- Kat said many people don’t realize there is caffeine in soft drinks.
- The barista at Starbucks noticed that people were buying them for “very young children.”
- Users were shocked to find that they contain a significant amount of caffeine.
A Starbucks barista has shared a little-known fact about a popular drink on the chain’s menu, warning parents that it is full of caffeine even though very few people realize it.
TikTok Creator Kate stitched together a video with Texas tween boutique Dear Hannah Prep, showing the reaction of one of their young ambassadors who was shocked to learn there was caffeine in a drink she regularly ordered, the Strawberry Acai Refresher.
In the video, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, Kat said the reaction reminded her of when people would walk into the popular coffee chain and order a refreshment for their “very young child”.
“I’ve actually had parents come back (and ask), ‘Why is my kid acting like this?'” the barista admitted. “It’s got a lot of caffeine in it.”
Starbucks barista Kat said people are often shocked to learn that the Refresher menu contains caffeine.
Kat stitched a video with a teenager who was shocked to realize her favorite Starbucks drink actually contained caffeine
She went on to say that the sugary drink is “one of the only things” that wakes her up in the morning when she’s working.
“Caffeine is a chemical,” she continued. “And it doesn’t always come from coffee, so….”
She advised parents to stop buying the colorful drink for their children, “if you don’t want them bouncing off the walls.”
“The Refresher base contains coffee bean extract,” she explained. “I’m a barista, I can fully confirm that it contains caffeine.”
Shocked users commented on the video, with some unknowingly consuming more caffeine than they realized.
“I drink this all the time and I didn’t know it had caffeine,” said one dismayed Starbucks regular.
“No way I’m getting this every time I go to Starbucks,” another commented.
Kat responded in a comment saying that the bright drinks don’t contain “quite” as much caffeine as coffee, but do contain “more than an average soda.”
“Which personally I wouldn’t give to a young child,” she added.
“Is that why I get so excited after drinking them?” » asked one dismayed Refresher fan.
“I order it every time, oh my goodness I didn’t know they had caffeine,” shared another.
Kat said parents were coming back to the cafe after ordering the drink to ask what was in it, because their children had started acting strange.
The drink contains 45 mg of caffeine in a 16-ounce drink, but Kat says many people think it doesn’t contain caffeine.
Commenters couldn’t believe the drink they ordered had caffeine
“There’s so much caffeine,” exclaimed another TikTok user, who also claimed to be a Starbucks barista. “I always ask parents (are you sure?!)”
“I’m so grateful to the barista who warned me when I started sharing mine with my toddler!” » added another customer. ‘I took it out very quickly lol.’
According to the Starbucks website, there are 12 drinks available in the Refresher line, and they all contain between 45 mg and 50 mg of caffeine in a Grande (16 oz).
The Strawberry Acai in particular contains 45 mg of caffeine in a 16 oz serving.
By comparison, a cold brew contains 205 mg in the same size, meaning the cooler contains almost a quarter of the amount of caffeine — even though it’s not marketed that way.
