How do you accurately calculate the price of a custom drink?

Calculating the price of a custom drink at Starbucks involves adding the base price of the drink to any additional costs associated with customizations and toppings. This method ensures that each component of the drink, from the standard ingredients to any extra flavor shots, milk alternatives, or toppings, is accounted for in the final price.

Using the base price as a starting point provides a clear foundation, while including the costs of customizations allows for a precise calculation reflective of the customer's specific order. This approach not only meets customer expectations for transparency regarding what they are paying for but also aligns with the company’s pricing structure.

The other approaches would not provide an accurate reflection of the actual cost. For example, using a fixed price would not account for the variations in ingredients or additional features that differ from a standard drink. Similarly, subtracting discounts before including extras would lead to confusion regarding the actual price for the customer, as customizations should be added before any discounts are applied. Estimating based on previous sales can lead to inaccuracies, as different custom drinks can have significantly different prices based on the specific selections made by each customer.