If there's any guilty pleasure item on a Starbucks (SBUX) menu that's the equivalent of having liquid dessert for breakfast (or any other meal of the day), it's got to be a Frappuccino.
Often clocking in at close to 600 calories for a Venti, these spectacularly delicious drinks are best off saved for a cheat day or special occasion.
For example, the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frap boasts 75 grams of sugar and 27 grams of fat in its largest serving size. Yes, it's delicious, but having them on the regular just might kill you.
That said, everything in moderation is a good rule for just about everything in life. And when it comes to a good Starbucks run, one wants to enjoy the ride and chuck worries about the waistline to the four winds.
So when you see the chain's newest line of Frappuccinos, you may as well reserve a day to go get one. Leave your guilt at home and enjoy the new spring-themed drink to the fullest.
Starbucks Japan
Banana Frappuccinos at Starbucks? Really?
Yes, really. Starting on April 13, Starbucks Japan will drop two brand new Frap flavors we're betting most of you have never had anything like before: Bananana Banana and Chocolate Banana.
Both come topped with whipped cream and little bits of candy, and the Bananana Banana even has banana-shaped candy to up the cuteness ante.
These new drinks are part of Starbucks' spring drink collection, which includes its Gyu New collection, a milk coffee topped with a fluffy mousse available in several flavors.
Gyu New also boasts a Frappuccino made with "nine different kinds of fruits," a topping made from fruit pulp, and a cherry on top.
Official prices have not been announced for the two drinks yet as release is a week away, but we expect to see more information coming soon.
While banana flavors at Starbucks may be a novel idea to a U.S. consumer, it's not the first time Starbucks Japan has tried it. In 2021, it launched a Banana Milk Almond Frappuccino.
With banana pulp at the bottom and banana chips fried in coconut oil on top of an almond milk whip, the drink was clearly a success for the chain, because we are seeing a new take on the flavor this year.
Another thing Starbucks Japan does right is its seasonal merchandise collection, which can easily be purchased online and has inspired a cult following among collectors, who willingly pay inflated prices to import the limited edition collectibles. One look at its gorgeous Sakura-themed collection makes it easy to see why.
In the United States, Starbucks merchandise can still only be purchased in the company's physical locations, and its offerings are nowhere near as extensive or thoughtfully curated as Japan's.
Starbucks U.S. Should Take Notes From Japan
Consumers absolutely love Starbucks, but investors are clearly feeling differently about the coffee giant right now. The stock slumped this week after interim CEO Howard Schulz suspended the company's stock buyback program.
Schulz has stepped in to fill the space left behind by previous CEO Kevin Johnson, who announced he would be stepping down from his role to transition to a consulting role instead after 13 years with the coffee chain.
If Starbucks wants to bounce back from this unsure time, it might consider looking to its Japanese counterpart for ideas.
The chain could benefit from Japan's merchandise-forward approach, such as making limited edition seasonal collections easier to buy online and promoting them as much it does with its seasonal drinks.
