Starbucks Adds Secret Menu Items To The App—Here's Where To Find Them
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Starbucks officially debuted its long-rumored "secret menu" on Monday, making several fan-created drinks available through its mobile app for the first time.
The company added four updated custom beverage options under the "Offers" tab, providing Starbucks Rewards members with streamlined access to previously off-menu creations.
As part of the launch, Starbucks also announced a nationwide Secret Menu Contest, encouraging customers and employees to submit their own drink ideas, with the promise of cash prizes and a featured spot on the app for the winners.
Dragonfruit Glow-Up and Cookies On Top
Dragonfruit Glow-Up and Cookies On Top
Starbucks
Why It Matters
By standardizing popular customizations and offering them directly in the Starbucks app, the company is responding to evolving customer preferences for personalization and digital convenience—reflecting a broader trend in the fast-food and beverage industry. Other chains, including Dunkin', have already adopted similar strategies for menu customization. The move also comes after Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol made efforts to streamline the menu, notably reducing certain Frappuccino options and introducing new beverages.
What To Know
The public launch of Starbucks' secret menu marks the first time the coffee chain has fully embraced a trend fueled by digital communities, food bloggers, and social media since at least 2011.
How to Access Secret Menu Drinks in the App
Starbucks Rewards members can find the newly launched secret menu items in the Starbucks app under the "Offers" tab. Customers can select these drinks, which include preset ingredient combinations, and order them at participating locations nationwide. Fan-inspired options debuting in the program include:
Cookies on Top : A Cold Brew with two pumps of vanilla syrup, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, and cookie crumble topping.
: A Cold Brew with two pumps of vanilla syrup, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, and cookie crumble topping. Dragonfruit Glow-Up : Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher with peach juice blend, blended, and topped with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
: Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher with peach juice blend, blended, and topped with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam. Lemon, Tea & Pearls : Black tea and lemonade with raspberry-flavored popping pearls.
: Black tea and lemonade with raspberry-flavored popping pearls. Just Add White Mocha: Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso enhanced with White Chocolate Mocha Sauce and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
Secret Menu Contest Details
Between July 14 and July 20, Starbucks customers and employees can enter the Secret Menu Contest by submitting their custom drink ideas through the contest page. Four finalists will be selected by August; each will receive $5,000 and have their drink featured in the Starbucks app during a dedicated week in August.
Background: The Secret Menu's Evolution
The informal "secret menu" became an online phenomenon over the previous decade, popularizing creative beverage tweaks and unique combinations shared via blogs and Instagram accounts such as @TheRealStarbucksSecretMenu. Until now, these drinks required barista knowledge of specific recipes and sometimes resulted in confusion during busy hours.
Lemon, Tea & Pearls and Just Add White Mocha
Lemon, Tea & Pearls and Just Add White Mocha
Starbucks
What Happens Next
The grand prize winner in the contest, determined by an Instagram poll from August 18-20, will receive an additional $25,000.
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