Considering the recent uniform changes at Starbucks, it's easy to see that the company is definitely in the spirit of innovation this season. They recently added a twist to their traditional fall menu—for a limited time only—and introduced a new concept, Starbucks Barista Originals, in which they let baristas at each store location experiment and create their own special recipes for all to enjoy.
According to Starbucks' marketing manager Sarah Spencer, “At the beginning of the fall season, we saw a lot of excitement around fall flavors...We wanted to tap into our baristas’ beverage artistry by giving them the opportunity to create new fall-inspired drink recipes to share with customers in their stores."
This is a great idea to increase local store unity where customers can get to know the baristas and experience a local taste while exploring different options and come out of their habitual comfort zones.
For example, at my local Starbucks (which happens to be conveniently located across from my room, #goals) there is a frappuccino called The Great White Pumpkin invented by one of the baristas, Nichole. In essence, it is a vanilla bean frapp with two pumpkin spice pumps, chocolate chips topped off with pumpkin spice whip cream (which if you haven't tried yet...What are you waiting for?) and it is so good.
And yes, you can now get mugs/cups at select Starbucks locations. Next time you're staying in-house, opt for a more sustainable option!
Here's another #BaristaOriginals creation you should try: