The water activates the concentrate better than milk. But it’s up to the preference of the customer. Keep to standard to ensure consistency between stores.

In hot chai? Water for sure. Do it to the standard, otherwise you become “that store” when customers come in and complain when we make the standard recipe because it doesn’t taste like how “that other store” makes it.

ALWAYS make drinks to standard unless the customer requests otherwise. Use the recipe card to settle this. The SM or DM should have settled it years ago when it first came up instead of letting people do what they want tbh. Just because a few baristas like the drink one way doesn't mean every customer will.

You should follow the recipe to create consistent quality and the recipe says only add water to hot chai latte and not cold one.

That is why customer be like “oh the store by my house has more flavor than this, I would like a remake”

What does the recipe card say? Do that. No debate about it.

unless the customer states 'no water'.. waters goin in

it doesn’t matter how baristas like to drink their chais . can’t just change the recipe because we think it tastes better a different way

the way i see it.. i could be wrong

it’s concentrate so it needs water kinda like straw açaí? it’s why we cut it with water.. it’s super sweet and not at all like “real” chai

You know how you drink milk when you eat something spicy to dull the heat? Same thing when you add more milk to chai. You absolutely put water in it because that’s the recipe and it’s not up to your dumbass coworkers to change it because they think they know better. Consistency is so important. This post infuriates me.

Water unless otherwise stated. In my humble opinion, the water activates the spices of the chai so it makes it MORE flavorful

Yes I do. The recipe says to put it in the hot chais.

I put water in the hot chai lattes, because that is the standard...

According to the box of chai, the water "make the flavors bloom". I think it tastes the same if not better with the water, not to mention it cuts the calories so I like it myself. I just do what the recipe says unless a customer specifies not to. I never deviate from any recipe unless asked- customers should be served exactly what they ordered

Make it to standard, and if it is important to you, or if the customer asks, coach them on how the flavors adjust if ingredients are adjusted, offer to make it a different way if they have a question or concern.

Don't just make it to what you think tastes good, though, that's a recipe for confusion and frustration when the customer goes to another store. Doing this is precisely how we get to "but this doesn't taste the same as...x" with a customer who knows something is different but doesn't understand how to relate their question or notice to the new barista. Heck, even within a store this is frustrating, much less at a company level. Do not be "the other store".

Usually, but sometimes I forget to add water

Following the recipe ensures that guests are getting what they are expecting calorically as well. This isn't on par with giving someone sugar, caffeine, or a potential allergen when they aren't expecting it, but it isn't much better either. Believe it or not, some guests take their nutritional needs into account when visiting us.

Former partner. I love a good hot chai and I HATE when people don't put my water in. I mobile order and a solid half the time, the barista doesn't put water in it.

You don't always know better than the customer, put water in unless they ask for no water.

Hot yes. Cold no.
Personal preference I don't -- I like kids temp with soy and vanilla

Hot with water
Cold no water (ice)

I was taught that it’s half milk half water

Why are these kinds of questions brought up so much? There are RECIPES which anyone can check if there's disagreement, and people go to Starbucks because they want their drink to taste the same no matter which store.

The chai is a CONCENTRATE, meaning it needs to be mixed with water to turn it into an actual beverage (except for iced, where it gets ice instead of water). If your baristas and/or customers enjoy extra-strength syrup tea, it's on them to ask for it. If you think a customer would enjoy your favorite customization, go ahead and offer a recommendation, but don't just ASSUME you know what's best for everyone else.

Yes! The water actually makes it stronger. Always put water in unless specified otherwise (besides cold ones)

It's standard, so yes. The drinks are made a specific way so that it tastes the same no matter where you go.

Not until recently when i reviewed recipes on the ipad. No complaints about it yet

Almost every store (both corporate and licensed) that I've been to don't cut it. And the store that I work at (licensed) has tried to go back to standard by cutting out with water, but nearly all of the customers (and all the regulars) complained about it being watered down, so we just reverted back to the milk only.

Hot: yes. Iced: nope; it already will have water since ice.

It’s like how iced chais have ice as their “water” so they only get the milk, the water in the hot one is just water. I heard that somewhere but it makes enough sense. I personally don’t do half water half milk tho, maybe just 1/4 water.

I know it’s part of the recipe but I literally never put water in it. It just ruins the flavor. So nope. No water.

[deleted]

I'm not going to lie, it depends on how long the drink cue is and if I have to go over to the hot water tap anyway. If not, putting hot water in the chais requires moving to a whole other station and slows down the process of making drinks, so I don't do it if we're super busy.

Honestly I think it’s another cheap hack lol
We water down everything cause it’s concentrated? But like ??? Is it really??
I feel like it’s about their bottom line rather than actual taste. I make everything to standard but try to educate customers on how things are made while I do so

I hardly ever do unless they ask for extra water. Honestly it seems unfair to water it down

I only did it for the hot ones, but if we had a rush then no, I didn’t put water in it. I don’t drink chai but no one ever was able to tell the difference lmao that I remember

edit; don’t know why this got downvoted so much lmao like damn it’s not that deep it’s literally just a drink 😂😂

[deleted]