The latest limited edition items at Starbucks have resulted in a frenzy for students. Whether students are trying to snag an annual holiday red cup or a brand-new bear cup, it’s caused unrest within the community.

Sophomore Sofiia Ershova, who regularly collects cups from Starbucks, attempted to grab a red cup on Starbucks’ “Red Cup Day” on Nov. 13. Despite getting to the store well before closing, she wasn’t able to get one. “When I got there, they were completely sold out,” said Ershova. The trend has led many customers to lining up, sometimes hours before opening, outside locations.

When asked to describe the new trend, senior Ori Rogers said, “overwhelming.” Rogers, who works at one of the many Starbucks locations in Lafayette, has been dealing with the craze for cups. “We have people coming up to the register asking for cups,” said Rogers. “They’ll look at us like we have some in the back.”

Rogers and their co-workers have been struggling to keep up with the demands of customers in recent months. “We got two whole bear cups for Moraga,” said Rogers. “Hundreds of people want those cups, and they didn’t even get a second shipment.” In addition to the amount of in-person customers requesting specialty cups, Rogers notes that calls are flooding in as well. Rogers said Starbucks employees are “just trying [their] best with customer service because it’s not like we can give [a cup] to customers.”

The trend has also caused an increase in people waiting outside, even before locations open. “I know Hampton [& Mt. Diablo] got a second shipment of bear cups…They didn’t even make it to the shelves,” said Rogers. The small amount of cups being sold has created a shift in the store’s atmosphere. Rogers shared their thoughts: “I think it’s really weird…A manager went to start putting cups on the shelves and people were taking them out of her hands.”

Regardless of the increase in specialty items, Ershova thinks “It’s just fun to have a Starbucks cup.” While all cups work just the same, the emphasis placed on specific ones has created a frenzy. Rogers remarked that “It’s really weird that Starbucks puts so much hype on all of this and then proceeds to understock everyone.”