18 August 2009 - Starbucks is saying so long to Sorbetto, its “Pinkberry-inspired” icy summer beverage.
The coffee chain made a splash when it debuted the tart and fruity product in around 300 Southern California stores last summer.
But it failed to wow consumers and cleaning the machine that dispensed Sorbetto was a bane to baristas, who complained that it added about 45 minutes to closing duties.
Sorbetto wasn’t available in stores this summer and Starbucks has started removing the big Sorbetto machines – which sat idle for months – from store counters.
Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz has an investment fund that backs Pinkberry and some analysts said the introduction of Sorbetto showed how little testing some new Starbucks products got before hitting stores.
In a statement, the company confirmed that it will discontinue its Sorbetto products without abandoning its search for new icy beverages.