Starbucks Now Charging by the Ounce

I still remember the week the Trenta – Starbucks'

largest size for iced drinks – was announced. The 31-ounce cup drew a lot of criticism from bloggers who were quick to point out that Starbucks customers could now order a refreshing coffee that was

. At the time, I argued in favor of Starbucks – not as a fan of the beverage chain but as a consumer who values choice. No one was being forced to order the oversized cup, which pales in comparison to the largest Big Gulp available. A few months later, I started going to Starbucks on a regular basis. Not for coffee, overpriced baked goods (which aren't baked fresh and aren't very good), or long lines of people looking to feed their addiction. No, my obsession stemmed from something a bit simpler: black tea lemonade, sweetened. I didn't plan on becoming a Starbucks addict. For years, I lived a normal life, making iced tea myself, enjoying the delectable taste of homemade lemonade, and occasionally dropping by McDonald's

for a sweet tea. But after scoring a Starbucks gift card for becoming the Zinger of the Week (a peer-nominated honor at Benzinga), I decided to visit the coffee conglomerate and see what it had to offer. After one sip of the perfectly mixed and expertly sweetened black tea lemonade, I was hooked. Completely, irrevocably, I-gotta-have-it-all-the-time hooked. I quickly became one of

– a Starbucks faithful who couldn't resist dropping by at six in the morning to grab hold of an overpriced drink. Having realized that a good portion (30% or more) of my beverage was allocated to ice, I began to ask the baristas to put the ice in a separate cup. Most baristas obliged without question, filling my cup to the top with tea or lemonade. But when someone didn't, all I had to do was ask for more tea. Now instead of paying nearly $4 for 70% of a drink, I received the full beverage. Overpriced or not, I was a satisfied customer. That changed this morning when I walked into a Starbucks (one of many that I frequent) and was informed that if I wanted my cup filled to the top, I'd have to pay extra. Assuming that the barista was wrong, I told her that I had been ordering drinks with ice on the side for the past year without incurring any additional fees. “It's a new policy we just started for the warmer weather,” the barista replied. I was baffled. This made no sense whatsoever. In noticing the baffled look on my face, the barista added, “The liquid is concentrated. People were paying for one drink and getting five.” Clearly she was exaggerating, as it seems unlikely that this will be the official response that Starbucks executives would provide to angry customers. But most customers

order ice on the side. Most accept the fact that they are paying for 31 ounces but receive only 20. I, however, do not. Is this enough to push me over the edge and make me stop visiting Starbucks? I have $8 left on the latest Starbucks gift card I received (a Christmas gift from “Santa”). We'll see what happens when the card is empty. In the meantime, I can tell you that over the past year I have spent more money at Starbucks than I care to admit. And aside from the times when a barista forgot to add the sugar syrup (causing the drink to be rather bitter), I have no regrets. I've enjoyed my ridiculous, thirst-quenching luxury. On hot days, cold days, rainy days, and every time in between, there has been something fun and satisfying about indulging in this silly pleasure. It has made me understand why so many people are so darn willing to blow vast amounts of money on Starbucks each year. But if there's one thing I hate most about the corporate world, it's greed. And if this so-called “policy” finds its way into every Starbucks in the country, greed will have prevailed.