Are visible calorie counts impacting local consumers’ purchases at Starbucks?

As of June 25, all U.S. Starbucks locations have posted the calories for their products on the menu boards and pastry labels. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
As of June 25, all U.S. Starbucks locations have posted the calories for their products on the menu boards and pastry labels. The new requirement will help customers make more informed decisions, according to a Starbucks spokesperson. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
To learn more about the nutritional information of Starbucks products, visit the company's website or download the mobile app. Those who want to limit their sodium intake should opt for the banana walnut bread that has 210 mg of sodium, compared to around 500 mg in the pumpkin bread and marble pound cake. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
The marshmallow dream bar is the best option in terms of calorie count, compared to the cookies and brownies Starbucks sells. D.C. resident Easten Law says the new calorie postings should have an influence on what baked goods consumers select. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
Of these three coffee cakes sold at the Glover Park Starbucks, the cinnamon swirl coffee cake has the fewest calories. These coffee cake options have between 8 and 10 grams of fat per slice, while the classic coffee cake has 16 grams of fat. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
The banana walnut bread at Starbucks has 490 calories and 19 grams of fat. The blueberry muffin is a relatively better choice with 350 calories and 12 grams of fat. (WTOP/Natalie Tomlin)
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Natalie Tomlin, special to wtop.com

WASHINGTON – If you’re like most Americans and need your caffeine fix in the morning, you may have noticed a recent addition to the Starbucks menu — and it’s not a new seasonal Frappuccino flavor.

As of June 25, all U.S. Starbucks locations have posted calorie information for the range of products on the menu boards and pastry labels.

It is another way for the coffee giant to maximize transparency for its offerings so customers can make informed choices, a company spokesperson says.

The mandate may be the corporation’s attempt to get a step ahead of other chain restaurants that have yet to list calorie counts, according to Forbes.

The Food and Drug Administration will soon require restaurants with 20 or more locations to list their calories on the menu.

A Starbucks spokesperson says the company was encouraged to make this step after participating in a study with Stanford University. The study suggested a relationship between consumer behavior and calorie postings.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business found a 6 percent reduction in calories per transaction when restaurants began posting calorie counts on the menu boards in New York in 2008.

So will the additional information influence what beverage D.C. residents choose at the countless locations throughout the D.C. area?

Emily Almand, a regular at the Arlington, Va., Starbucks next to Virginia Square Metro, says the recent placement of calorie counts on the menu has, in fact, impacted what she chooses to order.

“A lot of places now list calories and it makes me more conscious,” she says. “I may have already thought about it, but now when I see it, I’m like, ‘Oh I probably shouldn’t get the extra whip. I should probably get something with fewer calories.'”

Almand, 27, usually purchases a breakfast sandwich in the morning, followed by a coffee in the afternoon. But she usually opts for a basic latte with milk and no added sugar or cream.

“Occasionally, on a day like this, I’ll get an iced mocha, but [it’s] something more of like a sweet treat, not a regular,” she says. “Seeing the calorie count would probably make me stray away from something like a Frappuccino now that I know it’s that much of my daily calories.”

A Caff

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