Less than one month after its release in select states including California, Starbucks’ new 31-ounce drink size is causing a stir among media outlets, some of whom call the beverage “massive” and even “worrisome.”
The drink size, called the Trenta (Italian for 30), is receiving criticism as it is larger than the average human stomach, which can usually hold 30 ounces. It is currently being offered for teas and coffees on ice only.
“I’ve seen people drinking it,” art and design freshman Keiko Tanaka said. “I’ve never gotten it though. That’s huge.”
Although she said she buys coffee at Starbucks every day, Tanaka said she would never want or need anything larger than her usual order: a Grande (16-ounce) coffee.
Tanaka said a YouTube video called “Visualize the Size of the Starbucks Trenta Cup” influenced her view of the large drink size.
The video has more than 200,000 views and creates a visual portrayal of 31 ounces as a man opens a bottle of wine and pours its entire contents into a Trenta cup.
“I don’t think I would ever get it, especially after I saw that video,” Tanaka said.
Even students who admitted to being slightly reliant on coffee for a daily caffeine boost agreed that they would avoid the Trenta.
Electrical engineering senior Danny Zepeda said he has never gotten the Trenta and does not plan on it in the future. Even though he said Starbucks has the best coffee, he was still uninterested in purchasing a coffee of that size.
Other Cal Poly students did not see the large size as a problem.
“You can go to ampm and get a Big Gulp, it’s the same thing,” electrical engineering senior Paul Rodriguez said. “And what about kegs? That’s a lot of liquid, too. It’s okay for liquids; they aren’t like food.”
And even though Rodriguez has not yet paid the extra 50 cents for the upgrade from Venti (20 ounces) to Trenta, he said he probably would sometime soon.
“I would get it; I think it’s a good idea,” Rodriguez said. “Especially in the summer, I can get a big iced tea that would last all day.”
In fact, local Starbucks employees said iced teas were the drinks people usually wanted more of.
“They don’t have to come back for refills,” said one employee, who could not give a name due to corporate policy. “A Trenta takes care of them in one trip.”
Other employees said they speculated that hot drinks were not offered in Trenta proportions because it would be impossible to finish before it cooled.
According to AOL Health news, the Trenta’s limitation to these iced drinks allows Starbucks to advertise the unsweetened versions of any Trenta drink as fewer than 90 calories and the sweetened versions as fewer than 230 calories.
The low calorie advantage of the current Trenta drinks did not stop Ellen DeGeneres from criticizing the drink size and in turn, U.S consumption habits.
On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she cited recent promotions by Taco Bell for The Fourth Meal: Bring on the Night, and compared them to the Starbucks Trenta.
“No one needs any more than 20 ounces (of coffee),” DeGeneres said, sarcastically. “That’s why Starbucks is introducing a bigger size.”
And maybe she is right. AOL Health news reported Chicago’s Loyola University Health System expressing worry, sparked by the Trenta, for the future of America’s already growing obese population.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, California is home to the two most vain cities in the world in terms of health and weight consciousness: Los Angeles and San Francisco. But America as a whole is still upholding its reputation for being overweight.
Many recent studies point out that there are various different causes of America’s weight problem, some of which vary from person to person and state to state. 24/7 Wall Street reported that among these causes, which include the convenience of fast food and the inability to pay for health food, was an overeating and consumption habit.
On the other hand, Zepeda and Rodriguez both said that gulping 31 ounces of coffee or tea was better than starting your day with a sugary, carbonated energy drink.