An ex-Starbucks employee has revealed the chain’s best-kept secrets – claiming baristas use coffee syrup instead of real coffee in Frappuccinos , give decaf coffee to rude customers and how to get free goodies.
Shabaz Ali, 28, a teacher from Blackburn, Lancashire, has recently gone viral on TikTok after exposing secrets from his time working at the popular chain.
The former barista started worked part-time at Starbucks back in September 2014 and quickly fell in love with the job.
Now, he’s sharing insider knowledge, leaving social media users in shock at some of the claims – with a clip racking up over 553,000 views and over 51,000 likes.
“I was going through training and the manager told me about purposely writing names on the cups wrong for free publicity,” Shabaz told Jam Press.
“[They also told me] to look out for influencers or younger people who seem the type to make a scene about it on social media, as they’ll definitely post about it.
“I was shocked, as this was probably the reason my name would be spelt wrong in the past.
“Frappuccinos don’t have espresso coffee; they have a fake flavour version – so if you want real coffee, you have to ask for an espresso shot.
“I was also told to pretend that something wasn’t in stock if it would hold up a queue.
“Frappuccinos would usually take a long time to make, so on a busy day, I would tell them some syrups were out of stock or the ice machine was broken.
“This really shocked me, as I know other companies must do this as well.”
Team members at the chain also gave customers decaf coffee if they were rude and sold bakery goods cold – as it wastes time to heat them up.
On a more positive note, Shabaz also revealed a few ways to get freebies including free drinks and what happens to leftover goods.
He said: “You get a free drink on your birthday if you tell the barista.
“At the end of the night, the bakery items need to be thrown out – so if you ask a barista, they might give these away to you.
“Some of this is taken to homeless shelters or given to the homeless, but most stores just bin food waste.
“If someone is a regular, you can give them syrups and other goodies for free.
“Most food is tried by the staff before it comes out, so always ask for their recommendations.
“They will also try a combination of all sorts and have their own secret special drinks, so ask them for advice and they’ll always get you what you want.
“Drip/filter coffee can be refilled for free if you sit in.
“If you hate your drink, ask for another one, as the barista will always change this for you.
“If you ask for a medium drink, but want it in a large cup, chances are the barista will fill the cup for you because they always make a bit extra – so you get a large drink for free.”
However, fans of the brand may be heartbroken to hear that there is no secret menu.
Reacting to the insider secrets online, some users were left stunned.
“Yeah the decaf bit scared me,” one viewer commented, followed by two laughing face emojis.
Another person added: “Someone told me about the name thing but I didn’t believe them.”
“Yes this is so true. My favorite barista in black apron makes the best chai for me!!! She’s freaking awesome!!” someone else wrote.
One person said: “I said my name’s Michelle they wrote McHale,” followed by two laughing face emojis.
Another viewer commented: “He said be nice or you’ll get decaf…I’m always nice,” to which Shabaz responded: “Good…we won’t ruin your day then.”
“The name one makes so much sense,” someone else wrote, followed by three laughing face emojis.
Another person added: “To summarise everything you just said; respect the staff and they’ll respect you.”
“I heard the name thing but wasn’t fully sure, glad to get a confirmation,” one viewer said.
Although he has since moved on to teaching and won’t returning to Starbucks, Shabaz says he still loves the chain.
He added: “I still love the company as nothing was extreme and if anything, it’s made me love them more now, as I know more.
“The best advice I’d give, is to have fun – when customers see you having fun, they enjoy it too.
“It’s one of the most fun but stressful jobs and you enjoy all the highs and lows.”
Jam Press has contacted Starbucks for comment.
