Shares Starbucks executives discussed the company’s recent shift toward plant-based food and drink innovation during an investor earnings call this week. UBS financial analyst Dennis Greiger asked Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson about how the company is addressing changes in consumer behavior amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson responded by pointing to various innovations that the chain has implemented, adding “and if I were to say what is probably the most dominant shift in consumer behavior, [it] is this whole shift to plant-based. And that is a shift both in beverage and in food.” Starbucks adjusts to plant-based shift In the beverage department, Starbucks added almond milk to its menus in 2016 and has since experimented with a variety of plant-based milk and drinks. This spring, the company will offer oat milk on its menus nationwide after a regional test at 1,300 Midwest stores proved successful last winter.