Why Reddit Is Divided Over The Size Of Starbucks' Loaf Cakes

Starbucks customers are an observant bunch; not much gets by regulars who order the same product day after day. Case in point: Customers were quick to notice when the size of Starbucks' grilled cheese sandwich appeared to get considerably smaller in May.

The world is experiencing a food inflation crisis, and experts predict it will get worse before it gets better. As a result of global unrest caused by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the continuing impact of the pandemic, "very high" inflation rates are expected to continue, according to Axios. One of the effects of inflation is "shrinkflation," which explains why you may be paying the same price for less food at the grocery store. Shrinkflation is employed as a cost-saving measure when manufacturers "face increased costs of raw materials or the price of gasoline goes up, making it more expensive to ship their goods to the store," Edgar Dworsky, founder and editor of Consumer World, explained to NBC News (via Today). In response, manufacturers may cut down the size or quality of a product while still charging the same price.

Shrinkflation is what some Starbucks fans fear might be happening to their favorite items, such as the aforementioned grilled cheese sandwich. One Starbucks employee took to Reddit to point out a size discrepancy between two pieces of the brand's loaf cake, posting a picture showing one slice that was significantly smaller than the other. "Bad customers get the butt of the loaf lol," u/lilwebbyboi captioned the picture.

While inflation is all too real, most Starbucks fans on Reddit agreed that wasn't the case in the instance of the loaf cake. Although the pictured loaf looks smaller than its counterpart, it's unlikely shrinkflation was the culprit. Instead, it was simply the end piece of the loaf, which may be shorter but is often thicker and denser than the inner pieces, meaning customers still get basically the same amount of cake in the end.

Many Reddit users chimed in with their own humorous replies. "You're gonna be a butt head? Butt loaf for you," one Starbucks barista replied. "Sweet sweet revenge..." joked another user. However, more than a few customers said they actually preferred the end slices. "If it's a lemon loaf I intentionally look for those pieces bc they don't fall apart like soggy single ply toilet paper," wrote u/1272chicken. "Butts are actually thicker, especially on those lemon loaves. I'd get them at any time," u/Almarss posted, while u/ImOldGregg_77 agreed "I prefer it. More crust!" 

It just goes to show — just because something might appear smaller doesn't mean it isn't just as good in its own right.