Coffee should bring comfort, not barriers, yet many chains still charge extra for plant-based milk, making it harder for people to choose sustainable and compassionate options.
World Animal Protection is excited to announce the launch of our newest toolkit: Stop the Surcharge: Make Change at the Coffee Counter. This latest resource is designed to support and enhance advocacy addressing non-dairy milk surcharges at coffee shops. Coffee should bring comfort, not barriers, yet many chains still charge extra for plant-based milk, making it harder for people to choose sustainable and compassionate options.
Major coffee chains, including Starbucks and Dunkin’, have already dropped their non-dairy surcharges, proving that it’s possible to make plant-based milk more accessible. However, several chains are still lagging, continuing to charge customers extra for choosing oat, soy, almond, or other plant-based milks.
Here are five chains that need to make the change:
1. Colectivo Coffee
With cafés across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, Colectivo is a beloved regional chain—but it still charges extra for plant-based milk. In a region where plant-based options are already less accessible, this fee creates yet another barrier for customers who want to make kinder choices.
2. Bluestone Lane
Bluestone Lane has built its brand around premium coffee experiences, especially in New York City and Los Angeles. But despite its modern image, the chain continues to add a surcharge for non-dairy milk, keeping compassionate choices out of reach for many.
3. La Colombe
Known for its ready-to-drink cold brew cans, La Colombe also operates cafés in cities like Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, the chain still charges more for plant-based milk, even as consumer demand for affordable dairy-free options grows.
4. Compass Coffee
As a local favorite in D.C. and the surrounding areas, Compass Coffee has plenty of influence on the café culture of the region. Yet it continues to make customers pay more to avoid supporting the dairy industry, sending the wrong message in a city that prides itself on innovation and progress.
5. Biggby Coffee
With hundreds of locations across Michigan and other Midwestern states, Biggby has a large and loyal customer base. But its continued non-dairy surcharge is out of step with the growing expectation that coffee chains provide accessible, sustainable options without added costs.
Time for Change
These chains aren’t alone, and many smaller and regional cafés still charge extra for plant-based milk. But change is possible, and your voice can make a difference.
If you live near any of these chains, you can use the Coffee Chain Advocacy Toolkit to call for change. But this isn’t just about five companies. The toolkit is designed for use at any café, whether it's a local spot in your neighborhood or a regional chain still clinging to the surcharge.
You’ll find resources to start conversations with managers, rally your community, and share feedback with us so we can track progress across the country. Together, we can remove the barriers that keep people from making compassionate, sustainable choices.
Download the Coffee Chain Advocacy Toolkit and help push more cafés to end the surcharge and make plant-based choices accessible for everyone.