Starbucks was one of the first national coffee chains to offer soy milk. In the past few years, thanks to your continued efforts in support of Animal Outlook’s campaign, the coffee giant has also added coconut, almond, and oat milk to its menu. Right now, a growing number of consumers looking for dairy-free coffee beverages can turn to Starbucks – but that’s where the menu falls short. In most locations, fully plant-based food options are limited to oatmeal, a bagel with avocado spread or peanut butter, and a few pre-packaged fruit-based snacks. 

In 2018, in response to Animal Outlook’s in-person request at Starbucks’ annual shareholder meeting, the chain pledged to offer a new vegan food line. Excitement was finally stirred when the coffee giant announced a breakfast sandwich containing plant-based sausage in early 2020. But the excitement was short-lived: This sandwich comes prepackaged and frozen with eggs and dairy-based cheese, so it can’t be made vegan. 

In October of 2020, hope returned when we learned that a single location outside of Seattle, WA partnered with Miyoko’s Creamery to test two plant-based cream cheese options, and shortly after, began testing a fully vegan breakfast sandwich. Since then, the sandwich has also been quietly released for trials in Dallas, TX. 

The greatest campaign progress came in early 2021 when, on a quarterly earnings call, Starbucks CEO and President Kevin Johnson noted, “probably the most dominant shift in consumer behavior is this whole shift to plant-based.” Going on to explain that he’s seeing this shift both in beverage and food menu items, Johnson said that the coffee giant has dedicated an entire store in the Seattle area to a 100 percent plant-based food menu in order to test different options. 

By expanding its food menu nationwide to include a hearty meat-, egg- and dairy-free option such as a protein-packed breakfast sandwich, Starbucks would give existing customers more choices while also reaching a new consumer base. And with its current focus on adding food purchases to beverage sales, this simple addition will help reach that goal by allowing so many more customers to order a full meal all at once.

Some of Starbucks' top competitors are already responding to the consumer interest in plant-based options. For example, Dunkin' now offers a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich that can easily be made vegan, and Panera Bread offers a vegan broth bowl, among other options.

It sounds like Starbucks is finally acknowledging what we have been saying since we launched this campaign more than six years ago -- that consumer demand is shifting toward healthier and more compassionate foods -- and has started to take the first meaningful steps to respond. Now it’s time for the company to bring it home by offering a substantial fully plant-based food option nationwide.

Please sign this petition to join us in applauding all of the progress Starbucks has made thus far but keep the pressure on in encouraging it to roll out a fully vegan food option nationwide.

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