Starbucks Expands Coconut Water Drinks As Health-focused Options Grow

With hydration a new focus and protein cold foams on the way, will Starbucks’ wellness push, described by RFK Jr. as a plan to “MAHA its menu,” make it more than just a coffee chain?

These days, Starbucks is brewing more than coffee. It’s leaning into wellness, with its latest focus on hydration.

The coffee giant is expanding a test of coconut water–based drinks to more than 400 coffee shops in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and several Midwest cities, part of a broader health-conscious push that over the past year has included removing the extra charge for non-dairy milk customizations, cutting sugar from its matcha powder and launching two zero-sugar ready-to-drink options.

Those changes have already paid off: after axing sugar from its matcha powder, Starbucks reported sales of matcha beverages jumping nearly 40 percent, a sign that customers are embracing healthier choices.

To meet the growing demand, the new Coco Matcha and Coco Cold Brew combine coconut water with either unsweetened matcha cold foam or cold brew foam, creating lower-calorie, lower-sugar alternatives to traditional coffeehouse drinks. A grande Coco Matcha has 230 calories and 11 grams of sugar, while the Coco Cold Brew comes in at 70 calories and 9 grams.

The beverages were first tested in New York this summer through Starbucks’ “Starting 5” program, which pilots new ideas in five coffee shops to gather feedback from customers and baristas before a wider rollout.

“The regional test will allow us to continue testing the beverages and gathering feedback from customers and partners (employees),” Starbucks said on its website. “We look forward to learning from our customers and partners on this test and don’t have additional details to share on the future expansion of the products.”

Starbucks’ wellness push has also drawn attention from Washington. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on X earlier this summer that he met with Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who outlined the company’s plans to “further MAHA its menu,” a nod to President Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform.

“I was pleased to learn that Starbucks’ food and beverages already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other additives,” Kennedy wrote.

While Starbucks remains mum for now on whether the coconut water drinks will expand nationally, the company said it plans to launch new protein cold foams in the fall.

Notably, the push into wellness isn’t limited to what’s in the cup. Starbucks is also returning to its cozy roots and the social side of health. The company plans to renovate 1,000 U.S. stores over the next year with cushioned chairs, couches, tables and power outlets, part of Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy to reestablish its shops as a “third place” where customers can linger between home and work or gather at a time when community is increasingly seen as part of overall well-being.

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