Oct. 29 (UPI) — Starbucks is ditching its olive oil-infused Oleato coffee, less than a year after it debuted to mixed reviews.
The Seattle-based coffee giant confirmed Tuesday it will remove Oleato coffee from Starbucks menus throughout the United States next month, according to reports from Bloomberg and CNN.
Oleato features olive oil infusions in Starbucks’ espresso-based beverages and foams. Starbucks’ former chief executive officer Howard Schultz introduced the drink following a visit to Italy, where he began mixing olive oil with his morning coffee.
“Oleato began in Sicily when Starbucks founder Howard Schultz was introduced to the daily Mediterranean custom of having a spoonful of olive oil,” according to Starbucks’ website.
“As he sipped his morning coffee, he was inspired to try the two together. There, he unlocked the unexpected: coffee enhanced with lush, velvety flavor that lingers beautifully on the palate,” the coffee giant wrote.
While many of Starbucks’ mixed coffees — including the Pumpkin Spice Latte or Peppermint Mocha — are a big hit, Oleato failed to live up to the hype as olive oil and coffee are both diuretics.
Among the coffees that will be removed from Starbucks’ U.S. menus in November are Oleato Golden Foam Ice Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut and Oleato Caffè Latte with Oatmilk. Starbucks has not revealed whether the olive oil-infused coffees will be removed from international stores, including Italy.
While Oleato coffees garnered mixed reviews from customers, complaining about stomach issues and laxative side effects, Starbucks said it plans to remove the item to “simplify our overly complex menu,” according to current CEO Brian Niccol, who was recruited in August from Chipotle to fix the coffee giant’s lagging sales.
According to numbers released in July, Starbucks sales dropped 3% globally at stores open more than a year with total transactions at North American stores falling 6%.
Last week, Starbucks released preliminary results for its fiscal fourth quarter, showing sales dipping again.
A Starbucks conference call is scheduled for Wednesday with Niccol revealing plans to reverse the trend by simplifying its “overly complex menu,” adjusting its pricing and making sure all drinks are handed directly to customers.
