• Starbucks’ mobile app appeared to be offline during the morning coffee rush on Thursday.
• Some users received the message: “Mobile ordering is currently unavailable.”
• The app has been a source of growth, but has led to operational challenges for the chain’s employees.

Some Starbucks customers were unable to place orders through the mobile app on Thursday, the first day of the coffee chain’s holiday menu.

Dozens of Starbucks app users posted on social media early Thursday that they could not order drinks or purchase merchandise, such as the company’s reusable cups, through the app. Instead, users received a message instructing them to place their order at a Starbucks store.

Downdetector, a website that tracks website outages, showed a spike in user reports of issues with the Starbucks app around 8 a.m. ET — a busy time at many Starbucks cafes as customers stop by for their morning cup of coffee. Business Insider employees in Washington, DC and New York City were unable to use the app.

The exact extent of the outage was not clear. Starbucks declined to comment on the outage to Business Insider, although it did respond to customers on our drive-thrus and stores.”

Thursday is the first day Starbucks’ holiday offerings go on sale. They include a gingerbread-flavored chai and holiday-themed merchandise such as cups and mugs.

Starbucks has been able to increase orders through its app in recent years, but some store associates told BI that they are sometimes overwhelmed by the volume of mobile orders, especially when customers customize their drinks.

Brian Niccol, who became Starbucks CEO in September, said last month he would put “guardrails” on mobile orders to simplify the process for baristas.

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