Starbucks’ app is down on the first day of the chain’s holiday menu

• Starbucks‘ mobile app appeared to be down during the morning coffee rush on Thursday.
• Some users got a message saying, “mobile ordering is currently unavailable.”
• The app has been a source of growth but has led to operational challenges for the chain’s employees.

Some Starbucks customers could not place orders through its mobile app on Thursday, the first day of the coffee chain’s holiday menu.

Dozens of Starbucks app users posted on social media early Thursday saying that they weren’t able to order beverages or buy merchandise, such as the company’s reusable cups, through the app. Instead, users got a message directing them to place their order at a Starbucks store.

Downdetector, a website that tracks website outages, showed a spike in user reports of problems with the Starbucks app around 8 a.m. ET — a busy period at many Starbucks cafés as customers stop by for their morning cup of coffee. Business Insider employees in Washington, DC, and New York City could not use the app.

The exact scale of the outage wasn’t clear. Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, though it did respond to customers on X, saying the company is “currently experiencing a temporary outage of the order ahead and pay feature in our app. We continue to welcome and serve customers in our drive-thrus and stores.”

Thursday is the first day Starbucks’ holiday offerings are on sale. They include a gingerbread-flavored chai as well as holiday-themed merchandise such as tumblers and mugs.

Starbucks has grown orders through its app over the past several years, but some store employees have told BI that they have been overwhelmed by the number of mobile orders at times, especially when customers customize their drinks.

Brian Niccol, who became Starbucks’ CEO in September, said last month that he would put “guardrails” on mobile orders to simplify the process for baristas.

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