A Big Win For Cows
Caribou Coffee started the new year off strong for cows by announcing that the surcharge for plant milk is officially a policy of the past at all of its 500+ locations in the United States. Previously, Caribou offered fee-free plant milk only to loyalty members, but in a move that is kinder for coffee-goers, animals, and the planet, the company has extended the policy to all U.S. customers.
Caribou Coffee is the most recent of 360+ chains to drop the upcharge on plant milk, including industry giants Dunkin’, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Dutch Bros, and Peet’s. Unfortunately, some coffee chains, including Bluestone Lane and Biggby Coffee, continue to charge customers more for choosing kinder and more planet-friendly plant milk.
New Year, Same Policy
It has been almost one year since Mercy For Animals launched an Earth Month campaign urging Bluestone Lane, Biggby Coffee, and 7 Brew to drop the plant-milk upcharge. Since then, 7 Brew has dropped the upcharge at all U.S. locations!
Meanwhile, Bluestone Lane rings in the new year by continuing to charge YOU more for plant milk, despite “record profits” in 2025 and making claims that contradict the upcharge, such as, “Our environmental stewardship keeps us grounded in our responsibilities—and new possibilities for eliminating waste and minimizing impact excite us.” Bluestone Lane founder Nicholas Stone states that the company is committed to reducing their environmental footprint and is “conscious of the importance of sustainability.” Yet another year has gone by, and Bluestone Lane has yet to put their money where their mouth is and drop the plant-based milk upcharge.
Biggby Coffee, which also prides itself on ethical coffee, has joined Bluestone Lane as another coffee company that has started off 2026 standing behind their outdated surcharge on plant milk. The company prioritizes sourcing coffee from farmers who are “treating the planet right,” including using “good water management.” While the company has an ethos of “capitalism with boundaries,” Biggby co-CEOs Mike McFall and Bob Fish have failed to take their own moral responsibility seriously by continuing to charge more for plant milk.
The True Cost of Dairy
While cows’ milk is served without an upcharge at Bluestone Lane and Biggby Coffee, it’s cows who pay the price. Cows at dairy factory farms experience separation from their calves, painful udder infections, and their lifespans are reduced by about 16 years.
The planet is suffering too. Dairy milk is responsible for 3x more greenhouse gas emissions, and uses 11x more land and 13x more water to produce.
One policy change for Biggby Coffee and Bluestone Lane would have a massive impact. Switching one latte from cows’ milk to oat milk saves the equivalent of two showers’ worth of water, and switching three lattes from cows’ milk to oat milk saves the equivalent of driving one mile in a car. Had Biggby Coffee and Bluestone Lane dropped their plant-milk upcharge a year ago, the impact on water consumption and emissions would be truly meaningful for the planet, not to mention the animals.
The Time is Now
Letting another year go by with the same plant-milk upcharge would be a huge disservice to animals and the planet. Ask Biggby Coffee and Bluestone Lane to stand by their own company values and drop the upcharge on plant-based milk TODAY.
