Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Mar 19, 2026

Starbucks is running out of oat milk a month after adding it to menus nationwide

Starbucks is running out of oat milk a month after adding it to menus nationwide

Just as Grape Nuts come back to stores, Americans are faced with yet another shortage — this time, of oat milk at some Starbucks cafes.

Starbucks rolled out oat milk lattes at about 1,300 stores in the Midwest last year. It added Oatly-brand oat milk to the menu nationally in March.

But now, a mere month later, some Starbucks' oat milk fans say they have found themselves unable to order their new favorite drinks.

Some are particularly put out by the absence of the iced brown sugar shaken espresso, made with oat milk, which has amassed its own fans online (one favorably compared it to "a brown sugar pop tart.")

Others want oat milk or nothing. "Just throw my whole drink away tbh," wrote one sad Twitter user. Another used no fewer than 12 cry-face emojis to express their pain.

Starbucks said on Tuesday that some locations were out of oat milk but didn't specify how widespread the problem was.

"Due to high demand, some customers may experience a temporary shortage of oat milk at their store," a Starbucks spokesperson told CNN Business on Tuesday, adding that customers can expect oat milk to be back "soon" without offering a specific time frame. In the meantime, they might consider swapping in soy milk, almond milk or coconut milk instead, the company suggested.

Starbucks is not attributing the shortage to the popularity of specific beverages, the spokesperson said, but noted that the drinks launched this spring have been resonating with customers. Those include the brown sugar espresso, as well as an  iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso and a honey oat milk latte.

The coffee chain has leaned into its oat milk lineup as consumer demand for plant-based milk alternatives continues to grow. US oat milk sales grew 138% over the past year, according to Nielsen data.

"Probably the most dominant shift in consumer behavior is this whole shift to plant-based," said Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson during a January call with analysts. "This is why we've introduced all the alternative milks, whether it's almond milk, soy milk [or] oat milk," he said.

Oatly has also been getting attention.

Over the summer, the company scored a $200 million investment from a Blackstone-led investment group that included Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, Jay-Z's entertainment agency and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. In February, it said it filed confidential IPO forms with the SEC. The move is "the first official step towards pursuing a potential IPO," Sara Fletcher, an Oatly spokesperson, said at the time.

As Starbucks (SBUX) sees high demand for its oat milk products, Oatly, its supplier, is struggling with its own problems. The company has struggled with supply constraints because of pandemic-related construction delays on a facility in Utah, which was supposed to open last year and is only starting to come online now, Oatly said.

Starbucks and Oatly didn't comment on whether the supply constraints were directly related to the temporary shortages that some Starbucks locations are facing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Reports Drone Strike on Key Red Sea Refinery in Yanbu
United States Urges Citizens to Leave Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Regional Conflict
Former Media Executive Chronicles Rise of Saudi Crown Prince in New Book
Saudi Aramco–Exxon Refinery in Yanbu Targeted in Latest Wave of Iranian Attacks
Greek-Operated Patriot System Intercepts Iranian Missiles Over Saudi Arabia
Asian Refiners Urge Saudi Arabia to Revise Oil Pricing as War Upends Markets
Arab and Muslim Ministers Convene in Riyadh to Coordinate Response to Iran Crisis
Saudi Arabia Expands Global Partnerships to Accelerate Vision 2030 Transformation
Europe and Japan Signal Readiness to Help Secure Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Crisis
Saudi Arabia Signals Firm Stance as Iranian-Linked Attacks Intensify
U.S. Lawmakers Press Rubio to Enforce Strong Safeguards in Saudi Nuclear Deal
Iran Issues Evacuation Warning to Gulf States After Strike on Major Gas Field
Saudi Arabia to Convene Arab and Islamic Ministers for Urgent Talks on Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Confirms Eid al-Fitr as Moon Sighting Determines End of Ramadan
Saudi Arabia Boosts Crude Exports to Highest Levels Since 2023, Data Shows
Iran Issues Warning to Gulf Energy Infrastructure Following Strike on Major Gas Field
Saudi Arabia Restarts Ras Tanura Refinery Following Drone Strike, Reinforcing Energy Resilience
Saudi Arabia Restarts Ras Tanura Refinery Following Drone Strike, Reinforcing Energy Resilience
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Ballistic Missiles Targeting Riyadh Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Restores Significant Oil Flows Using Hormuz Bypass Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Signals Potential Activation of Defence Pact with Pakistan Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Saudi Supreme Court Urges Muslims to Observe Crescent Moon for Eid Determination
Saudi Supreme Court Urges Muslims to Observe Crescent Moon for Eid Determination
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Iran Strategy as Regional Conflict Tests MBS’s Diplomatic Bet
Iran Steps Up Drone Strikes on Saudi Oil Sites, Heightening Risks to Global Supply
Regional Fallout Grows as Iran Conflict Sends Shockwaves Across Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Seven Drones in Intensifying Regional Security Threat
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Seven Drones in Intensifying Regional Security Threat
Saudi Arabia Weighs Regional Risks as Iran Conflict Deepens and Security Calculations Shift
Gulf States Confront Limits of U.S. Protection as Regional War Intensifies
Gulf Producers Rush to Reroute Oil Exports as Iran Tightens Control of Hormuz Strait
Saudi Gaming Investment Arm Acquires Strategic Stake in Capcom to Expand Global Influence
Iran Intensifies Strikes on Saudi Oil Infrastructure as Regional War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Targets South African Professionals in New Recruitment Drive Amid Regional Uncertainty
Formula One Faces Major Financial Hit as Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Cancelled Amid Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Saudi Firms Launch Local Production of Attritable Drone Systems in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and UAE Warn Rising Gulf Tensions Could Endanger Regional Security
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Encouraged Prolonged War With Iran
Saudi Arabia to Host World’s Largest Single-Cell Protein Plant as Food Security Push Accelerates
Saudi Crown Prince Urges Trump to Continue Military Pressure on Iran
Iran Intensifies Drone Campaign Against Saudi Arabia as Gulf Conflict Escalates
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Washington State Pilot Among Six U.S. Airmen Killed in Military Aircraft Crash Over Iraq
Severe Storm Threat Looms Over Washington as Tornado Risk and Damaging Winds Target Mid-Atlantic
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Saudi Stocks Edge Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Slips Slightly at Market Close
×