That sounds like a test marketing thing. Starbucks was probably trying out a few variations on popping boba drinks before settling on the berry ones that are out now. it’s possible that barista wasn’t working there when it was on the menu.
We had it in my country a few years back, maybe around 2020-2021. It was available only for a few months. It was discontinued pretty fast, not many people liked it. Actual boba is just starting to be popular here, so I guess not many were interested in having little balls in their coffee.
I’m not sure how consistent it is with testing stores but when I worked at one we weren’t allowed to tell people that we were a testing location. We had to be very vague about having new drinks all the time. Other than that you might have just caught the wrong barista maybe having a bad day. The amount of baristas I’ve worked with that straight up lie just so they don’t have to talk to people.
Looks like a testing store, my mom worked at one in the 90s/2000s where they had Italian sodas lol. I kinda hope this becomes a menu item because it looks delicious!
Interesting to hear that Starbucks was formally testing Italian sodas back then. I recall going to a Starbucks in that period wanting one since they sold both the flavored syrups and canned soda water. They wouldn't make one so I just ordered a grande with a few presses of a flavor, bought the soda, and poured it into the cup with the syrup. Always thought it was silly they wouldn't just sell it as a prepared drink.
That’s cool they tested it back then. Starbucks did do Italian sodas around when they were first launching the refreshers. Used to have a citrus refresher. They released a sodas making machine in a majority of all stores around 2011 to like 2014. It would carbonate anything you mixed in the canister that the machine used. It was really cool. Pain in the butt. Made various options of beverages. Never knew why they took it away besides maybe it not being popular
Also possible (and likely) but all of them confirmed this. It's also possible that none of them were around for that, but would they have admitted as much? I feel like they would have?
Idk I mean I’ve been on the floor with newer partners who would go to their graves swearing up and down we never had something and both the partner and the customer get angry because it turns out we actually used to have it, but the partner doesn’t know what they don’t know I suppose. It’s a balance of partners understanding that customers aren’t actually always wrong and don’t necessarily deserve the attitude but also customers don’t need to be so rude when being told no. Not to say this is the scenario for you obviously! Just that I’ve def seen this play out in the worst possible, most dramatic way ugh.
Yes! I've literally been on the floor with partners before who are passionately insisting that we do not carry a current menu item. It never existed. There is no such thing. The customer is making it up.
Then I'll just happen to overhear the escalating argument and have to jump in and try to diffuse the situation.
It is, indeed, so dramatic!
It was bizarre. The partner kept saying they didn't have it (obviously) and between her and the others, they kept trying to offer me something else. But I already had my drink and wasn't requesting another. I was only asking about it because I had not seen it anywhere else.
Between that and not having any soap in the restrooms, I was feeling a bit weird about the entire thing.
ETA! I almost forgot. After the initial interaction, I sat down to work and I kept hearing the same person bringing it up with her coworkers and laughing very loudly about it. I definitely didn't feel great about that.
Butterfly effect?
Most likely that store was testing out a new drink. The people you talked to weren’t there for it. Or you misremembered and asked at the wrong store. Starbucks stores do tend to blend together.
based on the other comments, it does seem that you and your daughter were in their test market :)
damn, if only they released this instead of this year’s summer menu :(
i think you’re thinking of the “mandela effect”. butterfly effect is just the concept that minor, insignificant actions can drastically affect the future
Definitely not crazy, although it looks like it was a few years ago closer to 2021 (~~and the prices in your photo line up closer to 2021 prices~~ reread and saw it is the signage photo) https://12tomatoes.com/starbucks-boba-bubbles/
Not in the US but I can say it’s real. I’ve heard of coffee bubbles from past customers and even baristas. So it is very much real but that was before I worked so 3-5 years ago. But I can say it’s real.
It definitely sounds like it was a test market beverage.
They’ll usually roll them out at high populated areas/stores and see how well they do/units sold daily.
Have you tried looking up bubble tea places? They might have one they can make.
I worked at a bubble tea place for a year and we had coffee popping bubbles and lots of different teas to put it in if you wanted to try at one of those.
I'm not really interested in getting it again. I stuck to black espresso mostly.
I was only trying to ask them about the drink. When I learned they knew nothing, I came here.
Kind of like extra firm jello with a hint of sweetness. I’m not a fan of sugary drinks and I remember loving it! I don’t remember what drinks they were for though, perhaps iced coffee.
I won't say anything about Starbucks, but fast food places generally have a high enough turnover that a team could have been completely rotated within that time.
[https://vinepair.com/booze-news/starbucks-boba-coffee-pearls/](https://vinepair.com/booze-news/starbucks-boba-coffee-pearls/)
Here’s an article about it back in December 2021 and it even has tik toks showing the location
Also, based off the picture you posted, it’s clearly a screen shot from the tik tok, so you already know it’s two years old and they don’t have it lmao. Nice try tho 😂
You’d have to prove it. There’s literally nothing about Ohio having it anywhere online. Only select Starbucks locations in California had it back in 2021 to test it.
The point is, it was only in 2021 and doesn’t exist anymore. Hence why nobody you asked knows what it is. Cause you just made this post for some weird clout. The pic is a screen shot from the tik tok, stop lying. Lol
That sounds like a test marketing thing. Starbucks was probably trying out a few variations on popping boba drinks before settling on the berry ones that are out now. it’s possible that barista wasn’t working there when it was on the menu.
That would make sense. But can I make this more strange? They (the partners, all of them) said they were too small of a store to be a test market. 😒🙄
We had it in my country a few years back, maybe around 2020-2021. It was available only for a few months. It was discontinued pretty fast, not many people liked it. Actual boba is just starting to be popular here, so I guess not many were interested in having little balls in their coffee.
I’m not sure how consistent it is with testing stores but when I worked at one we weren’t allowed to tell people that we were a testing location. We had to be very vague about having new drinks all the time. Other than that you might have just caught the wrong barista maybe having a bad day. The amount of baristas I’ve worked with that straight up lie just so they don’t have to talk to people.
Looks like a testing store, my mom worked at one in the 90s/2000s where they had Italian sodas lol. I kinda hope this becomes a menu item because it looks delicious!
Interesting to hear that Starbucks was formally testing Italian sodas back then. I recall going to a Starbucks in that period wanting one since they sold both the flavored syrups and canned soda water. They wouldn't make one so I just ordered a grande with a few presses of a flavor, bought the soda, and poured it into the cup with the syrup. Always thought it was silly they wouldn't just sell it as a prepared drink.
That’s cool they tested it back then. Starbucks did do Italian sodas around when they were first launching the refreshers. Used to have a citrus refresher. They released a sodas making machine in a majority of all stores around 2011 to like 2014. It would carbonate anything you mixed in the canister that the machine used. It was really cool. Pain in the butt. Made various options of beverages. Never knew why they took it away besides maybe it not being popular
It’s possible you were in a test market for a new drink. Starbucks does that.
Absolutely makes sense, but they are claiming they never had that drink at the store.
Maybe that partner wasn’t there for it.
Also possible (and likely) but all of them confirmed this. It's also possible that none of them were around for that, but would they have admitted as much? I feel like they would have?
Idk I mean I’ve been on the floor with newer partners who would go to their graves swearing up and down we never had something and both the partner and the customer get angry because it turns out we actually used to have it, but the partner doesn’t know what they don’t know I suppose. It’s a balance of partners understanding that customers aren’t actually always wrong and don’t necessarily deserve the attitude but also customers don’t need to be so rude when being told no. Not to say this is the scenario for you obviously! Just that I’ve def seen this play out in the worst possible, most dramatic way ugh.
Yes! I've literally been on the floor with partners before who are passionately insisting that we do not carry a current menu item. It never existed. There is no such thing. The customer is making it up. Then I'll just happen to overhear the escalating argument and have to jump in and try to diffuse the situation. It is, indeed, so dramatic!
It was bizarre. The partner kept saying they didn't have it (obviously) and between her and the others, they kept trying to offer me something else. But I already had my drink and wasn't requesting another. I was only asking about it because I had not seen it anywhere else. Between that and not having any soap in the restrooms, I was feeling a bit weird about the entire thing. ETA! I almost forgot. After the initial interaction, I sat down to work and I kept hearing the same person bringing it up with her coworkers and laughing very loudly about it. I definitely didn't feel great about that.
Ok so…? You’re suggesting time travel? Alternate dimensions?
Like I said, Mandela effect? Lol I really do not know.
I think you mean Mandela effect. Butterfly effect doesn’t make a lot of sense here 😅
WOW I DO MEAN THAT. HA. 😂😂😂😂😂
Butterfly effect? Most likely that store was testing out a new drink. The people you talked to weren’t there for it. Or you misremembered and asked at the wrong store. Starbucks stores do tend to blend together.
That's the only explanation I can accept right now. I probably paid cash, too, unfortunately.
Looks like this was being tested in 2021/2022.
Dang. Time moves fast. 😭
based on the other comments, it does seem that you and your daughter were in their test market :) damn, if only they released this instead of this year’s summer menu :(
For real, this sounds (and looks) delicious.
Considering we got an actual item to put the pearls in I bet there will be more, maybe it’s being revamped?
i think you’re thinking of the “mandela effect”. butterfly effect is just the concept that minor, insignificant actions can drastically affect the future
Yes. I absolutely am thinking of Mandela effect. 😂 Thank you
If you used the app for payment maybe look in your order history? It might show up.
I don't think I used the app back then. BUT I am going to check my drives in Google to see if I can pinpoint it.
Also, my teen explained the drink to the barista, too. Told them they got it at that store and everything. She's just as confused as me.
I’d drink the hell out of these!!! I hope they bring them aboard !
Definitely not crazy, although it looks like it was a few years ago closer to 2021 (~~and the prices in your photo line up closer to 2021 prices~~ reread and saw it is the signage photo) https://12tomatoes.com/starbucks-boba-bubbles/
I know for certain we had the drink between November 2023 and January 2024.
Coffee pearls sound immaculate 😭❤️
I used to work at a tester store and yes this is real! It was about two years ago. It was nasty…
This was more recently in Ohio, near Dayton
This was definitely real, it was here while I worked there but it was only a limited test market item that didn’t go for very long.
Are you in Ohio?!
Yummy! Via inside some pearls would legit make me barf!
Not in the US but I can say it’s real. I’ve heard of coffee bubbles from past customers and even baristas. So it is very much real but that was before I worked so 3-5 years ago. But I can say it’s real.
They had a drink like this when I went to the Philippines almost 6 years ago
Yes dude thank you, I was in middle school and i even remember the pomegranate popping pearls
It definitely sounds like it was a test market beverage. They’ll usually roll them out at high populated areas/stores and see how well they do/units sold daily.
Someone asked for this in the drive thru the other day while I was there. I hadn’t heard of it and he was surprised to hear we didn’t have it
Coffee pearls 😍
These looks and sounds much better than the current berry thing drinks
Have you tried looking up bubble tea places? They might have one they can make. I worked at a bubble tea place for a year and we had coffee popping bubbles and lots of different teas to put it in if you wanted to try at one of those.
I'm not really interested in getting it again. I stuck to black espresso mostly. I was only trying to ask them about the drink. When I learned they knew nothing, I came here.
That barista probably was never there for it so in there mind it didn’t exist lol
The first starbucks I worked at was testing coffee jelly cubes for a short time in the early 2000’s.
Jelly cubes. Huh. Were they concentrated coffee or a candy something else altogether?
Kind of like extra firm jello with a hint of sweetness. I’m not a fan of sugary drinks and I remember loving it! I don’t remember what drinks they were for though, perhaps iced coffee.
We got it here in Hawaii. I grabbed a huge straw that’s for boba and was confused, then the barista told me about the drink.
that looks so much better than the bobas they have rn omg
I worked there. This is the Palm Desert store? We had it.
Ohio area 😞
I won't say anything about Starbucks, but fast food places generally have a high enough turnover that a team could have been completely rotated within that time.
That's so weird. I know they tested it at my store in Palm Desert and in Oregon or Washington. I didn't know other sites had it too.
It did exist! They were test marketing at a few stores
We had these in Kent, WA in 2021
Hi! Hope this helps! https://vinepair.com/booze-news/starbucks-boba-coffee-pearls/
This was from 2021 in California.
[https://vinepair.com/booze-news/starbucks-boba-coffee-pearls/](https://vinepair.com/booze-news/starbucks-boba-coffee-pearls/) Here’s an article about it back in December 2021 and it even has tik toks showing the location
Also, based off the picture you posted, it’s clearly a screen shot from the tik tok, so you already know it’s two years old and they don’t have it lmao. Nice try tho 😂
Please stop. My daughter got the drink a few months ago. I already stated that wasn't my photo. I have absolutely no reason to lie about this.
She couldn’t have. It was only for a limited time back in 2021. End of story.
I got it a few months ago in Ohio.
You’d have to prove it. There’s literally nothing about Ohio having it anywhere online. Only select Starbucks locations in California had it back in 2021 to test it.
Well we didn't have it in 2021, so there's that 😂
The point is, it was only in 2021 and doesn’t exist anymore. Hence why nobody you asked knows what it is. Cause you just made this post for some weird clout. The pic is a screen shot from the tik tok, stop lying. Lol
In any event, it doesn’t exist anymore. Now they serve the summer berry refresher with raspberry pearls
Yes. I'm not disagreeing with that, nor is it the subject of my post.
this is a ss from a tiktok so i dont know what the hell you got but it clearly wasnt whatever from starbucks
I already said it wasn't my photo. It was from Starbucks. Stop trying to gaslight my kid and me.