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Starbucks Korea regains coffee chain lead after 'Tank Day' row

Starbucks Korea claimed first place in sales after spending four months in second position following the Tank Day controversy.

On air: Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield on Wake Up, America
Published 5:26 AM ET, Monday, October 12, 2026

Photo: Coolcaesar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

▶ As it aired · World

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from Wake Up, America at 5:26 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Straits Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Starbucks — Photo: Coolcaesar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

First reported by The Straits Times: “Starbucks Korea regains coffee chain lead five months after ‘Tank Day’ controversy”.
Covered on BBN on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 5:26 AM ET on Wake Up, America, by Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: Starbucks, South Korea.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The Straits TimesStarbucks Korea regains coffee chain lead five months after ‘Tank Day’ controversy

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIt took back first place in sales among Korean coffee chains, after four months stuck in second, and this comes five months after the Tank Day controversy, according to The Straits Times.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTank Day. Was somebody wearing a tank top?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe report only calls it a controversy, and the details are not in what we have, so I can't tell you more than that.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentDoes this change my coffee order, or my life, or my bank balance?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNot directly. It's a sales ranking, so your cup stays the same size and your line stays the same length!
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhat happens next? Do the second-place guys get a trophy shaped like a stirrer?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNobody knows yet, and the report doesn't say why customers came back. So it's probably the caffeine.

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