Starbucks isn’t selling its Pumpkin Spice Latte at hundreds of stores in the Middle East this year, as customers demand the return of the beloved drink

• Starbucks is not bringing its Pumpkin Spice Latte back to stores in the Middle East this year. 
• “Unfortunately, PSL won’t be available this year due to Business and Operations reasons,” Starbucks Middle East wrote on Facebook.
• The news sparked despair among some PSL lovers, who have been forced to make do with the Salted Caramel Latte. 
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Starbucks customers in the US have been sipping their Pumpkin Spice Lattes for more than a month. But, in the Middle East — where the chain has hundreds of stores in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar — the iconic autumnal beverage is nowhere to be seen. 

This week, Starbucks Middle East announced it was launching a “new” drink — the Salted Caramel Latte. While some people were excited about the new drink, many customers responded with demands that Starbucks bring back the Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

“As if 2020 can’t get any worse…There won’t be any Pumpkin Spice Latte?!?!” one person commented on Facebook. “Why Starbucks? Why???? We look forward all year for this. Boo!”

“Bring back PSL!” another commented. 

“PSL when????” commented a third. 

Starbucks Middle East responded on Facebook that the Pumpkin Spice Latte would not be returning in 2020. Starbucks did not respond to Business Insider’s request for further comment on the decision. 

“Unfortunately, PSL won’t be available this year due to Business and Operations reasons,” the brand wrote on Facebook. “We encourage you to stay tuned on our channels for our upcoming drinks.” 

Restaurants around the world have tweaked their menus to adjust to the pandemic. Chains such as Denny’s and IHOP have streamlined their menus, while McDonald’s has cut salads andAll-Day Breakfast from the menu. These adjustments have helped simplify operations and speed up service at a time when companies are facing supply chain challenges and seeing to-go sales explode. 

The Pumpkin Spice Latte’s return was unencumbered by the pandemic in the US. The drink made its triumphant return to the menu in the US in late August — its earliest ever launch.