A Starbucks barista has gone viral on TikTok after breaking down how the chain handles mobile orders compared to in-store ones—and why your drink might not always be ready when you expect it.

User @xonlylenlen told viewers that Starbucks “doesn’t do mobile orders the same way that other places do,” before diving into how the process actually works. 

Her explanation clearly struck a nerve with coffee drinkers online. As of Friday, the video had racked up more than 100,000 views, with commenters sharing their own frustrations and “aha” moments about the coffee giant’s ordering system.

How does Starbucks compare to other coffee shops? 

According to @xonlylenlen, Starbucks operates differently from most coffee shops in terms of timing. 

At many smaller cafes, baristas wait until a mobile customer arrives before starting the drink. At Starbucks, though, she says the team begins making mobile orders as soon as they appear on the screen—because “everyone expects them to be ready as soon as they get here.”

She went on to explain that not all baristas are working on the same orders. 

“The person making drive-thru drinks is not making your mobile order,” she says, noting that Starbucks routes orders through different systems depending on where they come in.

Lately, she added, mobile orders have been getting bumped behind in-store ones. 

“They changed the system where cafe orders are prioritized,” she said. “If somebody comes in and orders the cafe, they jump the entire line.”

That, she explained, is why customers who pull up to the drive-thru just a few minutes after placing a mobile order often find their drink isn’t quite ready yet—it’s probably still waiting its turn in the queue.

Why have separate order queues? 

Most Starbucks locations keep drive-thru, mobile, and in-store orders separate. Even if this feels confusing to customers, there’s a method to the madness. 

Drive-thru orders are placed in their own queue, as @xonlylenlen explains, and printed on a dedicated ticket machine, allowing baristas to focus on getting cars through quickly. Your order only has to wait behind the few cars ahead of you, making it more predictable. 

Meanwhile, mobile and in-store orders all go into a separate “cafe bar” queue. Because multiple orders are coming in at once, a mobile order can still be waiting even if you’re standing in the store or arriving at the pick-up counter.

That split explains why rushing to the drive-thru after placing a mobile order doesn’t make your drink magically appear faster. Drive-thru orders move based on the line of cars, while mobile orders follow the order in which they were received. This year, Starbucks aimed for a four-minute turnaround for drive-thru and in-store orders, but mobile orders were still taking 12–15 minutes on average.

To help baristas manage the volume, Starbucks began testing an AI-powered “Smart Queue” system earlier this year. The algorithm sequences orders for efficiency, making faster ones first without holding up the cafe.

According to Starbucks, the system is designed to keep drinks flowing quickly across all channels and ease the strain on baristas during peak hours.

@xonlylenlen The mobile order issues #starbucks #sbux #barista #baristatok #mobileorder ♬ original sound – lenlen

Viewers say slow mobile ordering is a Starbucks problem 

Viewers who watched @xonlylenlen’s video had strong opinions about the slow mobile ordering process at Starbucks, and many were quick to put the responsibility on the company rather than the baristas.

“Sounds like a Starbucks issue to me,” one commenter said, adding that customers shouldn’t have to shoulder the blame for systemic problems. “Stop putting this on the customers, keeping you employed, and tell your company not to allow mobile orders to have the drive-thru option.”

Another agreed that the baristas’ explanations can feel unnecessary.

“Okay, even if this is how it works, we don’t need a lecture every time,” they wrote. “A simple, ‘pull to the window’ will do. But a passive-aggressive ‘we just got your order, so it’s going to be a minute’ is annoying.”

Some viewers highlighted the mismatch between mobile orders and drive-thru pickups. 

“They need to remove the option for drive-thru pickup,” one commenter suggested. “If you’re gonna wait in that line, might as well order there. Mobile orders should just be for walk-in pickups only.”

Others defended the baristas, pointing out that customers often demand too much of already overworked staff. 

“People are literally just impatient and arrogant,” one viewer wrote. “The app LITERALLY tells you when your order is ready. Why are you pulling up to the window when your app hasn’t said it’s ready yet?” 

Another added, “It’s like people don’t realize that orders take time to make and we have more than just theirs.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to @xonlylenlen via a comment on TikTok.

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The post “They changed the system”: Barista explains why your Starbucks mobile drink isn’t ready, even if you’re at the window appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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