Starbucks rethinks stance on young customers

“There would be concerns about serving up heavily caffeinated drinks to kids, much like the cola companies have had to deal with,” he said. “So it’s something that they have to be careful about.”

In addition to the caffeine in Starbucks drinks, some nutritionists have raised red flags about Starbucks delicacies such as its frozen Frappuccinos, the most indulgent of which are packed with more calories than a McDonald’s Big Mac.

“Starbucks has lots of sweetened, cold, high-calorie caffeinated beverages that in some cases will contribute to weight gain, (and) in other cases are replacing healthier foods in the diet,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates for better nutrition.

He notes that the company also has a bakery case full of cookies, scones and other high-calorie baked goods that are likely to tempt kids and teens.

“It’s not terribly different from drinking soda pop and eating Hostess Twinkies,” he said.

Starbucks’ Borrman said the company has healthier options in addition to its higher-calorie drinks.

But Jacobson worries that teenagers aren’t necessarily going to make a healthy choice, especially when surrounded by a group of friends. Adell Ahmed, 15, and two friends recently ordered tall Caramel Frappuccinos at a New York City Starbucks.

Asked whether the drink they had ordered contained caffeine, they all said, “I don’t know.”

But the three did say they were keenly aware of the brand — whether Starbucks has been trying to market to them or not.

“You see it in commercials, sometimes on billboards, and people in movies drink Starbucks sometimes,” Ahmed said.

Jacobson, the nutrition advocate, said he would like to see the company list calories more prominently on its menus and more overtly promote its smaller, eight-ounce size. But he doubts adding more nutritional choices, such as fruit juice or carrot sticks, would dissuade young customers from ordering the higher-calorie beverages.

“I don’t think anybody’s going to pass a law saying you have to be 18 to get into a Starbucks … so I think it’s just a phenomenon we’re just going to live with,” he said.

Thanks to Starbucks’ exploding growth and popularity over the past 10 years, many young customers are essentially growing up with the stores. Starbucks currently has about 10,000 U.S. locations, and the company expects that number to eventually double.

John Huddleston, 9, gets a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino — a non-coffee beverage — every week or two. He has been a regular at the store since he was 7, but for now he snubs the caffeinated beverages.

“I don’t like coffee that much,” he said.

Melody Esteves, 13, visits Starbucks a few times a week, often with friends. The New York City resident said she has been a regular since she was 11, often opting for white chocolate mochas or flavored iced tea.

“The thing is addictive,” she said of Starbucks.

Owens, the analyst, notes that Starbucks also has other challenges as more kids come to its stores, including the fact that Starbucks are meant to be seen as a “third place,” between work and home, where adults can relax with a book, newspaper or laptop. That down time can be ruined by a loud group of teenagers or a passel of kids running around while their parents sip lattes.

Borrman said issues such as those are handled at the individual store level.

“Obviously it’s of primary importance to us that all of our customers can enjoy our stores,” he said.

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