Starbucks prices just went from grande to venti.
The coffee giant has raised the cost of all its drinks, with the exception of the lowly cup of joe, which is now actually 10 cents cheaper.
Under the new pricing scheme, customers who shout out complicated orders to the barista are hit with the biggest hikes, while those who keep it simple see only a modest change.
An extra shot of espresso, formerly 55 cents, is now 70 cents, a 27 percent increase. Adding syrup to a drink has jumped 33 percent, to 40 cents. And those who prefer soy to regular milk in their espresso drinks will now have to shell out an extra dime.
So, while a tall latte jumped only 2 percent, from $3.20 to $3.25, a triple grande soy vanilla latte, which was already an absurd $5.55, is now an astronomical $6.25.
The company quietly announced the hikes in September and put them into effect last week, yet most customers failed to notice the increase yesterday.
“The price change should be clearly labeled — I had no idea,” said Cecile Hanau, 43, not realizing she had just paid an extra nickel for her usual tall cappuccino at one of the company’s Union Square outposts.
“If they are going to change their prices, they should let customers know. I try to have my coffee at home more than at Starbucks, and I guess now I will come here even less,” she said.
Debbie Anne Pascqual, 25, whose grande caramel macchiato cost 30 cents more than it did a week ago, said the spike could be enough for her to abandon the Seattle-based chain.
“Living in the city is already expensive,” the cocktail waitress said. “I’m shocked they raised prices without telling anyone. It seems like they cared about their customer base, but they don’t. Now I’ll go to Dunkin’ Donuts.”
Not all caffeine fiends were quite so steamed.
Sondra Maren Schneider, 22, said she didn’t fault Starbucks for the increase.
“I don’t think any bar or restaurant announces when they raise their prices,” she said. “That’s just capitalism, whether it’s fair or not.”
Some customers were even smiling yesterday.
“I’m glad I like simple coffee,” said Kathleen Burke, 20, whose usual tall regular coffee dropped 10 cents, to $1.70.
“I drink coffee every day, and this was a pleasant surprise. That extra change will go toward future subway fare hikes.”