9 Of The Most Overpriced Coffee Chains, According To Customers

Wirestock/Getty Images

It's no mystery that most coffee chains offer drinks that are more expensive than the ones you can brew at home. What can be astonishing is just how expensive some of those specialty creations have become. It can often seem like when one company raises its prices, the others follow suit to keep up with the trend, even if lower-priced coffee would naturally be more attractive to customers.

And yet, the ever-rising menu prices aren't as prohibitive to customers as you might think. The part of the corporate strategy that said, "Serve people a product they love, and they'll come back no matter what," appears to be in full effect with most coffee chains. Convenience and enjoyment shouldn't mean you have to buy the most expensive coffee in the world, but sometimes it feels like you have few other options.

Among the myriad shops slinging bean juice across the nation, certain coffee chains are offering overpriced versions of lattes and frappes. Some of the names on the list are no big surprise; there's no way a collection like this could omit biggies like Starbucks and Dunkin'. However, other outlets with a smaller footprint may surprise those who aren't familiar with how the coffee rings up. When it comes down to choosing cheap versus expensive coffee, it helps to know which chains are charging too much.

Lauren Decicca/Getty Images

You had to know that Starbucks was going to show up on a list like this. Customers have been complaining for years about price jumps from the Seattle siren. It hasn't seemed to hinder many people from keeping up with their daily or weekly consumption, though. Even with tariffs and inflation as well-known reasons why coffee prices have increased in 2025, it's getting increasingly difficult to justify the costly nature of this chain's cup of joe.

Customers on Reddit shared that what used to be a $1 single shot of espresso in a reusable cup now costs $2.50. One Redditor made the comparison to another coffee shop in their area, where iced coffee costs less than hot, as opposed to Starbucks, where the opposite occurs. What's more, the inflation rate increased 31% from 2014 to 2024, while prices at Starbucks went up 39% on average. It may feel excessive to the average consumer, even for the devoted Starbucks enthusiast.

Signs of pricing fatigue from patrons have potentially resulted in a couple of years of sales losses for Starbucks. A report from CNN revealed a 3% year-over-year decline globally in 2023; the second quarter of 2024 showed a 6% decrease in transactions in just the North American market. That's a dramatic java drop-off.

Tim Boyle/Getty Images

New England's favorite place for caffeinated sips and dunkable donuts, Dunkin' has been jacking up its prices to keep in line with market standards, turning the chain into an overpriced coffeehouse. It's not a new turn of events; an 8% price hike from 2021 to 2022 caught the attention of customers who thought it might be time to find a new watering hole for their caffeine needs.

In online conversations, Dunkin'ers pointed out that in 2025, an order featuring a medium coffee with two breakfast sandwiches and 25 donut holes rang up at $30. Another factor to consider is that cost increases at Dunkin' may be due to franchisees' freedom to set their own price points, creating variations among locales. On Dunkin' Facebook groups, customers in New Jersey attested to shelling out $5 for a large iced coffee, while another in Connecticut paid over $7 for a large cold brew. Turns out the chain has overpriced items all over the U.S.

Obviously, patrons aren't happy about the rising price of Dunkin' coffee, even as they tap their cards at the register and await their orders. How long they can keep up the practice before finding a cheaper spot remains to be seen.

Stephanehachey/Getty Images

If you're going to pay less for budget-friendly coffee, you might be willing to sacrifice a little in terms of quality. At least that's the philosophy of customers at Tim Hortons, who choose the more down-to-earth outlet rather than the more upscale spots specifically for the better pricing. But when the prices start sliding upward without a notable improvement in the coffee itself, it's time to admit that you're paying too much, even at Tim's.

How expensive has coffee become with inflation applied? The current menu shows a small hot coffee listed at around $2 and a small Iced Capp coffee frappe at $4. This might seem reasonable compared to the much higher prices at Starbucks. But regulars at Tim's have noticed that McDonald's coffee costs less and tastes better — at a chain where coffee isn't even a featured item. In fact, an entire Reddit thread dedicated to the poor quality of Tim Hortons coffee makes it sound like no price could be low enough.

In 2025, Tim Hortons announced a three-cent-per-cup price hike — a 1.5% increase — but many customers shared that even this small amount was excessive, considering the coffee isn't great. Patrons on Reddit have noticed other items costing more at the chain in recent years, so it seems a pattern of Tim's steadily overpricing its menu is emerging. The company may call the most recent increase reasonable, but Tim's clientele says otherwise.

Tada Images/Shutterstock

Dutch Bros has perfected the art of flirtatious upselling with overly friendly staff who engage in nonstop chitchat with customers for a feel-good beverage moment. Maybe the chain thinks this superior customer service justifies the expensive pricing for coffee drinks with buzzy names like Golden Eagle and Double Torture. In an age where every spare cent counts in our personal budgets (and let's face it, there are very few ages where this isn't true), charging for overpriced coffee with a side of friendliness isn't fooling anyone.

Some customers on Reddit shared that they originally left Starbucks for Dutch Bros, but now the prices have become indistinguishable. One Redditor alleged that two medium drinks came out to a whopping $15. Other reviewers on TripAdvisor agreed that the chain has become overpriced. When a reasonable coffee chain starts increasing prices, it's the long-standing customers who feel the pain the most. And all of that happens before the inevitable tip to the barista is added in.

When you boil it all down, the untold truth about Dutch Bros is that you're not just paying for the beverage, you're also paying for the prestige of the brand. It turns out there's a high cost for having a cup with a logo that makes you feel like you're in an exclusive club.

Mousamjm/Shutterstock

When you're a smaller chain like Caribou Coffee competing with global giants like Starbucks and Dunkin', you have to do everything you can to attract business your way. Although some customers prefer the quality of the drinks at Caribou over those from other coffee chains, these premium beverages cost a little more than the ideal. After all, when you're a smaller chain and your prices rival those of the more extensive coffee houses, the clientele is bound to notice.

One Redditor pointed out that in their area, some medium Caribou drinks cost $7 without enhancements. These overpriced coffees caused one customer in the thread to change their three-times-weekly visit to once every other week. Other former fans have even taken to buying their own espresso makers instead. You can debate whether the price changes come down to inflation, corporate greed, tariffs, or a combination of all three. But you can't deny that it's frustrating to pay more for your sips.

Vince360/Shutterstock

Peet's has been a major competitor in the coffee sphere for almost 60 years, long before the Starbucks of the world set up shop on every corner. If anyone has the right to roll up their prices, it should be the company that's proven its longevity for the better part of a century. When the playing field is filled with numerous other options, however, a menu that charges too much for the same coffee drinks you can get anywhere is sure to be labeled overpriced. Even a pedigree as prestigious as Peet's isn't enough to keep customers from calling out the costly coffee.

The chain lets its clients know in no uncertain terms on its website why its prices are on the rise. The reasons given are familiar: all-time highs for global coffee prices spurred by climate challenges, expensive supplies for farmers, and shortages in labor and transportation. The company goes so far as to tell readers they're supporting a delicate supply chain when they stay loyal and pay more for Peet's. Nothing says "Stick with us" like a little corporate guilt. Nevertheless, that doesn't sway customers who say prices for bagged beans from the brand are too high and who are convinced that capitalism has crushed everything that made Peet's great.

The seemingly overnight success Black Rock has enjoyed as a player on the coffee shop circuit has come with an equally quick escalation in its pricing structure. It didn't take long for the chain to generate buzz around coffee drinks that mimic other chains but come with higher price tags; a basic 12-ounce latte at Black Rock currently runs roughly 70 cents more than the Starbucks equivalent at locations in Glendale, Arizona. That's a lot of change for essentially the same drink.

Patrons who nearly gagged on the new pricing structure took to Reddit to warn others of a $3 price bump in their medium-sized blended beverage. TikTok users have posted clips of themselves with their jaws practically on the floor to describe their response to the chain's prices. Another TikToker shared their delivery order for two coffees and a grilled cheese sandwich, which came out to over $37 before a tip was added. The Iced Caramel Blondie alone was $10.

When the challenge of affording groceries becomes more real every day, it's difficult to justify spending more than necessary on Black Rock's fancy coffee drinks. But, when you see how overpriced the coffee is, it becomes clear how the company was able to reach a valuation of over $1 billion at its 2025 IPO.

Small-batch roasting that moves supply through the store every five days may explain the overpriced nature of Dunn Brothers. This sort of artisan-style processing usually comes at a premium when a chain can't sell through its supply before making more. Checking the current menu at one of the chain's Minneapolis locations, a 12-ounce brewed coffee costs around $3.10 before tax; even an industry leader like Starbucks prices its plain coffee at around $2.65 for the same size in a similar location. A small Americano at Dunn Brothers starts at $4, compared to Starbucks' roughly $3.50. Flavorings go for $1 each, and a small chai latte, courtesy of Dunn, is a whopping $5.30.

Minnesotans have expressed disappointment in changes to the Midwest-based chain in recent years via Reddit, noting that many locations have shifted from an independent franchise model to a corporate-structured program while other sites have simply closed down. Changes like this may have driven prices in a higher direction. Nonetheless, high prices are high prices, especially when they're on par with some of the most overpriced chains on the circuit. At Dunn Brothers, even if you love what you get, you're coughing up more of your hard-earned beans for the privilege.

umitc/Shutterstock

Back in the day, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was an earthy alternative to the flashier coffee shops cropping up everywhere. It had a bit of a hippie feel, like a throwback to your college years when coffee was a study tool as much as a social lubricant. Once brewed beans became a status symbol, it seemed like this funky shop jumped on the bandwagon and underwent something of a glow-up. The transformation included escalating prices that have come to exceed those of the larger chains The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was trying to outmaneuver, much to the dismay of dedicated customers.

The menu at a Peoria, Arizona location currently shows $4.55 for a 12-ounce café latte, which outprices an equivalent beverage at the neighboring Starbucks by 10 cents. Even a simple drink like a small flat white costs $5.55 at The Coffee Bean — around 30 cents more than Starbucks. In many instances, it seems The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf rings up similarly to other chains, if not higher. 

The simple explanation for such an aggressive pricing structure could be that the company hired ex-Starbucks executive Tara Hinkle in early 2025 to guide expansion throughout the Americas. In an increasingly competitive sphere of serving quality coffee at affordable prices, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf appears to have fallen in line with its chief rivals to keep up.

FXQuadro/Shutterstock

The chain coffee drinkers in my life keep me posted on the rising expense of indulging in their favorite beverage. I combined this with my limited personal experience in ordering coffee every so often and always being amazed at how expensive a cup of java with a little almond milk has become. Because I keep my personal supply of coffee beans and grounds well-stocked, I've also kept an eye on rising coffee prices in general and the connection between this and the numbers on the menu board.

With so much online conversation among coffee fans who can't believe how expensive things have gotten at their favorite spots, it was easy to find evidence of chains that have become overpriced. I was able to discern whether the overpriced nature is due to the added expense, the diminished quality of the coffee, or both. It also led me to consult current pricing menus for several chains to narrow down those that have the most elevated prices overall. All prices mentioned are current at the time of publication, are dependent on location, and are subject to change.

There may still be affordable items on the menu in these chains, like drip of the day or a straight coffee-and-cream combination. It's the specialty drinks, however, that are often the draw for these coffee chains, and they come at a premium that could drive customers away.