It is 2023, and amidst Starbucks’ ongoing pricy changes to the menu, they also thought of the change towards their ice. That’s right, they want to change the ice they’re serving, how they’re serving it, and what they’re charging for it. Unfortunately, much of the Starbucks crowd has reacted with hostility, and all of them have reportedly stated how they “hate it”. 

This seemingly simple change has been met with only hatred from the many buyers of Starbucks products. The change is only going to be enforced in its iced drinks, and will be altering the former ice cubes, to now what it is known as “pebble ice” or “nugget ice”. The new ice usage was supposed to be recounting a positive response from many individuals across the United States. 

This is where we notice why there are such negative responses to what is just a change in ice. After announcing this minor difference, Starbucks also proceeded to state that any iced drink/refresher that is ordered without water, without ice, or just light ice, would be charged an extra dollar. What was the need for this heightened price change? These adjustments are being implemented due to Starbucks pledging to cut its own water footprint in half by 2030. 

Several Starbucks drinkers have reacted to this difference by noticing a similarity between their new ice, and what hospitals generally use. Others reacted with logic and realized that this would melt their drinks, such as coffee, very quickly, and wouldn’t be worth the price. It still hasn’t all been implemented nationwide, and the question remains if Starbucks really has the guts.