Line-up of six Oleato® beverages includes creation innovated exclusively for the market – a first-ever globally

To be available in select Starbucks Reserve® stores including the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Shanghai

Shanghai, March 21, 2024 – Starbucks today unveiled an exciting line-up of six Oleato^® beverages in China, marking the debut of its revolutionary coffee-forward platform in the market. An innovative alchemy of Starbucks® finest arabica coffee infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil, Oleato™ beverages will be available in select Starbucks Reserve® stores including the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Shanghai. The China launch also marked the first time globally that a customized Oleato beverage has been created exclusively for the local market.

Oleato beverages arrives at selected Starbucks stores in China

“Oleato™ exemplifies Starbucks coffee innovation at its finest and boldest. The revolutionary combination of two transcendent ingredients – premium arabica coffee and Partanna extra virgin olive oil – unleashes extraordinary new flavors and textures that promise to transform the way coffee is enjoyed. Behind every cup is Starbucks deep passion and reverence for coffee craft, our unwavering commitment to quality, and insatiable desire to continuously innovate new possibilities. Following the phenomenal customer enthusiasm to Oleato globally, I can’t be more excited to now present this incredible coffee forward platform to discerning customers in China,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and chairman emeritus, who graced the exclusive launch event held at the Starbucks Reserve® Shanghai Roastery.

Oleato™ beverages embody Starbucks ceaseless exploration of new ways to enjoy our daily coffee, which began in 1980s Milan, where Schultz was first inspired to bring the ritual of handcrafted espresso to Starbucks. Four decades later in Sicily, he was once again captivated by the local tradition of enjoying a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil every day, which gave birth to Oleato™ beverages.

Coffee Meets Olive Oil – An Elevated Coffee Experience Like No Other

Oleato brings together two of nature’s finest ingredients – Starbucks arabica coffee deliciously infused with a spoonful of cold pressed Partanna extra virgin olive oil, made from top-grade Mediterranean olives which have been grown by the Asaro family for four generations, spanning over 100 years. The result is a new coffee ritual like no other – enhanced with lush, velvety flavor that lingers beautifully on the palate.

Infusing Starbucks coffee with olive oil yields a velvety smooth, rich texture, with the buttery, round flavors imparted by the olive oil perfectly pairing with the soft, chocolatey notes of the coffee. With its uniquely nutty, slightly sweet flavors, and rich smoothness of a buttery caramel, Partanna’s extra virgin olive oil is a natural complement to Starbucks coffee, providing a luxurious, textural experience whether served hot or cold.

Raising the Bar for Coffee Innovation  

Since debuting in Milan last year, Starbucks Oleato™ beverages have been launched to huge acclaim in select markets including Italy, the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France. The eagerly anticipated launch in China features six premium beverages tailored to the palatal preferences of Chinese consumers, including Oleato™ Lemon Cream Latte, a customized beverage created exclusively for the local market for the first time.

China exclusive Oleato beverage

“Starbucks is proud to introduce our latest signature global innovation to China. Leveraging our combination of global coffee expertise and local insights, our line-up of Oleato™ beverages has been thoughtfully curated to resonate with Chinese consumers. Be it adapting global innovations for China, or creating brand new beverage platforms for the market, we are focused on accelerating beverage innovation to surprise and delight our customers with disruptive concepts that raise the bar for coffee innovation in China,” said Belinda Wong, chairwoman and co-ceo, Starbucks China.

Oleato™ is the latest in a long line of exciting coffee forward platforms launched by Starbucks China in the past year, from its global Starbucks Refresher™ platform to innovations such as Mousse Espresso and Starbucks Intenso created just for China. It will be sold throughout the year in the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Shanghai and more than 100 Starbucks Reserve® stores across 12 Chinese cities. To offer more customers the opportunity to try this revolutionary beverage platform, Oleato™ beverages will also be served in another 300 Starbucks Reserve® stores for a limited period from March 22 to April 1, 2024.

The full line-up of Oleato™ beverages available in China are as follows:

	Ÿ Oleato™ Oatmilk Latte: Starbucks® Blonde Espresso Roast, a light roast that is smooth and subtly sweet, is combined with creamy oat milk and infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil to create a velvety smooth, deliciously lush latte. Oleato oat milk latte is crafted with Starbucks Reserve® coffee at the Starbucks Reserve® Shanghai Roastery .
	Ÿ Oleato Golden Foam™ Iced Shaken Espresso: Starbucks® Blonde Espresso combined with notes of sea salt caramel and creamy oatmilk, topped with Oleato Golden Foam, a lush vanilla sweet cream that cold foam infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil.
	Ÿ Oleato™ Lemon Cream Latte: Starbucks Reserve Espresso combined with lemon cream and creamy almond milk infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil, topped with a swirl of refreshing lemon and mint flavored cream, adding a citrusy zing that cuts through the richness and refreshes the palate. Exclusive to Shanghai Roastery.
	Ÿ Oleato Golden Foam™ Cold Brew: Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew is lightly sweetened with vanilla syrup and finished with Partanna extra virgin olive oil infused cold foam, creating an inviting aroma and subtle sweetness. Exclusive to Shanghai Roastery.
	Ÿ Morning in Sicily: An ode to the Italian tradition of combining olive oil with a squeeze of lemon. This beverage pairs Starbucks Reserve Espresso and Partanna extra virgin olive oil infused with a luxurious passionfruit cold foam. Exclusive to Shanghai Roastery.
	Ÿ Oleato Golden Foam™ Espresso Martini: Starbucks Blonde espresso, vodka and vanilla flavored syrup topped with Oleato Golden Foam – a fusion of fior di latte (sweet cream) and Partanna extra virgin olive oil. At the Starbucks Reserve® Shanghai Roastery, the beverage is crafted with Starbucks Reserve coffee.