Victory! Starbucks Ends Vegan Milk Upcharge After PETA Campaign

For Immediate Release:
October 30, 2024

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Norfolk, Va. –

Today, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced that the coffee chain will stop charging extra for vegan milks. The move follows a vigorous five-year campaign, letters from more than 160,000 PETA supporters, protests at Starbucks locations around the country, and help from actor James Cromwell, who glued his hand to a café counter in protest and starred in a satirical video calling out the upcharge, as well as an appeal from Sir Paul McCartney. In September, when Niccol joined the company, PETA paused its campaign against Starbucks to give him time to make the right decision—and he delivered!

Please see the statement below from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:

From Pause the Protests to Done and Dusted, PETA thanks Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol on behalf of the cows and their calves, compassionate consumers, and planet Earth.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.