Quebec Court Approves Class-Action Lawsuit Against Coffee Chains for Non-Dairy Milk Pricing

A court in Quebec has given the green light for a class-action lawsuit against prominent coffee chains, including Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and Second Cup. The lawsuit accuses these companies of unjustly inflating prices for non-dairy milk options such as soy, almond, and oat milk, compared to cow's milk.

The case was initiated by Liel Ohayon, a Montreal resident and frequent customer of these coffee shops. Ohayon, who follows a vegan diet, highlighted that her preferred drink, a matcha latte, is priced significantly higher when ordered with non-dairy milk. At Second Cup and Starbucks, this drink costs $6 with cow's milk but increases to $6.80 with soy or oat milk.

During the court proceedings, Starbucks admitted that replacing cow's milk with a non-dairy alternative incurs an additional cost of $0.12. However, customers are charged $0.80 for this substitution. Superior Court Justice Catherine Martel mentioned in her ruling that charging more than six times the incurred cost could potentially harm consumers.

The legal action applies to all Quebec customers who paid extra for non-dairy milk in their beverages at Starbucks between December 30, 2021, and November 7, 2024; at Second Cup from December 30, 2021, to February 27, 2025; and at Tim Hortons from December 30, 2021, to January 2, 2025.

Interestingly, Starbucks announced in the fall of 2024 that it would no longer charge extra for non-dairy milk. Tim Hortons and Second Cup adopted similar policies in January and February 2025, respectively. Despite these changes, the lawsuit seeks to hold the companies accountable for their past pricing practices.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Joey Zukran, expressed that the outcome of this lawsuit might set a precedent, potentially influencing pricing strategies for non-dairy milk at other coffee shops.