Olive oil in a coffee: this is the new bet of the Starbucks brand. The “Oleato” will mix coffee, oat milk and therefore olive oil, and will be served hot or iced, according to CNN. The new drink is launched this week in Italy, and in Milan this Wednesday. The American group then plans to deploy its new product by the end of the year in the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Japan. The “Oleato” is, for the moment, not planned in France.
According to the firm’s press release, each of these drinks will include at least a spoonful of olive oil. Some brands will also offer extra olive oil to be able to personalize your drink. “In over 40 years, I can’t remember a time when I’ve been more excited, more enthusiastic,” said Howard Schultz, the company’s largest shareholder and former CEO.
It is he who is the initiator of the project. He got the idea from a visit to olive oil producer Tommaso Asaro, who introduced him to putting a spoonful of olive oil in his coffees. Howard Schultz then adopted this habit during a stay in Sicily last summer. He says, “When we got together and started doing this ritual, I said to [Asaro], I know you think I’m going to be crazy, but have you ever thought of infusing a tablespoon of olive oil with Starbucks coffee? A way to come full circle for Schultz, who launched the Starbucks expansion operation following a trip to Milan in 1983.
“Oleato” will “transform the coffee industry,” he swears. But for that, the group’s teams had to find a way to turn the shareholder’s idea into a good drink for the public. Marketing Director Brady Brewer said the fact that the idea for the new drink came from the CEO is “pretty unique”.
Starbucks beverage teams initially offered 12 options that included olive oil, before narrowing it down to three options, now in Italian stores. Behind this marketing coup, there is also hope for the American firm: that customers see it as a possibility of a healthy addition to their coffee, instead of cream for example, in a period when customers tend to seek well- be (with the addition for example of CBD or turmeric in certain drinks). Problem: With the addition of the oil, the coffees take on an extra 120 calories.
