Starbucks latte time limit: How fast should baristas make your drink?

Four minutes. That’s the new magic number at Starbucks.

Think your barista is taking too long? Starbucks is aiming to get your in-store and drive-thru orders crafted in four minutes or less. That’s the goal, even when it’s super busy.

What about mobile orders? They’re shooting for those to be ready within 12 minutes of your purchase time. Order ahead, and hopefully, it’ll be waiting for you.

Fewer Drinks, Faster Service?

Starbucks is also making some other changes. They’ve cut back on the number of drinks you can order on the app. Used to be 15? Now it’s 12. Why?

Maybe it’s to speed things up. Bloomberg reported that Starbucks is testing a system to organize mobile orders by pickup time. Pretty smart, right?

Why the Rush?

Starbucks wants to boost sales. They’re trying new things to make the experience better. Like what?

• Real mugs for those who want to stay awhile.
• A new code of conduct (probably for the best).
• A smaller menu. Less to choose from, but maybe quicker service?

Speaking of smaller menus, they already cut 13 drinks earlier this month. And remember the Pumpkin Spice Latte? That season is when they plan to cut the menu by 30%.

Cutting Costs, Too

It’s not just about drinks. Starbucks laid off 1,100 corporate workers in February. Tough stuff.

With around 11,000 company-owned stores in North America, Starbucks is a coffee giant. Can they pull off these changes and get your latte to you faster? We’ll see.