I use to order the Tall [12 fl. oz.] until its price exceeded $3.00 for one simple reason. I wasn’t going to be induced to drop $0.95 cents in that incessant tip container. Besides, the value proposition changed significantly with that price hike. So I switched to Grande only to be faced with a $0.20 cent increase soon thereafter.

But this latest hike of $0.10 to $0.30 cents per coffee in the summer of 2016 has a twisted sister. More foam (steamed milk)! Not just here and there, at one location or another. Nearly every Starbucks location reduces the amount of milk in the Latte’.

And, they’re masking it with foam. In fact, a 16oz. drink priced at $3.95 has included less than 12oz of coffee. (see photographs) You can tell by the weight of your drink. A difference of 4oz of milk is equal to a quarter (25%) of the entire weight (and stated size) of the drink which should weigh 1.08 pounds.

In dollar terms, 12oz of coffee at the Starbucks’ retail value of $3.95 for a 16oz drink would only be valued at $2.89. Starbucks is making an extra $1.06 by masking the amount of coffee with foam. And, instead of getting 8 drinks from a single gallon of milk, they get nearly 11 drinks increasing profits by $10.76 per gallon of milk to $42.27 on raw materials that generally generates $31.60 in revenue for Grande sized drinks.

The Grande cup, a 16oz drink has an actual capacity for 18oz of fluid leaving room even with a little foam. But the order is always the same; “Latte, No Foam”! That has never changed, not in its delivery and not in my New York accent.

The photographs suggest many Starbucks “Barista’s” don’t understand what “No Foam” means! These Starbuck drinks are all from one of seven Starbucks locations – all but one within a five square mile radius. On December 25, 2016, a Barista responded to the request for “No Foam” with, “Latte’s do not have foam”.

Whether you’re leaving the change or dropping a “fin” ($5) – which doing so today is considered a tip – it should be considered entrapment! At the point of payment, customers have yet to see or be guaranteed any level of service other than the friendly service and smile we all expect from retail businesses.

Taking advantage of that friendly gesture by reducing the amount of coffee in your cup is as rude as putting a change jar out and “expecting” a tip for doing nothing more than “taking your order, accepting payment and making change while we stand at a counter”. Sometimes for fifteen minutes! A personal interaction lasting no more than 30 seconds if, you know what you’re ordering!

Starbucks charges $0.25 cents per oz for Tall and Grande size drinks and $0.21 cents for the Venti. At the average retail price of $3 for a gallon of milk, it would cost Starbucks slightly over $0.02 cents per oz of milk. But at Starbucks volume, they’re likely paying closer to $2 for a gallon of milk or about 1.5 cents per oz. By saving $0.48 cents at the point of sale, they make that additional $10.67 on a gallon of milk.

Starbucks Corporation, a $19.16 Billion (2015 annual) business is by the standard of Democrat Voters “a big business”. It had a hefty Net Income of 14.4% in 2015 that comes to $2.76 Billion for the year. Corporate big dogs publically side with the character and make-up of Democrat Politicians and supported the Hillary Clinton campaign financially in the 2016 Presidential Campaign. So, they’re no stranger to smoke screens and bait-n-switch.