Starbucks launching vegan frappuccinos

Vegan friends, here's a sweet conquest.

According to the blog Quarry Girl, coffee giant Starbucks is testing out soy-based vegan frappuccinos in Los Angeles, with an intention of rolling it out nationwide on May 4. Starbucks didn't respond to queries about the new frappuccinos at the time of this post's filing. But according to an employee replying to the blog thread, Starbucks had a soft launch on the 19th and that the stores have a new pink soy blender pitcher, presumably to prevent cross-contamination. Assuming this all is true, feel free to ask your barista if you don't see the pink blender.

Another piece of advice: Stick to the coffee and creme frappuccino base, not the light one and stay away from treats such as mocha and caramel sauce on that frap. They apparently don't come vegan. They don't come very cheap either.
One of the LA area Starbucks I called said depending on the size, prices range from $3.15 to $4.55.

But, hey it's a step in the right direction. Not many mainstream corporations are chanting the vegan mantra yet. Although,
the number of vegan items has been growing over the years, most strongly in the full service and fine dining segments, said Erik Thoresen, a spokesman for food industry research firm Technomic, in an email.

"What's unique about the Starbucks offering is that it represents a shift to the limited service restaurant segment," Thoresen said. "Historically, much of the innovation has come from specialty or niche restaurant operators and innovative chefs. The mainstream nature of the Starbucks launch supports the notion that you don't need to be vegan to enjoy a beverage that happens to be vegan."