Say No to the Soy Milk Surcharge. 50 Local Cafes that Won't Charge Extra for Those Who Don't Do Cow
Does it make sense to charge someone 50 cents extra just for soy milk?
Like many new graduates, I was working as a barista in Starbucks waiting for my first reporting gig to show up. My gainfully employed friends, many of whom had dietary restrictions, would come visit and order those sugary-sweet drinks with soy or lactose-free milk. I went against company policy each and every time and refused to charge them the extra coin for soy.
What I thought was a personal stand at the time has morphed into a wider issue in cafes across Toronto. Earlier this year Toronto vegetarian Sarah Veale made a post she called the Soy Latte Project to catalogue cafes that don't charge for soy or lactose-free milk.
It was a good idea but she must have gotten sidetracked as this list remains small and somewhat abandoned. So this week I called all the cafes listed on this site to see who's charging extra for soy milk in our lattes.
So what did I find out? Looking at the independents only, 34 currently apply an extra charge for soy milk - the price varies from 15 to 50 cents. Many baristas and owners who I talked to said they did so because soy milk costs more than the regular dairy stuff. But just over 50 of the cafes find a way to not add the soy milk surcharge and believe strongly that their customers should have their choice of milk regardless of the price.
"Never have, never will," remarked someone I spoke with at Tango Palace Coffee Company in Leslieville.
As for Veale, she contacted Starbucks' corporate office to ask why they charge so much for soy, especially when a carton has a fairly long shelf life and runs less than $4 retail (Starbucks probably pays under $2) which is less than the price of one latte. She received a standard press release back citing the price of soy milk as the reason.
It doesn't take an economist to figure out this is really just a money grab. If a massive chain like Starbucks that charges more for a latte than almost any cafe in the city doesn't have the margins to absorb the extra costs of soy then they're in more trouble than Wall Street thinks.
Consider that Jet Fuel's better tasting and bigger latte only runs 3 bucks. And they don't charge extra for soy. The numbers just don't add up.
"Finding soy-friendly venues is one option that puts the power back in consumers' hands," Veale says. "We can go elsewhere. If some shops want to alienate soy drinkers, there are other entrepreneurs eager to step in and cater to that clientele."
And who are those entrepreneurs? Here's a map of 50 Toronto cafes that don't charge extra for soy.
Writing by Lyndsie Bourgon. Photo by Adam Fick on Flickr
Comments (44)
Well, it's nice to know that some don't charge. I find this extremely irritating. I can't help my intolerance! Silly soy-chargers.
If you put money on a (registered) starbucks card and use that to pay, then one of the perks is that you don't pay for soy milk. You can also get free flavour shots. Though, that's probably more work than it's worth. (Unless you love Raspberry Mocha Frapachinos!)
You have to consider that small, locally owned store have a much smaller and less diverse client base.
Proportionally speaking, less of Starbucks' customers on average will opt for soymilk. Also the bigger chain will buy in bigger quantities, so ingredient turnover can have a huge impact.
On the other hand, a place like Tango in Lesieville, probably sees a greater percentage of customers with a preference for soymilk. Without getting too deep into social norms and attitudes; i think you are trying to equate 2 very different client profiles. (legitimate arguments like lactose intolerance are an exception and that population is not the majority)
Why not take into account the volume of product these companies buy? Big coffee retailers probably only buy 1/10th as much soy milk as they do the cow kind. The result? A much bigger volume discount from dairy producers vs. soy. And don't forget waste. The leftover milk steamed for your latte can go right into someone else's. Leftover soy? Straight down the drain. Plus, every cafe in town from smallest to biggest has hard costs like rent, energy, staff, and equipment. If you don't want to pay a premium to allow your favourite cafe to stay in business, you can always make your own morning latte.
I find it completely irritating when a coffee shop charges more for soy milk or a pizza place charges more for soy cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, and so are tens of million of other Americans. (Not exactly a minority.) It's wonderful to know that there are actually places that don't do this. But I sure do wish that Starbucks would start offering something other than soy, though. How about the new coconut milk creamer from So Delicious? Now that would be something to get excited about!
I agree it is a complete money grab to charge up to 45 cents for soy! These retailers know that dairy-free folks will pay the extra money - for reasons of health or personal preference - but it's so crazy-making. At Starbucks they don't charge for lactose-free milk and that was their defense when I complained about the soy charge. But it is beside the point because I don't care about the lactose part - I care about the cow part! (Now I use a registered starbucks card to pay for my soy-based bevy so they waive the extra charge)
I am not sure if soy milk is still more expensive than regular. Non-bulk it sure isn't, it may actually be less expensive in some cases.
Yes at Sbux there are less soy drinkers but the very fact that they allow registered card customers that discount proves that they view the extra revenue as non-essential. People are paying for their complacency.
If enough people demand that Starbucks stop charging a premium for soy milk perhaps it will change. Perhaps not.
And Jordan, the idea that a barista would reuse regular milk once it is already steamed would discourage me from returning to that shop far more than if they charged a premium for soy. It is a particular concern of mine that people think it acceptable to reuse steamed milk. It burns it and makes the whole drink taste off.
In response to Giselle and to Tania - I couldn't agree more...I wish there would be more options out there for people who can't have dairy for whatever reason. Personally, I feel soy is so overused and isn't that healthy when consumed in large quantities. I also don't think it's fair to penalize people who can't have dairy. I just read an article about a recent study saying something like 80% of the worlds population can't handle dairy past a certain age (whether they acknowledge it or not). Those of us who can't have dairy are certainly not in the minority as much as we think we are.
I work at a Starbucks outside of Toronto and we don't charge for soy--it all depends on the region. That being said, because of the ability to buy it in bulk and it's shelf life, soy is often cheaper for coffee shops to use.
I worked at an independent coffee shop once that charged 75 cents to add soy--it was ridiculous (the owners were very sketchy though...).
Love the ignorance "millions of us, it's not exactly a minority"... LOL
Anyways thanks for a map of coffee shops to avoid so I won't be overcharged to pay for some vegan's preferences and to encourage gender dysmorphia in children. Soy is far more dangerous than BPA and should be avoided by all men (if you can't drink real milk, go for almond or coconut, don't ingest all the estrogen mimic chemicals of soy).
Do you complain to the cashier at the grocery store because soy and lactose free milk costs more? Is it really any surprise that coffee shops will charge more? news flash: some things cost more than others... "boohoo, my organic tomato costs more than the others."... "boohoo, I don't understand how businesses make money." It's called "markup".
Tania - The Sbux in Toronto most definitely do charge extra for lactose free milk. I'm mildly lactose intolerant, but I can't down a whole glass of milk and stay comfortable, so I always order lactose free. Starbucks tacks on an extra 45 cents every time.
Is it just me, or is that an odd choice of picture for what is essentially a pro-soy post? Dude looks like he's repulsed by the stuff.
I work at starbucks as well, soy milk is only charged when you buy with an espresso drink, its free if you have it with coffee or iced coffee, remember that. this includes lactose milk as well. plus if you have a registered starbucks card, when you pay with it, you dont get charged the milk or syrup in your drink, only if its regeistered. other than that, become regulars with you barista or a regular with a certain store and im sure the friendly staff will totally slip you free soy no biggie
Thanks so much for posting this! Also, what's up with Tim Hortons not offering soy milk at all? They can just not get my business, then.
Also, if lactose intolerant people aren't a majority in Toronto, they must be approaching it, given the city's shifting demographics. Most of the world's population, aside from a large share of Europeans and North Indians, can't digest lactose.
@RealityCheck - Lol at your soy myths.
funny thing, second cup recently started charging 0.50 for soy, but doesn't charge extra for lactose free milk.
Orange Alert does charge for soy, in fact they charged me over $5 for a 12 oz iced matcha soy latte, which was mostly ice. The owner took the time to highlight the "organic" nature of the matcha and soymilk. I'm quite sure I can read.I won't be going back.
I have this bad habit of paying companies the prices they choose to charge. Or not buying the product if the exchange is not worth it to me.
Thanks for enlightening me with this new consumerism where we boycott companies that charge in proportion to their costs. Or, in the author's case, simply steal the difference. What else can we complain about and not pay for?
@Meera
There is a BIG difference between 'not digesting lactose well' and actually having full blown lactose intolerance.The former is associated with maybe some gastric discomfort...the latter however, is an experience in agony, may hours on the toilet and pain medications. They are hardly the same.
@ GB
lol. I suffer from the same condition.
Actually out of 350 million a 20 or 30 million is a minority
That's kinda the definition of the word
Listen, there are two things that are true that should affect your reading of this article:
1) Starbucks sucks.
2) Soy milk sucks (and there's no such goddam thing as soy milk...it's juice.)
So just go to Jet Fuel anyway, and stop drinking soy juice. While you're at it live on the edge a bit: try HOMOGENIZED milk. 3.5% fat.. Yum.
Why does the map cut-off at Broadview? You mention Tango Palace, but its not even on the map?!?
Actually Meera, Reality Check is right. The 'myths' you're snarking off are actually true.
That's precisely what a minority is! 10m out of approx 330m! (Why you are talking about Americans though on BlogTO I'm not really sure.)
Except that the very wikipedia page you link to includes this:
In theory, exposure to high levels of phytoestrogens in males could alter their hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, studies have shown that such a hormonal effect is minor. It may have health benefits for males.[19] Isoflavones supplementation has no effect in sperm concentration, count or motility and show no changes in testicular or ejaculate volume.[20][21] Researchers are studying if phytoestrogens can prevent prostate cancer. [22]
And this about females and phytoestrogens:
The generally accepted position on this topic is that phytoestrogens may be beneficial for healthy females and that females with known breast cancer should be aware of potential risks and consider avoiding consumption until more information is available.[20]
and:
While it should be noted that all infant formulas are inferior to human milk, soy formula presents no more risk than cow-milk formula.[34] One of these studies, published at the Journal of Nutrition,[33] concludes that:
"...there is no clinical concerns with respect to nutritional adequacy, sexual development, neurobehavioral development, immune development, or thyroid disease. SBIFs provide complete nutrition that adequately supports normal infant growth and development. FDA has accepted SBIFs as safe for use as the sole source of nutrition"
Nice article Guest Contributor. I myself do not partake in slave cow puss and appreciate you pointing out how stupid is is that soy drinkers are charged more for coffee drinks sans pus plus bean juice! Cheers.
people who buy coffee at starbucks or coffee shops are so rich, i think they should continue to charge soy or lactose milk, it's good for the economy..can you imagine what the revenue loss will trigger? more layoffs!
let me guess,
you are in your 40's, balding, have a shitty corporate gig, your kids and wife hate you, you peruse the craigslist erotic service ads on a daily basis, and jerk off in the shower while crying.
I've been saying this for years! It's not fair whatsoever that places charge for Soy/Lactose-free. Especially for us folk who are lactose intolerant or allergic. It's as if we're being punished for something we can't even control! Ridiculous. Whenever I've picked up milk for friends it ends up being the same price as a box of Soy milk, if not more!
GB: "I have this bad habit of ... not buying the product if the exchange is not worth it to me.... Thanks for enlightening me with this new consumerism where we boycott..."
So if you shop for products you want at the prices you want to pay, you're a rugged individualist, but if other people do, they're stupid complainers?
If you're tired of paying for soy, as I am, because you're lactose intolerant, become a fan of Free the Soy on Facebook and let's the word out there.
Just got back from Urbana Coffee at Bay and Wellesley - got charged $0.50 just to add soy to my black coffee (not a cap. or latee). $0.50 for a drop of black coffee. Stay away from this place.
I always get around it at Starbucks by ordering my americano, then after I 've paid asking for soymilk. Then I enjoy.
wow, my grammer was terrible there. Sorry, early in the a.m. I ask for soymilk after I pay, that's the gist of it.
Just ask for the soy milk after you pay and put in your coffee. They won't ring up a new tab for 50 cents. I do it at Starbucks every time.
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