After ordering a cold latte at a coffee shop located in Lincoln Park, a customer was surprised by the price. Unwilling to pay for it, the Illinois woman left and shared her experience on social media, where a debate on pricing caught air.
Although Arabella (TikTok/dead.arabella) admits immediately that she shouldn’t have bought coffee in Lincoln Park, she did anyway. “The total came to $16 for one iced vanilla latte.” When Arabella asked for clarification, the barista reiterated the price, even flipping the screen to show her the total. “And I walked out, because I am not paying $16 for a latte,” Arabella shares in her TikTok video.
“I would love to support more small businesses… but Jesus Christ, $16 for one drink?” Arabella repeats. To her, the math doesn’t seem to add up. And this is, as she admits, while still understanding the nature of “overhead” and the cost of manufacturing. She even understands that prices in the U.S. are rising. “I also know that it doesn’t have to cost $16,” Arabella says.
In the comment section of Arabella’s video, she added more context, by revealing the coffee shop was Sakrid—a coffee company based in New Jersey. “I didn’t ask for price breakdown, I just got mad and left lmao,” Arabella wrote.
Luckily, Sakrid does have pricing listed, and the cost of an iced vanilla latte, the same one that Arabella ordered, starts at $4.60. Now there are additional options, such as an extra $0.50 for a 16 oz., and different types of milk, which can add another $0.25 to the price.
Though Arabella did not mention what size she ordered or which milk, those two ingredients still account for less than half of the price. Even a tip included—a modest 20%—would amount to just $7.
The Online Reaction to Arabella’s TikTok Video
Hundreds of comments on Arabella’s TikTok video supported her, with many saying they would’ve done the same. And given the response, it would also explain why Arabella’s TikTok video went so viral. It’s grown to nearly 140,000 Likes and nearly 3,000 comments.
Some TikTok viewers questioned how any latte—no matter how it’s made—should be anywhere near $16. “Additives should still not come to $16 on a $5 dollar coffee,” one viewer wrote. A few suggested there must’ve been a tip added, but it seems Arabella never got a chance to give one.
Another TikTok viewer shared the only way they’d pay that much is if they’re also “served at a table,” along with a “tasty sandwich” and “friendly compliment.”
Others called for the normalization of walking out of coffee shops if they charged that high. “Everyone needs to walk away from a $16 latte,” one viewer wrote, while another stated, “Coffee should never be over $6.”
It’s clear people are unwilling to pay, let alone justify the price. For comparison, that’s the cost of nearly three large lattes from Dunkin’ Donuts.
