In a press release last Monday, Starbucks announced their new fall seasonal beverage would be the delicata squash spice latte. The change reportedly comes after a supply chain difficulty has led to nationwide pumpkin flavoring scarcity.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson defended the company’s pivot in a statement on Twitter: “We knew we weren’t going to be able to get our hands on any pumpkin, so we went for the next best gourd.”
Johnson explained the motivation behind the company’s actions saying, “We understand the pain that this may have caused the community. Starbucks always strives to produce the best, most overpriced product possible.”
“This change is dumb and gross,” said ten-year-old Dillon Jackson, a local fourth grader, “Who would want a hot vegetable drink?” Jackson declined to comment after being informed that pumpkins are, themselves, vegetables.
Other consumers have been responding more positively to the menu change. Dillon’s mother Victoria Jackson said, “I think this is a terrific change. It’s been a long time coming, and I personally can’t wait to try it myself.”
At press time, rumors were circulating about Starbucks replacing their signature Pike Place coffee beans with dried kidney beans.
