USA TODAY: Starbucks said Friday it would stop selling Chantico, a rich chocolate drink introduced with much fanfare last year, because it was not adaptable to different customer tastes.
In a rare flop for the fast-growing No. 1 coffee shop chain, Chantico was pulled from Starbucks’ menu in January, a year after its introduction, spokesman Alan Hilowitz said.
Described as “a drinkable dessert,” Chantico resembled the thick, sweet hot chocolate found in European cafes but was only available without any variations in a 6-ounce size.
In the end, that limitation irked customers who are used to dictating not only the size of their lattes and cappuccinos, but also whether they want regular or decaf coffee, non-fat, whole or soy milk, sugar-free or regular flavor shots, and even extras like whipped cream and caramel.
“It was something that customers did like, but they wanted to be able to do something else with it,” Hilowitz said.
The chain is testing other kinds of chocolate beverages and food offerings, Hilowitz said, but added that they were unlikely to resemble the now-defunct Chantico.
Dan Goldgeier
David Burn
Shawn Hartley
Wade Sturdivant