Outrage at no Frappuccino for Albany’s new Starbucks menu
The reopening of the much-loved Browse Café and the introduction of its Starbucks components on 19 April saw many Albany students ready to order their favorite custom Frappuccino. To their shock and horror however, Frappuccinos and refreshers were nowhere to be found.
Browse Café returned with the slogan “We Proudly Serve Starbucks”, prompting many to expect that the cafe would offer a full Starbucks menu upon its return. What the slogan means is that Browse Café staff would be trained to serve some Starbucks products.
Browse Café has been closed since lockdown last year, and expectations had time to grow over the two-week semester break. With signage covering the Albany campus and sporting the exciting word “Starbucks”, many students were expecting the library to bring a more “bougie” vibe to the campus.
Responses by students to describe the menu upon opening include “disappointing”, “it’s too limited” and “underwhelming”. However, there has been some positive feedback too. Some students like Steph, “love[d] the window idea”, which allowed students to order coffee on the go, without having to go into the library.
According to the menu, macchiatos were a popular choice that was still available, including the caramel macchiato. However, even some macchiatos were left out in the cold. When Massive asked one of the workers at Browse about the options she said, “a girl came in to ask about a white chocolate macchiato”, but they do not serve those at Browse.
However, she said that it is possible that the menu could expand in the future, implying that although off to a bumpy start, the integration of more Starbucks products into Browse Café was not off the table and could just take some time.
The Browse Café that started shrouded in speculation and mystery still has some unanswered questions about its future. However, with a little patience and some time, the menu could still expand and Albany students could fill that coffee-shaped hole in their heart.