Vibe coding is transforming software development, making it possible for anyone to describe what they want a program to do, and leaving it to the AI to write the code.
Now Starbucks is bringing the concept to coffee.
At its annual investor day Thursday in New York City, the company said it’s developing an AI-powered “ordering companion” for its mobile app that will let customers describe their mood, their goals for the day, or what they want their drink to taste like.
The example they gave: a “banana bread latte.”
That’s not on the menu. But the AI will translate a craving into an actual recipe built from Starbucks’ existing ingredients (i.e., a blonde roast with oat milk, brown sugar syrup, hazelnut, caramel drizzle, and cinnamon on top) and let you complete the order through the app.
Starbucks didn’t use this term, so we’re going to coin it: vibe coffee.
Beyond the potential novelty for customers, the idea addresses a real problem: the “secret menu” that lives on TikTok and Instagram, where crowdsourced customizations like the “Cinderella Latte” go viral, and customers show up expecting baristas to know what they’re talking about. They often don’t, because these drinks aren’t in the system.
For the record, the banana bread latte already exists on TikTok. The AI just saves you from having to screenshot the recipe.
Starbucks has been laying the groundwork behind the scenes. The company reduced menu SKUs by 25% last year and adopted what it calls a “simplified beverage framework” that builds new drinks from core recipes rather than inventing from scratch.
Baristas already have access to Green Dot Assist, an AI tool on in-store iPads that helps them look up drink builds, troubleshoot equipment, and answer other questions in real time.
It’s part of a broader tech push under CEO Brian Niccol, who joined Starbucks in September 2024 and has made fixing digital ordering chaos a centerpiece of his turnaround plan. As we reported Wednesday, the effort appears to be working: Starbucks posted its first U.S. transaction growth in two years as part of its first-quarter earnings.
In an interview on CNBC that aired Thursday morning, Niccol previewed a “hands-free” evolution for the Starbucks mobile app where customers can simply speak their order, while AI searches for the nearest store and completes the transaction.
He also described a drive-thru pilot that uses natural language processing to automatically translate the conversation between the barista and and customer into orders in the point-of-sale system. The goal is to eliminate manual data entry, allowing baristas to keep their eyes up to focus on their work and human connection rather than tapping on a screen.
As for the AI “ordering companion” (better known as vibe coffee!) the company didn’t give a launch date at its event this morning, saying only that it’s “actively developing” the tool.
In theory, at least, the AI could handle the complexity before the order hits the counter, reducing back-and-forth with baristas. Whether it actually smooths out the morning rush or unleashes a new wave of AI-generated drink madness remains to be seen.
Either way, your coffee options will soon include an extra shot of AI.
RELATED: Tech overhaul helps Starbucks post first U.S. transaction growth in two years
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