Fall is the season for picking pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and drinking pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. But the coffee chain is having trouble keeping the $4 fall favorite in stock, driving customers out of their gourds, according to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal.
(MORE: The Perils of Coffee Snobbery)
Starbucks told the WSJ that while there is no “widespread scarcity,” the “infrequent deliveries” of the special pumpkin sauce have caused shortages at some locations:
“There is an opportunity, in a pumpkin emergency, for them to be able to place an [extra] order,” said spokeswoman Lisa Passé.
You can buy the instant Starbucks Via Pumpkin Spice packets instead, but apparently many stores are running low on those too. Media blogger Jim Romenesko’s website StarbucksGossip has been blowing up with complaints about Via pumpkin spice shortages in Evanston, Illinois, Nashville, Tennessee, and the Denver area. The Wall Street Journal created a Storify of the outrage on Twitter. Some examples of the pandemonium:
[tweet https://twitter.com/pchabai/status/253888887850672128%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/ksal/status/252409022228074496%5D
Starbucks fans, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take it easy on the pumpkin spice lattes: after all, there are 300 calories in a “tall” size. Pumpkins on their own are actually very good for you, high in fiber and Vitamin A, as TIME’s 31 Healthiest Foods points out. So while you are waiting for local stores to get more pumpkin spice lattes, try making yourself a healthy breakfast like pumpkin oatmeal instead. Recipe here.