks barista of crossing the line.
They wrote a secret message on a customer’s cup – and, in doing so, sparked a heated debate.
But before we get into that story, here are a few hacks you can use to save money at Starbucks…
An iced latte…
While totally delicious, is a very simple drink. It’s made out of espresso shots and milk (over ice, obviously).
With that being said, you could ask for a triple shot of espresso over ice in a Venti cup…
And then add your own milk (and yes, they have it available at the condiment station, but it’s much more classy if you can take your drink home or to work and add your own milk).
If you’re chilling at the ‘Bucks (that’s what the kids say, right?), you can get a refill for a mere 50 cents.
As long as you ordered either hot or iced coffee or hot or iced tea. 50 cents? What a deal!
Not only that, but at most stores, you can use your refill to get one of the other refillable beverages.
So, you could order a hot coffee, then get an iced tea as your refill.
If you enjoy a good chai latte, this next Starbucks hack is for you…
Instead of ordering a chai latte, try getting a hot chai tea and asking for them to add hot milk.
If you want it sweetened, you’ll have to add that yourself, but this drink is still super cozy and tasty!
Not only is it an environmentally friendly thing to do, but it will also save you 10 cents each time you do it.
Hey, we said we’d save you money, not that we’d save you a lot of money.
Do you like the Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Of course you do. Unfortunately, it’s only available for a few weeks out of the year. Unless…
You can recreate the iced version by ordering a triple shot over ice with a side of chai and another side of white chocolate mocha.
It’s about $1 less than the actual drink and, of course, is available year-round.
If you’ve never had a dirty chai (chai latte + espresso), you are missing out.
If you have had it and want to recreate the same taste for less, order a regular latte and ask for your barista to add chai syrup. It won’t taste exactly the same, but with the money you’re saving, you’re probably not going to mind. This next hack is for a drink that’s 100 percent free!
OK, it’s only water, but stay tuned — there’s another free drink coming up!
The tap water at Starbucks is filtered, so rather than spending money on a water bottle, ask politely for a cup of ice water. (Note: Your best bet is to do this at a time the store isn’t crazy busy!)
If you’re getting coffee with a friend (or are feeling particularly thirsty), you may want to order a French press coffee instead of two separate coffees.
A French press holds a few cups of coffee, so you’ll get more bang for your buck.
At most Starbucks stores, the iced teas in the pitcher are brewed at twice the concentration and then watered down.
If you order it with no water, you’ll get twice the flavor for the same price. Did you know there’s a size smaller than “Tall”? Here’s the info…
When ordering a cappuccino, consider getting a “Short” rather than a “Tall”.
It’s one size smaller but has the same amount of espresso. With that being said, share these hacks with someone who fancies a bit of Starbucks.
But despite the list given…
There are few customers who go a bit too much to try and save a couple of bucks.
Recently, a worker from one of the coffee chains shocked TikTok…
After she exposed an attempt made by a customer to get a free beverage.
Sinead Robbin, the barista at the coffee shop, posted an image of a label.
It showed a customer had purchased a 5-cent bag in the Starbucks app.
The customer then tried to include their drink order in the ‘order request’ section, so they would only have to pay 5-cent for their drink.
The customer wrote, “Hi, could I please have a grande strawberry creme frap with no whipped cream and a strawless lid.”
“This is not a Starbucks hack,” the Barista said after the encounter.
“It was a little bit funny, but it won’t work. We canceled the order.”
The barista urged people not to attempt the hack, as it would not work in any of the Starbucks chains.
The TikTok has gained quite the reaction online, with one user writing: “I would’ve poured the frappe into the bag.”
A second added: “Teenagers watching too many ‘hacks’ on TikToks lol.”
But now, a new Starbucks story has sparked a fierce debate.
Texas woman Brandy Selim Roberson first shared the story on Facebook.
After an employee shared a secret message with a customer via their cup.
They saw the young girl being approached by an older man.
And wrote, “Are you okay? Do you want us to intervene? If you do, take the lid off the cup.”
Roberson wrote in the caption: “My 18-year-old daughter was at Starbucks, alone, the other night. A man came up to her and started talking to her. A barista handed her ‘an extra hot chocolate someone forgot to pick up’.
“How grateful I am for people who look out for other people! Side note: She felt safe and did not remove the lid, but let them know. She said the whole team was watching over her the rest of the time she was there. Thank you to Starbucks for having a great team.”
“As a father of a daughter, I’m glad people are still looking out,” one person commented.
Another agreed: “In today’s society more people should be proactive like this. You just never know what a situation really is. Kudos to the alert Starbuck’s staff. Never be silent and always ask.”
However, others disagreed.
“And some people wonder why so many young men have never approached a woman,” wrote singer Phil Labonte.
Whose side are you on?