Starbucks introduces nugget ice cream to some stores

Rejoice ice cream lovers – Starbucks is introducing chewable ice pellets in some stores this year.

The coffee giant said it has received positive feedback from customers on the various ice cream shapes, which would replace Starbucks’ current ice cubes, which are uneven, thin squares.

“Customers who have tried the ice cube in our handcrafted iced drinks during testing had a resoundingly positive response,” Starbucks spokeswoman Megan Adams told CBS News in an email. “Like many of our recent investments, this machine allows partners to focus on delivering the Starbucks experience while hand-crafting the same delicious, high-quality iced beverages our customers have come to expect from Starbucks.”[ads1];

This change may be a bigger deal than it seems, as 75% of the chain’s beverage sales came from cold drinks, it reported in an earnings call last year.

Nugget ice cream is a softer type of ice cream that is easier to chew. Sonic Drive-In, Chick-fil-A, Which Wich and others are known to use the ice in their drinks, even selling it separately in bags to customers.

There are mixed reactions to the news on Reddit, with some customers concerned that the nugget ice would dilute in coffee drinks, perhaps leading to more watery drinks when mixed. But for now, Starbucks said most customers who have tried its nugget ice pellet drinks so far are fans.