For National Cold Brew Day on April 20, coffee chains around the United States offered various deals in celebration of this fa-brew-lous holiday.
Despite the steep discounts available to customers across coffee chains on this day, some chains always charge extra for one particular selection: plant-based milk.
Luckily, the coffee industry has shifted toward a new normal with no upcharge on plant-based milk—six of the country’s largest coffee chains all serve plant-based milk at no extra charge!
As with any industry-wide change, however, some fail to keep up with the times. Read on to find out which coffee chains will serve up your next cup of oat milk cold brew without the upcharge and which must still find dropping the plant-based milk upcharge to be too tall an order.
10 Coffee Shops That Don’t Charge Extra for Plant-Based Milk
These 10 major coffee companies have taken an important step toward making plant-based milk options more accessible by dropping their surcharges!
Dutch Bros
If you are looking for coffee in the South, in the Midwest, or on the West Coast, look no further than Dutch Bros, the third-largest coffee chain in the United States. They have almond, oat, and coconut milk for you to enjoy in your coffee at no extra charge.
Scooter’s Coffee
Midwesterners, visit Scooter’s Coffee for your plant-based coffee drinks! The country’s fifth-largest coffee chain no longer charges extra for plant-based milk.
Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee doesn’t charge more for plant-based milk and uses oat milk as the default option for all beverages! Check them out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City.
Philz Coffee
You can customize your coffee at Philz Coffee with a variety of plant-based options, including almond, soy, and oat milk, without an upcharge. You can find them across California and in Chicago.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Stumptown Coffee Roasters can be found in Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; and New York City and offers plant-based milk without an upcharge!
Tim Hortons
If you are in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia, check out Tim Hortons! They’ve dropped their upcharge on plant-based milk, including oat, almond, and soy.
Starbucks
Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, dropped their plant-based milk upcharge in November 2024. The company’s chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol, said about the switch: “Core to the Starbucks Experience is the ability to customize your beverage to make it yours. By removing the extra charge for non-dairy milks we’re embracing all the ways our customers enjoy their Starbucks.”
Dunkin’
America runs on Dunkin’, and now folks can run on plant-based milk without the upcharge! Dunkin’ is one of the latest and largest coffee shops to choose price parity for plant-based milk, and they can be found nationwide!
Peet’s Coffee
Peet’s Coffee announced they would stop charging extra for plant-based milk starting June 4, 2025! While the chain has a large presence on the West Coast, they can also be found in some big cities on the East Coast, including Boston and Washington, DC, and in the Midwest in Chicago.
Gregorys Coffee
Gregorys Coffee, found mostly throughout New York City and New Jersey but also in a few other U.S. cities, dropped their plant-based milk upcharge in November 2024. The company writes, “Gregorys Coffee Founder and CEO Gregory Zamfotis, who follows a plant-based lifestyle himself, is proud to make this shift for customers who opt for non-dairy milk, whether due to dietary preferences or taste.”
Take Action
Unfortunately, some coffee chains are lagging in their plant-based milk policies and continue to charge customers extra to enjoy coffee with dairy-free milk. We’re calling on three chains—Biggby Coffee, 7 Brew, and Bluestone Lane—to do the right thing and stop charging extra for plant-based milk.
Biggby Coffee
Biggby Coffee is a midwestern chain out of Michigan that just celebrated their 30th birthday. While we aren’t sure what CEOs Michael McFall and Bob Fish wished for this year, we hope it has something to do with dropping their upcharge on plant-based milk!
Bluestone Lane
Born in New York City but with Australian heritage, Bluestone Lane claims they are about “making the coffee experience relevant.” Yet as one of the last major coffee chains to continue charging extra for plant-based milk, they are not exactly keeping their business practices relevant compared with some of their peers.
What You Can Do
Industrial dairy farming is built on the suffering and exploitation of animals. Cows endure separation from their calves, harsh living conditions, and inhumane treatment at factory farms. This cruelty drives many people to choose plant-based milk as a kinder alternative.
It’s not only that—plant-based milk has gained popularity for myriad reasons, including ethics and personal wellness, as millions of Americans, particularly communities of color, experience some form of lactose intolerance.
Enjoy your next cold brew at a coffee shop that has ditched the plant-based milk upcharge. And let Bluestone Lane and Biggby Coffee know here that you won’t be stopping by for your morning joe until they’ve dropped the upcharge.
