Are Frappuccino Happy Hours Going Away?
When the weather starts warming up, you might not be able to count on your afternoon pick-me-up at a discount anymore. Reuters reports that Starbucks has told employees it will not run its Frappuccino Happy Hour deals this summer, but a rep for the company says that's not exactly the case.
Frappuccino Happy Hour is an annual promotion in which Starbucks sells Frappuccinos at a big discount during the afternoons during a specified period. Last year, they sold half-price Frappuccinos in the afternoon from May 5 to May 14. Frappuccino discounts didn't seem to boost overall sales at Starbucks last year; the company reported "a lower-than-expected lift in nondiscounted Frappuccino beverages following Happy Hour."
"As part of our updated approach to products, events and offers, a different approach to summer offers will be planned that does not include Happy Hour," a planning kit sent to workers read, according to Reuters. A representative for Starbucks confirmed to Reuters they sent that message, but still told the news outlet that they were not ending the happy hour deals; they didn't give any specific details.
A Starbucks spokesperson clarified to Delish.com that they're going to "refresh" the happy hour: "We are constantly evaluating our offers to ensure we are always bringing our customers the most relevant and premium products and experiences. As part of our focus on the afternoon daypart and the customers that visit our stores, we are looking at refreshing our Frappuccino Happy Hour promotion."
The happy hour deal was great for customers, but reportedly caused some grumbling among overworked baristas. A 2016 post on the blog The Barista Life called it "a barista's worst nightmare." "You can feel the ground rumbling like a stampede and you know the crowd won't hesitate to be there for this celebration of a treat," the post reads. "Every year we get those people eager for it to come and complaining that it's taking too long. Like waiting for Christmas only there's no red cups and it takes twice as many steps to make one single Frappuccino then it does any hot beverage."
So no matter how Starbucks decides to change its happy hour deals, always remember to be kind to your barista. They're totally stressed out, and probably covered in whipped cream.
