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10 Reasons Why Starbucks OWNS This Holiday Season!
The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer and there is a slight bite in the air. That’s right, the winter season is upon us. While the weather of winter usually makes us all want to hibernate in our beds for the next few months, it is also cause for celebration as the holiday season is on its way. With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the Starbucks menu and delight on all our faces as our favorite seasonal Starbucks highlights are back. With that in mind, here are the 10 Reasons Why Starbucks Own This Festive Season.
10. Thanksgiving Is Just The Start
To many people, Halloween is the start of the changing of the seasons and the beginning of the holiday season. While this holiday is a funfilled candy extravaganza for both children and adults, it’s thanksgiving that all coffee lovers look forward to. When the leaves start to fall and the weather gets colder, Starbucks starts to roll out its Fall collection of drinks and tasty treats. As the days get shorter, an extra caffeine boost is just what we need and Starbucks is here to help. Whichever festive drink you may be into, most people are all about the Pumpkin spice when it comes to kick-starting the holiday season. The pumpkin spiced latte is the very essence of Thanksgiving, even the smell makes us feel all warm and cozy inside. For anyone who wants to change things up and have something different than a classic latte with their pumpkin spice, never fear as Starbucks has that covered too. The pumpkin spice comes in a frappuccino variety as well as Chai Tea and you can even have it sprinkled on your Hot Chocolate for that extra fall taste. Whichever drink you choose, Starbucks Fall menu is only the start of the festive season.
9. Starbucks Free Cup Day
There are many things that signal the start of the festive season; the first drifts of snow falling from the sky, decorations in the streets, carols drifting through the night air. Out of all these things, one of the big signals of the season is the release of Starbucks’ famous red cup. The Seatle coffee giants have been delighting us with their red coffee cup for almost two decades and each year we wait with bated breath for the new one. With the release of the famed red cup in November 2019, Starbucks promoted a ‘free cup’ day in which anyone who buys a seasonal drink, will get a free, limited edition, reusable red cup. The promotion includes most of Starbucks’ festive menu and even includes using its drive-thru and mobile order and pay app. If receiving a free cup wasn’t enough to get you down to your local Starbucks, then there’s more. If you bring the red cup back for a re-fill, all grande drinks are 50 cents off until January. That’s one great way to start a caffeine-infused holiday season.
8. Holiday Cups
As well as the infamous Red cup that we have already mentioned on our list of Starbucks seasonal highlights, Starbucks is also known for releasing festive-themed cups to its range and 2019 is no different. The colorful and fun cups are always designed to give us a festive smile as we drink our favorite caffeine-filled drinks. Unveiling the cups for 2019’s holiday period, Starbucks has come up with four new yuletide designs that they hope will hit the spot. Polka Dots, which is a simple red cup with green dots. Merry Dance, which is a white cup with the word ‘Merry’ striped around it. Merry Stripes, which is a green coffee cup with the words ‘Merry Coffee’ crisscrossing around it and Candy Cane Stripe, which looks just like a red and white striped candy cane. The idea for these cups comes from wrapping paper. Starbucks wants you to feel like you are unwrapping a special coffee gift each day. While it may not matter a great deal in the grand scheme of the world what kind of cup your coffee comes in, having these little festive patterns each year just adds that little extra joy in our morning routines.
7. Priority For Flights
The festive season is a time for joy, happiness, and goodwill to all mankind. It is also a time for big companies to hit us with their new promotions. During the season of goodwill, many companies look to make some extra money by giving us great deals with their seasonal promotions and Starbucks has some great ones for us. Not only are they bringing us their festive cups; as well as their free Red cup and money off when we reuse it. But Starbucks has also teamed up with Alaska Airlines to make flying that little bit more tolerable this season. All travelers that are flying with a Starbucks holiday cup will be given priority boarding, that’s pretty sweet! Even if you have finished your coffee while you are waiting, as long as you have the cup on your person, they will still give you that priority boarding. If that wasn’t enough, some lucky passengers might find some free Starbucks goodies on their seats. This promotion won’t let you board before the likes of first-class ticket holders and people with frequent flyer status, but it’s still a great promotion to us over the chore that is flying.
6. Toasted White Chocolate Mocha And More
At the beginning of each holiday season comes the excitement of the Starbucks festive drinks menu. With the release of the menu, there is also a lot of anticipation and even trepidation as we yearn to find out what the new festive drinks will be. While Starbucks always offers great coffee in many varieties, the seasonal menu always brings us something new, bold and exciting for us to try. The 2019 menu brings us five great-sounding drinks to its lineup but the one that’s grabbing all the headlines is the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. This drink comes with Starbucks signature espresso poured over a toasted white chocolate mocha sauce. It’s then topped off with steamed milk and candied cranberry sugar. While this isn’t the first time Starbucks has introduced us to this drink, it sure is nice to see it take center stage on their menu. The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha is a drink that will not only satisfy a sweet tooth but will also warm the soul. The other drinks to complete the line up are; the ever-popular Egg Nog Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Brulee Latta and the Peppermint Mocha. The seasonal menu from Starbucks is just another great reason why the own the holiday season.
5. Wait, No Gingerbread Latte?
Speaking of the Starbucks festive drinks menu, some eagle-eyed viewers out there may have noticed that the Gingerbread Latte is not on the list. Not only is it not on our list, but Starbucks has yet to put it on their list and menus. Wait, that can’t be right. Can it? Unfortunately, it does seem to be the case, for the time being anyway. Inspired by the spicy person-shaped cookie, the Gingerbread Latte has been a fan favorite for years and is the coffee drink that a lot of people look forward to when the leaves start to fall from the trees. Needless to say that people weren’t happy and immediately took their anger and frustration out on social media. Many people actually suggested other coffee places that might do a similar drink, but it wouldn’t be the same. Starbucks has yet to release any reason why they aren’t including this drink on their seasonal menu but have instead pushed other items into the foreground. While 2019 looks set to be a sad time for all the Gingerbread Latte fans, don’t despair as Starbucks offers many exciting drinks that will keep you warm this winter. Failing that, they are still reportedly selling the Gingerbread Latte in Canda if anyone wants a trip across the border.
4. Holiday Blend
While Starbucks continues to be a world leader in the coffee shop experience, a lot of people don’t just stop there. While a visit to a Starbucks for that morning caffeine boost on the way to work is part of our daily routine, some people don’t just go to Starbucks, they live Starbucks. Seeing the Starbucks brand as more of a lifestyle, some people want to have that Starbucks freshness in their own homes. While you can buy Starbucks coffee beans and pods in their store, you can also buy your favorite festive coffee with their Holiday Blend range. Each year the Holiday Blend range expands as Starbucks looks to give you that festive feeling in your own kitchen. You can also buy Starbucks coffee in most grocery stores as well. For those of you out there that want more than just coffee from the Starbucks name, you are in luck. Starbucks now sells plenty of non-drink and food items for you to fill that stocking of your loved one. Providing they love Starbucks of course. As well as cups you can get personalized Starbucks mugs, t-shirts, keyrings, earrings, bracelets, phone covers, chargers, candles, the list goes on. There are plenty of ways to show your love for Starbucks over this festive period.
3. Starbucks Holiday Menu
While many of us look forward to the release of the Starbucks festive drinks menu, lots of people are more interested in their foods and treat menu than their coffee. We can’t blame them. After all, what goes better with a nice hot and spiced coffee than some cakes or cookies? Turning to the hot food first, Starbucks brings us a Turkey and Stuffing Panini. All the best bits from a Christmas dinner, Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and gravy, all in a ciabatta roll and then toasted for our pleasure. Yum! If it’s too early to tuck into a Turkey panini, then Starbucks has a ham, egg and Swiss cheese breakfast sandwich that will start your day the right way. Now we come to the treats and a fast way to satisfy that sweet tooth. While the Gingerbread Latte maybe off the festive menu this time, Starbucks is still giving us that spicy ginger goodness in the form of their Gingerbread loaf. Also on the menu to entice us into their store and out of the cold is the famous Snowman Cake pop as well as Snowman cookies. You can also indulge in a Cranberry Bliss bar that no doubt tastes as good as it looks. With all these treats and festive coffees, it’s no wonder that millions of people still flock to their local Starbucks.
2. ‘Merry Coffee’
While the holiday period is a joyous time for most people, it can also be quite a tricky one for big companies to get right. Not only do they need us to buy their products but they can also find themselves in hot water when it comes to advertising their holiday specials. Starbucks is no stranger to controversy around the yuletide period as they continually look for ways to be more inclusive of all of its customers. As the world moves forward into a more socially equal world where religion, race and ethnic background are all respected and appreciated, the word ‘Christmas’ can cause offense to some people. Especially when you are an international coffee shop that has a whole menu devoted to that word and time of year, it can make some people feel left out. In 2015 Starbucks received a lot of backlash when they released their festive mug in a simple red color. No markings or ‘Christmas’ themes, just plain red. The idea was that Starbucks wanted a cup that would unify everyone and not be specific to a certain holiday or religion. In 2019, with the release of their festive menus and cup range, Starbuck used the tagline ‘Merry Coffee’ to bing in the festive cheer. Many people have argued that this is another attempt by Starbucks to dilute the ‘Christmas’ brand but Starbucks themselves have come out said they are doing no such thing. They want everyone to enjoy this special time of year and the ‘Merry Coffee’ tagline is just a playful way to celebrate. They will be decorating their stores with Christmas colors and playing festive carols throughout the season. We personally love ‘Merry Coffee’ and want every year to be a happy coffee kind of year.
1. Starbucks Owns All Year Round
Let’s be honest, Starbucks still owns the coffee scene all year round. While many of us love the festive season and the different seasonal drinks that Starbucks offers, we all happily go there most days and enjoy the coffee from their year-round menu. After all, even if they don’t have a pumpkin spiced latte in February, you know that they will still have a drink that caters to your mood or need. It’s not just the coffee that brings us back daily to Starbucks, the staff has to be mentioned as they are usually friendly and kind, no matter how complicated our coffee order is. And they always try to provide our drinks as quickly as possible, even when there are people lining up out the door. There are also the stores themselves and they have become a haven for people who want a little quiet time or need to focus on some work while enjoying some great coffee. It may have become a bit of a cliche now to see rows of people in a Starbucks, tapping away on their laptops but the reason it has become a cliche is that Starbucks had made it so comfortable and inviting for people to do so. Whether you are serious about your coffee or you are just a casual admirer, Starbucks is still leading the charge when it comes to coffee shops and a coffee brand. We know what you’re thinking and no, we don’t work for Starbucks we just like to show our appreciation of this Seatle based coffee legend.