The US drive-thru coffee chain will no longer charge $0.80 for oat, almond and coconut dairy alternatives, with four of the five largest branded coffee chains in the US now offering non-dairy free of charge
.jpg.aspx?lang=en-GB)
Nine in 10 US industry leaders believe it is important for coffee shops to offer dairy alternatives | Photo credit: Scooter’s Coffee
Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee has become the latest US coffee chain to drop its non-dairy surcharge.
In a press release, campaign group Mercy For Animals said it had worked with the US drive-thru chain over the last 12 months to highlight the importance of removing the surcharge for customers who experience a form of lactose intolerance.
Scooter’s Coffee previously charged a additional $0.80 for oat, almond and coconut dairy alternatives.
“We are thrilled that Scooter’s Coffee has listened to their customers and taken this important step. Charging more for plant-based milk isn’t just an unfair pricing practice — it’s an equity issue. We’ve seen firsthand how upcharges create barriers for people who are lactose intolerant, particularly in communities of colour, where lactose-intolerance rates are significantly higher,” said Jennifer Behr, Corporate Relations Manager, Mercy For Animals.
The move means four of the five largest branded coffee chains in the US by outlets now offer dairy alternatives free of charge, after market leader Starbucks and Oregon-based Dutch Bros both removed non-dairy surcharges in November 2024 and January 2025 respectively.
Panera Bread, the third largest branded coffee chain in the country, scrapped non-dairy surcharges in early 2020 – leaving Dunkin’ as the outlier among the US’ largest coffee shop operators.
Washington-based Wake Up Call Coffee and California’s Andytown Coffee Roasters and Alfred Coffee also begun serving dairy alternatives at no extra cost at the start of 2025.
World Coffee Portal’s Project Café USA 2025 report shows that 91% of US industry leaders surveyed believe it is important for coffee shops to offer dairy alternatives.
Almond milk is the most popular dairy alternative in the US, according to 5,000 US branded coffee shop consumers surveyed in September 2024, with 25% typically pairing it with coffee – second only to whole milk. Oat and coconut are frequently ordered by 14% and 10% of US consumers surveyed respectively.
