Does Starbucks Have Boba? (Which Starbucks drinks have Boba; can you get boba tea at Starbucks? + More)

As a millennial and diligent Starbucks customer, I am always trying to keep up with the trends and latest drinks I see on social media. I recently came across a TikTok video talking about a boba coffee drink that can be found at Starbucks. Upon greater research, I found that Starbucks does not have boba tea but has boba coffee drinks with coffee popping boba pearls. It was a bit strange to see this since boba is mostly found in teas, yet Starbucks boba coffees have boba pearls filled with actual coffee.

These drinks can only be found in two locations, for now, namely Bellevue in Washington and Palm Desert in California. They are not within my location but I am looking forward to the day these drinks are available countrywide.

Which Starbucks have boba?

Starbucks has boba coffee in two locations in the U.S, namely, Palm Desert in California and Bellevue, Washington. Starbucks began testing out these drinks in December 2021.

The strategy Starbucks uses when introducing new drinks to the market is by selling them in a few Starbucks store locations and gauging the response they get from the customers. If they get a favorable response, they will begin selling the drink in other Starbucks locations. If the response is unfavorable, they might choose to discontinue the drink.

How much is a boba tea at Starbucks?

Starbucks does not sell boba tea, but sells boba coffee drinks with coffee popping pearls. The drinks come in the Grande cup size which is 16 ounces. The ‘In the Dark’ coffee-based drink is $5.25 and the Iced Chai latte with coffee pearls is $5.45.

Does Starbucks have boba coffee?

Yes, it does. In December 2021, Starbucks began testing out two boba coffee drinks in two of its locations. One in Palm Desert, California and the other in Bellevue, Washington. The boba coffee drinks are coffees that are normally found in Starbucks, just with added coffee popping pearls. The drinks being tested out with boba pearls are the iced chai latte and the ‘in the dark’ coffee-based drink. In the dark coffee is black coffee with a single shot of espresso.

What Starbucks drink has boba?

The Starbucks drinks that have boba are the iced chai latte and the ‘in the dark’ coffee-based drink. The ‘In the dark’ coffee-based drink is a single shot of espresso in black coffee.

The boba added to these drinks is slightly different from the normal boba pearls that are added to teas. The boba pearls Starbucks uses in their Starbucks drinks are known as coffee popping pearls and are filled with actual coffee.

What is the boba, or ‘coffee popping pearls?’

Boba, otherwise known as tapioca pearls, originate from Taiwan and are made using Tapioca starch. The Tapioca starch is harvested from the roots of cassava plants. They are made by simmering tapioca starch in brown sugar or honey, which gives them their dark color and sweetness. These pearls are used when making green tea, milk tea, or black tea, and they can be paired with syrups like strawberry or vanilla.

Starbucks offers the coffee popping pearls version of boba. These pearls are like boba pearls, only that they are filled with actual coffee.

FAQ

Does Starbucks have tapioca pearls?

Yes, it does. Starbucks has different boba pearls from those in Asian-style tea houses, in that they are filled with actual coffee.

Which Starbucks have coffee popping pearls?

Yes, it does. However, they can be found only in two Starbucks locations in the U.S, namely, Palm Desert in California and Bellevue, Washington.

How many calories does Starbucks Boba Coffee have?

The 16-ounce Grande, In the Dark coffee-based drink has 220 calories, and the 16-ounce Grande Iced Chai latte with coffee pearls has 260 calories.