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Got(oat) milk? Neighbourhood caf茅 can鈥檛 give it away for free, but they can be transparent about the costs
Published: 31 January 2025
At Caf茅 Origine on Sherbrooke Street, oat milk costs extra鈥攁nd there鈥檚 a reason for that. Non-dairy milk substitutes like oat milk cost more than cow鈥檚 milk does. Some large chains like Starbucks have stopped charging extra for milk substitutes, but independent cafes can struggle to absorb the costs. 鈥淎 local caf茅 doesn鈥檛 have the sales volume,鈥 says Vivek Astvansh, Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 running a neighbourhood caf茅, and customers ask for almond milk and it costs extra, I need to charge extra.鈥 A neighbourhood caf茅 shouldn鈥檛 feel compelled to follow larger chains, Astvansh tells the Montreal Gazette, but they should be transparent with their customers.