Starbucks apologizes for its bear cup drama. What's behind the 'Bearista' frenzy?

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 2:47 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Some phenomena successful the past of humankind simply defy logic.

The Dancing Plague of 1518, for instance. The Bermuda Triangle. Images of Jesus connected toast.

Perhaps it's not our occupation to afloat recognize these mysteries, but simply to marvel astatine them — and that whitethorn besides beryllium the lawsuit for the sudden, seemingly inexplicable, implicit frenzy implicit a cupful that's shaped similar a small bear.

Coffee concatenation Starbucks released a $43.95 "Bearista" solid acold cupful Thursday arsenic portion of its caller vacation collection, and not lone did the hat-topped tumbler merchantability retired astir immediately, but videos circulating online amusement customers warring each different to get their paws connected one.

Empty-handed fans who lined up earlier dawn are sharing their outrage connected societal media, re-sellers are listing them for arsenic overmuch arsenic $1,400 connected eBay, and Starbucks has adjacent apologized for the disappointment amid allegations that the institution lone sent a fistful of cups to idiosyncratic stores.

An Instagram station by Starbucks from Wednesday advertises the merchandise of its Bearista cup. (@Starbucks/Instagram)

"Shame connected you Starbucks, shame connected you," wrote idiosyncratic connected the Starbucks subreddit Thursday who says they woke up astatine 4:30 a.m., went to aggregate stores, and inactive couldn't find a cup.

"Girls were physically warring astatine my Starbucks for these," wrote idiosyncratic connected a Starbucks Instagram post.

"Corporate lone sending 2 per store connected mean was nary substance what gonna origin a bloodbath," wrote idiosyncratic other connected Reddit.

Starbucks told CBC News they'd shipped much Bearista cups to stores "than astir immoderate different merchandise point this vacation season," but didn't supply the numbers.

"The excitement for our merchandise exceeded adjacent our biggest expectations," a spokesperson for Starbucks said successful an email statement. 

"We recognize galore customers were excited astir the Bearista cupful and apologize for the disappointment this whitethorn person caused."

But what, commune tell, is truthful peculiar astir a cupful that, arsenic galore person pointed out, looks similar a transverse betwixt a Billy Bee chromatic vessel and those vintage Kraft peanut food jars? And wherefore was it truthful hard for radical to get one?

We'll effort to explicate the drama.

A cupful is born

The Bearista cupful appears to person archetypal been announced Oct. 6, 1 period earlier it went connected merchantability successful North America arsenic portion of the chain's vacation merch drop.

"Your drinks person ne'er looked cuter," Starbucks said successful its online statement of the cup, which is topped with a greenish chapeau and a striped straw. "Who’s getting a bearista cupful connected 11/6 lmk [let maine know], the concatenation posted connected Instagram Wednesday.

The absorption was immediate. “If I don’t get 1 of these I’ll cry,” wrote TV property Raven Gates, who was connected The Bachelor, successful the comments of Starbucks' Instagram post.

"Stop, this is truthful cute," wrote influencer Piper Phillips.

"Oh my deity I LOVE THIS ," wrote Elyse Myers, a comedian, influencer, and author.

Articles started circulating successful the media astir however and erstwhile to get one, with Parade calling the bear-shaped cupful "the unexpected prima of the season."

WATCH | Why we'll support drinking java contempt the price:

The frenzy begins

The problem, according to the many, galore radical complaining online, is that hardly anyone could really bargain 1 of the cups erstwhile they were released.

Some people, including immoderate Starbucks employees connected Reddit, allege Starbucks lone sent a fewer Bearista cups to each store — arsenic fewer arsenic 1 oregon 2 cups, successful immoderate cases, according to the employees who commented connected Reddit.

Others assertion store employees were allowed to acquisition the cups first, depleting the constricted proviso (although a moderator connected the Starbucks sub-Reddit asserts this mostly isn't allowed). The aforesaid moderator said Starbucks didn't spot immoderate benignant of bounds connected the fig of cups each lawsuit could buy.

One video posted online appears to amusement 3 customers warring implicit a azygous cup.

In Houston, Texas, constabulary were called to a Starbucks earlier dawn to interruption up a Bearista fight.

"When it's 5 a.m. and the drama's already brewing," wrote Harris County Const. Mark Herman successful a Facebook station wherever helium explains that reports came successful of "several individuals refusing to permission the store and fighting."

"Deputies are connected scene, restoring bid earlier anyone spilled their latte oregon mislaid their teddy bear," helium said.

Another TikTok video with 2.2 cardinal views truthful acold chronicles influencer Jared Mechem trying to way down a mug for his wife, visiting 3 stores earlier 6 a.m. and leaving bare handed.

"I'm sorry, but present I'm benignant of determined to get one," Mechem says to his wife, Ellie, astatine the extremity of the video.

"No, this is however it works," Ellie says. "This is marketing. Good marketing. But I'm not gonna enactment that crap."

So, present what?

While its worthy reiterating that Starbucks says they shipped much Bearista cups to stores "than astir immoderate different merchandise point this vacation season," this wouldn't beryllium the archetypal clip the institution successfully utilized scarcity selling strategies to make demand.

It's wherefore the celebrated Pumpkin Spice Latte is lone disposable successful fall, wherefore its limited-time Unicorn Frappuccino created a frenzy successful 2017 and wherefore its Valentine's Day collaboration with Stanley caused mayhem successful stores past year.

"Many brands are capitalizing connected their knowing of quality science to connection limited-edition and exclusive products that consumers volition eagerly unreserved to buy,” Farnoush Reshadi, an adjunct prof of selling astatine the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, successful Worcester, Mass., told retail work Retail TouchPoints past twelvemonth erstwhile discussing the Stanley collaboration.

Starbucks didn't specifically reply CBC News erstwhile asked if they would beryllium restocking the Bearista, saying lone that, "We person much breathtaking merchandise coming this vacation season."

But if you're dormant acceptable connected a Bearista cup, and not consenting to wage done the teeth for 1 connected eBay, you inactive person options. Amazon and Shein are already offering dupes.

Or, if you aren't that picky, you tin ever caput to your section market store and prime up immoderate honey.