Why Starbucks CEO says the pumpkin spice latte won't be on the menu year-round

Why Starbucks CEO says the pumpkin spice latte won't be on the menu year-round

Brian Sozzi · Executive Editor

Fri, July 31, 2026 at 6:30 PM GMT+3 2 min read

Despite its sales-boosting popularity, the Starbucks (SBUX) fall-favorite pumpkin spice latte, aka the PSL, will be staying just that — a fall favorite.

"We've talked about this a couple times, and we come back to the conclusion that it's really the defining drink of a season," Starbucks chair and CEO Brian Niccol said on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid (video above). "And it really kind of starts people into that, you know, kind of fall to holiday run. And as of right now, we've got no plans to put it on permanently. But we will make the most out of people wanting to experience a great pumpkin spice latte season. And it's not too far away."

Starbucks first introduced the pumpkin spice latte in 2003, testing it in about 100 stores before rolling it out nationwide the following year. It has become the company's signature seasonal beverage.

Since its debut, it's estimated that Starbucks has sold hundreds of millions of pumpkin spice lattes globally. The PSL typically returns to US menus in late August, well before the official start of fall, a strategy designed to generate excitement and kick off Starbucks' important autumn selling season.

It's not like Starbucks needed a summer PSL drop anyway. The chain just took another step this quarter to prove that the focus on restaurant basics and afternoon hours is gaining traction.

Global comparable-store sales rose 7.9%, well ahead of Wall Street expectations, marking the company's fourth consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth under Niccol's turnaround plan.

Adjusted earnings came in at $0.85 a share, easily topping analysts' forecasts of $0.66.

The company also expanded its operating margin to 14.4% from 10.1% as cost-cutting efforts and improved store operations boosted profitability.

Starbucks signaled with its raised full-year guidance that it sees the momentum carrying over into its fourth fiscal quarter on the back of new sparkling beverage releases and, yes, interest in the PSL.

Starbucks stock is now closing in on the record high hit in July 2021, per Yahoo Finance AlphaSpace data.

"Strong topline momentum reinforces our bullish view on the sales trajectory into FY27," Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo wrote in a note.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor, host of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast, and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.

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