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Starbucks
Note: Some exact start dates are difficult to pinpoint due to limited historical documentation.
Discontinued: 2022
The ultimate startup success story turned corporate casualty. Nick and Elyse Oleksak dreamed up these cream cheese-stuffed bagel balls, turning their vision into a Shark Tank sensation that caught Oprah’s attention in 2014.
These bagel bites came in three flavors: everything with veggie cream cheese, plain, and French toast with maple. They fit in busy lifestyles perfectly. After appearing on Shark Tank in 2015, they exploded nationwide through Starbucks’ 7,000+ locations.
But Lancaster Colony shut down the entire Bantam Bagels brand in May 2022 due to pandemic-related costs.
Discontinued: 2022 (after multiple comebacks)
The pastry that couldn’t stay buried for long. This flaky French delicacy became a symbol of Starbucks’ tumultuous relationship with premium baking.
Originally part of the ill-fated La Boulange acquisition, the fast food item was first discontinued in 2017 during the “great pastry purge.” But customer outcry was so intense that people literally started online petitions. Starbucks listened, bringing it back in May 2018.
But they discontinued it again in 2022.
Discontinued: 2022
The vegetarian hero that earned a cult following. This wrap was proof that plant-forward options could be hearty, satisfying, and delicious.
Packed with cage-free scrambled eggs, black beans, potatoes, Cotija cheese, pico de gallo, and jalapeño cream cheese, all wrapped in a salsa tortilla. It struck the perfect balance between healthy and indulgent.
Discontinued: 2021 (after multiple returns)
The comeback kid of Starbucks pastries. This moist, cinnamon-streaked cake with crumb topping survived two discontinuations before finally meeting its end.
The cake was the first tragedy of the La Boulange transition in the early 2010s, it made a triumphant return in July 2020 when customers demanded comfort food during the pandemic. But even nostalgia couldn’t save it permanently.
You might remember it as the perfect coffee companion.
Discontinued: 2016
La Boulange’s most beloved creation that customers still mourn today. This cookie was a unique take on the classic Snickerdoodle, elevated with butter toffee pieces.
The Toffee Doodle was part of the 2016 “great cookie massacre” when Starbucks eliminated multiple cookie varieties to make room for peanut butter cup cookies. The strategy backfired spectacularly.
Discontinued: 2022
The humblest casualty on this list. For years, these simple yellow fruits sat quietly by cash registers, offering a healthy grab-and-go option.
But employees typically sold only 1-2 bananas out of every 24, creating massive waste due to the fruit’s short shelf life.
Discontinued: Mid-2010s
The Southwest-inspired sandwich that launched in January 2010 and quickly became a customer favorite. This panini brought bold flavors to the typically mild Starbucks food menu.
Years after its discontinuation, people reminisce about it as the best sandwich ever.
It was part of Starbucks’ pattern of eliminating spicy options. A trend that continues to haunt spicy lovers to this day.
Discontinued: Mid-2010s
The Ancho Chipotle Chicken Panini was the spiciest thing Starbucks ever served. This wasn’t for the faint of heart. The sandwich featured ciabatta bread loaded with spiced chicken, fire-roasted poblano peppers, three-chili gouda sauce, ancho-chipotle sauce, and spicy cilantro pesto.
It represented Starbucks’ brief flirtation with bold, complex flavors before retreating to safer territory. But the panini was so intense it scared off mainstream customers.
Discontinued: ~2017
The cake pop that inspired its own rescue mission. When Starbucks quietly removed this beloved treat around 2017, fans were devastated.
Some people still refuse to accept its disappearance.
This Starbucks treat was created by Steven Charles’s A Dessert Company. It perfectly captured the nostalgic appeal of raw cookie dough in cake pop form.
Discontinued: 2022
The classic French breakfast that couldn’t survive Starbucks’ efficiency revolution. This traditional croissant filled with ham and cheese represented the old guard of Starbucks food. These retro menu items required actual preparation rather than simple reheating.
Its 2022 discontinuation symbolized a broader shift toward “ready-made items” that could speed up service.
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