Starbucks Is Experiencing Oatmilk Shortages After Adding It to Menus Nationwide

Oatmilk is the latest plant-based milk to hit Starbucks — but you might not be able to find it at your nearest location.

The Seattle-based coffee chain introduced the Oatly brand to its national drink menu in March, and just a month later some locations are unable to make the new drinks due to a temporary shortage.

Oatmilk has continued to grow in popularity over the past year with sales spiking 138% in 2020, according to Nielsen.

"Due to high demand, some customers may experience a temporary shortage of oat milk at their store," a representative for Starbucks told CNN Business on Tuesday. It was not specified whether the shortage was widespread or when customers can expect oatmilk to be back in stores. The company suggested fans opt for other dairy-free alternatives like soy milk, almond milk or coconut milk.

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Oatly has also been struggling with supply, with the company experiencing pandemic-related construction delays at one of its factories in Utah, according to Bloomberg. The facility was meant to open last year, but just recently started production.

Starbucks also told CNN that they don't attribute the shortage to the popularity of their new oatmilk-based beverages on the spring menu, which was unveiled in March.

The two new drinks are the Honey Oatmilk Latte and the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. While the latter drink includes a blend of Starbucks Blonde espresso, brown sugar, cinnamon and oatmilk, the former features the same coffee base "intentionally combined with a hint of honey and a toasted honey topping," available in iced or hot format.

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