Starbucks Tests Leaning Into Health & Wellness With Coconut Water Beverages – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks is expanding its test of coconut water beverages to hundreds of more stores as it leans further into health and wellness. Starting Thursday, the coffee giant will test its Coco Matcha and Coco Cold Brew drinks in more than 400 stores across major cities including New York, Los Angeles, and the greater Chicago area. The drinks layer matcha foam or cold brew foam over coconut water. Starbucks first tested the coconut beverages in New York City as part of its “Starting Five” innovation program, which tests out new ideas in five coffeehouses and seeks feedback from baristas and customers before pushing those ideas into additional stores.

Starbucks’ senior vice president of global product experience, Dana Pellicano, said that health and wellness at Starbucks is not a trend but a long-standing commitment. Expanding the test of its Coco Matcha and Coco Cold Brew beverages is the next step to accelerate its health and wellness beverage innovation plan. Cold foam has become one of the chain’s most popular modifiers, with its growth 23% year over year. Starbucks will launch protein cold foam late in the fourth quarter, part of its push to kick-start sales after a stretch of financial results that have disappointed Wall Street.

The expanded Starbucks test is part of a larger trend of top restaurant chains increasing beverage options, driven in part by younger consumers who crave customized cold drinks and healthier options. Technomic’s 2025 Away-From-Home Beverage Navigator Report released in July shows that the number of beverages offered by the top 500 chains has increased more than 9% over the past year. Companies have leaned even more into cold drinks, with specialty coffees and energy drinks seeing the most growth on menus over the past two years.

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