Start with joy: How Starbucks turned little moments into its biggest hits

• 7 min read
• March 25, 2026

Many of Starbucks biggest bets started small.

They began as little moments of joy - a playful cake pop, a frothy layer of cold foam or a refreshing new way to cool down, all built on Starbucks heritage of coffee, craft and connection. When you add enough of these little joys together, you get something powerful - a brand people connect with in big ways.

In a culture fueled by fast-moving trends, some of Starbucks most enduring menu innovations have stood the test of time while also evolving to stay fresh, finding new life and new fans along the way. The 55-year-old company was recently recognized by Fast Company and Fortune as one of the "Most Innovative Companies."

"Innovation isn't optional. It's oxygen for our brand, and our brand's strength is backed by a global innovation powerhouse," said Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks global chief brand officer, at the company's recent Investor Day.

"We know how to get people talking with our strong track record of breakthrough innovation. From seasonal lattes to Protein Cold Foam, we have consistently created platforms that redefine the industry."

At the root of every menu item that goes on to become iconic? A great idea. At Starbucks, those ideas start with thinking about the customer, said Dana Pellicano, senior vice president of global menu experience.

Great ideas always come from thinking about what customers need, she said. "And the intersection between great innovation and great commercial success is when you are at the right time of introducing something new for customers."

Starbucks Refreshers are an example of that, she said. "We had been Starbucks coffee and tea company for so long, but what that meant was if you didn't drink coffee or tea, we didn't have an occasion for you." To meet that need, the company introduced Starbucks Refreshers in 2012.

But innovation also takes deep conviction. Refreshers weren't an immediate hit, Pellicano said. Now they are one of the fast-growing beverage platforms at Starbucks.

"You have to have the deep belief that you are in the right moment and then, frankly, you have to have the intestinal fortitude to stick with it," she said.

It's also not enough to ride the success of something that's proven. Rather, you have to keep innovating to meet the changing tastes and desires of customers. Pellicano, who first worked as a Starbucks barista in college, has seen the company do that time and again, whether it's introducing new flavors of egg bites or varieties of cake pops (fun fact: many of the most popular ones have faces, she said).

Innovation has also led to Starbucks setting trends and creating cultural phenomena, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte, which was introduced in 2003 and went on to spur a multi-billion-dollar industry of pumpkin spice everything, from candles to popcorn to yogurt to car air fresheners.

"Culture moves so quickly," she said. "You don't want to introduce something when everyone is doing it. You want to be right before it goes mainstream. When we are at the front door of it, others will likely copy."

Innovation often means taking big swings, given the scale of Starbucks.

"When we do things, we're doing it for millions of customer moments every day," she said. "When you win, you win big. And when you fail, you fail big. … (When it lands) you have moments where you move the world. You move the industry."

Here's how some of Starbucks most enduring menu items continue to evolve.

Cake Pops, 2011

It's fitting Starbucks cake pops debuted the same day the company unveiled a new logo. The adorable treat would become a cherished part of its modern brand identity. It began as a way to bring bite-sized whimsy to the pastry case and quickly grew to become a favorite treat for birthdays, soccer games and coffee dates.

Each year brings a new cast of adorable, impossible-to-resist characters ("bumble-cat?!") delicious, new flavors. Though they were created long before TikTok, cake pops offer a pop of fun and nostalgia perfect for sharing. This year, the Valentine's Day Cake Pop went viral and Feb. 14, 2026 became the biggest single day of cake pop sales in Starbucks history.

Starbucks Refreshers, 2012

In the early 2010s, Starbucks observed that Customers loved to come in the morning for their first (or second!) cup of coffee, but wanted something different for their afternoon pick-me-up.

In response, Starbucks launched its new Refreshers beverages, real fruit pieces, green coffee extract from unroasted coffee beans, and ice for an energizing alternative to traditional coffee. Refreshers has grown into a $2 billion platform offering a rainbow of refreshment in vibrant hues, including Pink Drink, Summer-Berry with raspberry pearls and new Refreshers with customizable energy.

Cold Brew, 2014

Close your eyes. Imagine you're brewing a cup of coffee. You're probably picturing a a shot of espresso cascading into a cup or a steaming kettle gently pouring hot water over coffee grounds. But what happens if you use cold water instead? When ground coffee slowly steeps without touching heat, you can get a very different flavor - a sweet, smooth coffee experience.

Starbucks added Cold Brew to the menu in Seattle in 2014 and it quickly expanded across the U.S. and Canada and around the world. Nitro Cold Brew soon followed, along with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and seasonal varieties. Today, Cold Brew is one of the hottest drinks on the Starbucks menu, making up 66% of beverage sales in U.S. coffeehouses.

Cold Foam, 2014

Cold foam also made its debut in Seattle in 2014, and now represents a third of the company's billion-dollar customization business. It began as a modern twist on the classic steamed foam, a hallmark of Starbucks espresso beverages since the 1980s. Frothed while cold instead of hot, cold foam adds creaminess and flavor to any cold coffee, iced tea or Refreshers beverage to create a delicious, layered drink.

It launched across U.S. Starbucks locations in 2018 to rave reviews (Thrillist magazine called it "a match made in iced-coffee heaven") and would go on to include classic favorites like Vanilla Sweet Cream and Chocolate and inventive new ones like Ube, Matcha and Pistachio.

Over the years, seasonal cold foams like Pumpkin Cream and Sugar Cookie have become as beloved as Pumpkin Spice Latte and Peppermint Mocha. The company continues to innovate, launching Starbucks nondairy cold foam in June 2024 and protein cold foam in September 2025, which can add about 15 grams of extra protein per grande-size beverage. And no matter what comes next, its future is frothy.