[itake]

My understanding is Starbucks intentionally burns their beans because 'burnt' flavor is easy to standardize across all of their bean suppliers.

[BillinghamJ]

It also can't change at this point. Their flavor is recognized all over the world and many customers wouldn't be happy if it changed. But it's nice to have the blonde roast option at least!

[brewdad]

And if most of your customers are going to drink it with loads of added sugar and flavorings, burnt doesn't really matter as a flavor profile.

[techolic]

There's also more to extract so requires less beans for the same strength.