Starbucks' Failed Coffee-Soda Hybrid (2024)

ByCaryl Espinoza Jaen

Since opening its first shop in 1971, Starbucks has enjoyed massive success and created a distinct menu. Along the way, there have been a few duds that failed to gain the traction that more popular items enjoy. From discontinued luxury hot chocolate to the flop that was the beer-inspired latte, customers have not always fallen in love with every creative take on coffee that Starbucks has sold. One great example of a poorly received Starbucks menu item lies in the infamous Mazagran, a discontinued coffee-soda mashup in collaboration with PepsiCo.

In 1994, Starbucks ran a short campaign across the state of California during which it sold this fizzy drink. Mazagran quickly divided residents in Santa Monica, one of the first cities that began to sell this beverage, over its unique flavor and mouthfeel. While Starbucks faced great success in the 1990s due to the surge in popularity that coffee received during that decade, it wasn't enough to save Mazagran. Cafes and stores stopped selling it shortly after its release. To date, Starbucks has announced no rerelease plans for the beverage.

The origins of the name Mazagran

Starbucks' Failed Coffee-Soda Hybrid (2)

Ekrem Yigit/Shutterstock

The name that Starbucks chose for this short-lived beverage has an interesting backstory.During the 1800s, French soldiers created mazagran in a town of the same name in Algeria. At the time, the French tended to mix coffee with brandy, a liquor not readily available in Algeria. To make up for this missing ingredient, the French army mixed coffee with water. Since then the tradition of sparkling water caught on in the Mediterranean. The trend made its way to Portugal, where people added lemon juice to chilled coffee.

Starbucks drew inspiration from these origins during the marketing for Mazagran. While Starbucks simply labeled the bottles as "sparkling coffee," the box art for these drinks featured the image of a vintage map of the Algerian coastwith hasty pastels and a retro feel. The standard drink had hints of citrus and spices in itbut variants such as berry and vanilla were also available for sale. None of these flavors made Mazagran popular with customers, however.

Mazagran's enduring legacy at Starbucks

Starbucks' Failed Coffee-Soda Hybrid (3)

6428W Digital Art/Shutterstock

While even Starbucks executives consider the Mazagran campaign a bump in the road, the company did receive a rather large upside from this drink. During the production of Mazagran,the then-leading researcher for the company Don Valencia created Starbucks' coffee extract for the carbonated refresher. This concoction stayed in use for the bottled Frappuccino which came out in 1996 shortly after Pepsi and Starbucks decided to launch a packaged version of the popular coffee drink.

Unlike the Mazagran, the bottled Frappuccino received immediate critical acclaim. To this day it is still sold in stores and Starbucks cafes around the world. Starbucks doesn't shy away from including the failed experiment of Mazagran as part of its history, though. Taylor Clark interviewed Howard Schultz, the previous Starbucks CEO, for his book "Starbucked." During the interview, Clark noticed that Schultz had a display of Mazagran on his desk. According to Clark, Schultz said he purposely put them on his desk to remind him that even industry giants like Starbucks make mistakes.

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Starbucks' Failed Coffee-Soda Hybrid (2024)

FAQs

What are the 7 reasons the article states in bold as reasons for Starbucks failure in Australia? ›

Let's understand why Starbucks failed in Australia in 2008.
  • Too Much Aggression. Starbucks opened too many outlets too soon. ...
  • Not Understanding the Psyche of Australian Customers. ...
  • Products Were Not Customized for the Local Audience. ...
  • The Great Recession. ...
  • An American Competitor Was Lurking Around.

Is it true that you get a free drink at Starbucks? ›

On your birthday (as indicated in your Starbucks Rewards account), you will receive one (1) complimentary handcrafted beverage OR one (1) complimentary food item OR one (1) complimentary ready-to-drink bottled beverage ("Birthday Reward").

Why did Mazagran fail? ›

Mazagran was a rare Starbucks failure

It was made with coffee extract and the whole thing was carbonated, creating a rather polarizing product. The company itself acknowledges that "not many bought it more than once," and the endeavor was quickly dismissed as a failure.

What if Starbucks makes my drink wrong? ›

Starbucks usually makes drinks over or gives customers back missing items to make sure they are happy. If you're no longer in the store, you should call Starbucks' customer service. Call their hotline or use their online chat to let them know what's going on and give them information about your order.

What is the biggest problem with Starbucks? ›

Starbucks uses more than 8,000 paper cups a minute, which adds up to more than four billion a year. 1.6 million trees are harvested every year for all of those single-use cups. Since these cups are lined with plastic, they are not really recyclable ─ only four U.S. cities even accept Starbucks paper cups for recycling.

What is the Starbucks scandal? ›

According to a recent complaint by the Washington Consumer Protection Coalition, Starbucks has been wrongfully collecting money from customers through its “rewards” app—over $900 million in corporate revenue over the past 5 years. How? Through tactics known as “dark patterns,” or deceptive designs on digital platforms.

Which failed Starbucks drink was the precursor to the bottled frappuccino beverage? ›

In the mid-1990s, Starbucks and PepsiCo developed a line of flavored carbonated mazagran beverages named "Mazagran" that were prepared with coffee. After a short trial run in California in 1994, the drink was discontinued after failing to catch on with consumers.

Why did Maxwell House Brewed coffee fail? ›

Maxwell House Brewed Coffee was pre-brewed coffee sold in a carton with a picture of a hot mug of coffee on the packaging, a misleading visual cue for a product meant to be stored in the refrigerator. Adding to the product's issues, the carton was lined with foil, and could not be microwaved.

What was Starbucks failed drink? ›

One great example of a poorly received Starbucks menu item lies in the infamous Mazagran, a discontinued coffee-soda mashup in collaboration with PepsiCo. In 1994, Starbucks ran a short campaign across the state of California during which it sold this fizzy drink.

What not to say in Starbucks? ›

17 Things You Should Never Say to a Starbucks Barista
  • "I'll have a medium." Even the man on the moon knows what we call drinks at Starbucks, so there's no need to pretend. ...
  • "Can I get your number?" Nope. ...
  • "I bet you're sick of coffee." No, but I am sick of you (and every other person in the tri-state area) saying that.
Nov 22, 2015

What is the Starbucks legal scandal? ›

Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the NLRB accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices such as firing union supporters, spying on workers and closing stores during labor campaigns.

Why do I feel weird after drinking Starbucks? ›

If you're feeling sick after drinking coffee, it's probably because you're sensitive to the caffeine. Caffeine can cause stomach upset, heartburn, and anxiety. It can also disrupt your sleep cycle.

Why did Starbucks fail in Australia journal articles? ›

Several reasons for these closures are described and examined, including that: Starbucks overestimated their points of differentiation and the perceived value of their supplementary services; their service standards declined; they ignored some golden rules of international marketing; they expanded too quickly and ...

What are the lessons that can be learnt from Starbucks Australia failure? ›

Starbucks failure in Australia demonstrates why you need to understand your market before entering. What works in one place may not work elsewhere. While some overall methods or services will remain the same, a global strategy must always take a backseat to local needs and be adjusted accordingly.

What are some failures of Starbucks? ›

One significant mistake that impacted Starbucks was their failure to thoroughly research the Australian market before expanding into it. This oversight ended up costing the company a staggering $107 million .

How did the Australian coffee culture affect Starbucks success in the country? ›

Local coffee culture

Many believe Starbucks ventured into Australia without conducting sufficient market research. This meant an initial inability to capitalise on local consumer preferences and a cultural gap between what Starbucks offered and what consumers expected.

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