"Should I Say Something?" — Woman Reveals Starbucks Didn't Fill Her Drink to the Top
Published Nov. 1 2023, 11:10 a.m. ET
Everyone knows that when you open a bag of chips, it's almost always half-filled. It's incredibly disappointing because we expect those bags of deliciousness to be filled to the very top — but instead, we come face-to-face with unwanted empty space (wow, look at us rhyming!) Anyway, if you don't know where we're going with this, you will soon.
In October 2023, TikTok creator Emily Reidy (@emilyiscaffeinated) revealed that Starbucks is doing the same thing as these potato chip manufacturers. Yes, that's right — Starbucks doesn't fill their drinks to the top.
Keep reading for all the known details, and stick around to hear what social media thinks about this revelation.
This woman pointed out that Starbucks didn't fill her drink to the top.
"I need to know if anyone else's Starbucks has been doing this," Emily wrote in a text overlay of the viral video before ranting about her recent trip to the wildly popular coffeehouse chain. As usual, Emily went to Starbucks after the gym, but she wasn't happy with her order. Why is that? Well, it wasn't filled to the top.
"I ordered a Grande cold brew, and this is what I got," Emily informed her followers before holding her drink up to her camera, which appeared to have a ton of empty space at the top of the cup. "I didn't take a sip out of it yet. Should I be upset? Should I say something next time? Someone, please let me know."
In the end, Emily reiterated that she didn't "take a single sip" before asking viewers, "Is this acceptable? I don't know ... should my cup be filled more?" Um, yes! There shouldn't be that much empty space, wouldn't you agree?
Many fellow Starbucks lovers have also received half-full drinks.
As of now, Emily's video has been viewed more than 6,000 times and counting. It also received many comments from fellow TikTokers and Starbucks enthusiasts who revealed that their drinks haven't been filled to the top for quite some time. Seriously, what the heck is going on?! We need to get to the bottom of this ASAP.
"Mine have been looking like this too," one person said alongside two loudly crying emojis. A second TikToker agreed, writing, "Same :( it’s so inconsistent all the time." Yeah, that's just unacceptable.
"My cold foam cold brew was almost HALF cold foam last week," a third user revealed. "I was shook, but I'd never say anything." Well, you should've said something because you paid for that drink!
Another person commented, "I don't know why they've been doing that. They do it all the time to the Apple Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at my [Starbucks], and I'm like ?? Why this drink only?"
A few Starbucks baristas took to the comment section and suggested Emily say something next time: "As a Starbucks barista, yes, say something "[You're] paying $5-$12 for a drink, so it's completely valid!!" one barista said.
Another one responded, "As a Starbucks barista, that is not OK... every time I see a drink not filled all the way, I take it back to [the] bar and tell them to fill it." Yes, we love that!
Someone told Emily her drink wasn't filled to the top because the barista added light ice. The TikTok user added, "The drink amount is measured, but ice can vary if they aren't careful."
Emily replied, "OK, then why sometimes, if I ask for a drink with no ice, it's all the way filled?"
In response, the TikTok user penned, "Because it's standard to do that. But for a normal iced drink, the top line is the drink amount. The rest is ice, and ice is always last. The ice scoops are [designed] for each cup size, so sometimes if the scoop isn't filled completely level or the cubes are chunky, it can throw it off."