The Real Reason Why Starbucks Uses Tall, Grande, and Venti (2024)

Food and Drink

The now-iconic sizes date back to when the coffee chain was named Il Giornale.

Erika Owen is a writer, editor, and author of three books. A self-proclaimed Iceland enthusiast who’s penned more than 350 travel stories, she's constantly on the search for the quirkiest and most beautiful corners of the world.

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The Real Reason Why Starbucks Uses Tall, Grande, and Venti (2)

If there's one thing to know about Starbucks, it's the menu board lingo. Order a small, medium, or large at the world's largest coffeehouse chain and the barista is likely to respond with a raise of the eyebrow. It's tall, grande, or venti when ordering a twin-tailed siren-adorned cup of joe. Starbucks coffee drinkers don't question the abnormal naming convention; they just comply.

There is a reason behind Starbucks' coffee sizes, and it has everything to do with the brand's Italy-inspired origins. In 1986, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz was reportedly working on another coffee chain called Il Giornale, Italian for "the newspaper." It was this first venture that sparked the sizing names short, tall, and grande. Schultz had taken a trip to Italy in 1983 and was influenced to make his American chain more like the coffee bars he visited there.

The three initial Il Giornale locations were renamed Starbucks in 1987, and their unique sizes stuck. Several years later, in the early '90s, "venti" — Italian for 20, as in 20 ounces — became the new large, and the short size was briefly eliminated. Since then, the company has introduced a now-discontinued 31-ounce "trenta" size and a three-ounce "demi" for espresso shots.

Today, only four sizes are listed on the menu board: short (8 ounces), tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), and venti (20 ounces for hot drinks, 24 ounces for cold drinks). Demi (3 ounces) is also available for espresso, although it is now called a quad.

Sure, you can still order a "small" from a green-aproned barista, but beware: You could be met with eye rolls and judgement for not using the brand's famous code language.

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As a seasoned enthusiast and expert in coffee culture and the history of Starbucks, I am well-versed in the origins of the iconic sizes used by the coffee giant. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the brand's evolution and the factors that led to the adoption of its unique sizing conventions.

The article delves into the peculiar sizing terminology used by Starbucks, introducing the terms tall, grande, and venti. This language has become second nature for Starbucks patrons, with baristas raising an eyebrow at those who opt for small, medium, or large.

The crux of the matter lies in Starbucks' Italy-inspired origins, specifically tracing back to 1986 when Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, was involved in the establishment of another coffee chain named Il Giornale. The Italian phrase for "the newspaper," Il Giornale was the precursor to Starbucks and the birthplace of the sizing names short, tall, and grande. Schultz's 1983 trip to Italy played a pivotal role in shaping the American chain to resemble the coffee bars he encountered there.

The three original Il Giornale locations underwent a name change to Starbucks in 1987, and the distinctive sizes persisted. The evolution continued in the early '90s, with the introduction of "venti," meaning 20 in Italian, as the new large size. During this period, the short size briefly disappeared. Starbucks later experimented with sizes, offering a now-discontinued 31-ounce "trenta" size and a three-ounce "demi" for espresso shots. Currently, the menu board features four standard sizes: short (8 ounces), tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), and venti (20 ounces for hot drinks, 24 ounces for cold drinks). The demi size, now referred to as a quad, is available for espresso shots.

In essence, the Starbucks sizing conventions are deeply rooted in the brand's history, particularly influenced by Schultz's Italian experiences and the transformation of Il Giornale into Starbucks. These sizes have become integral to Starbucks culture, with deviations from the established lingo possibly met with raised eyebrows and a touch of judgement from the green-aproned baristas.