Where the SoDo Sans answer comes from
Lettermatic, the type studio led by Riley Cran, describes its Starbucks project on its own site: four families, 92 fonts, made between 2017 and 2019. The core was a sans serif that became SoDo Sans; Sodo is the Seattle district where Cran visited Starbucks headquarters. He notes that Starbucks had used a sans serif, usually a geometric one, since the 1970s, and calls SoDo Sans the new normal for the Starbucks palette. It has a two-storey g for legibility at small sizes and a symmetrical u, and it was later extended into Normal, Narrow and Condensed widths.
Evidence for this attribution ↓No paid font selected
Free alternatives
Compare the actual letterforms with the same text. These are editorial alternatives, not fonts attributed to Starbucks.
Free alternative
Inter
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Regular · Latin specimen
A clear, neutral sans that works for body text and interfaces, the job SoDo Sans does most. It is more technical and less warm, and its g is single-storey, unlike SoDo Sans.
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Jost (Bold)
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Regular · Latin specimen
A geometric sans with round letters, nodding to the geometric sans Starbucks used before SoDo Sans. It has a one-storey a and a sharper, more 1920s feel, so it is a mood match rather than a copy.
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Archivo Narrow
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Regular · Latin specimen
A narrow sans for tight headlines and menu-style labels, the role Pike plays. It is plainer than Pike and lacks Pike's tall x-height and SoDo-style details such as the two-storey g.
View fontSoDo Serif, Lander and Pike
On the same page, Lettermatic explains the three other families. SoDo Serif is a geometric slab companion to SoDo Sans, made so that buttons and ads would not all look the same, and it has a true italic. Lander is a serif with a 1970s feel for advertising, in three optical sizes named Grande, Tall and Short. Pike is the narrowest family, built for tight spaces such as the top of Starbucks menu boards; Heather Cran drew much of it.
Evidence for this attribution ↓The siren logo has no font
Creative Bloq's history of the Starbucks logo explains that by 2011, forty years after the company started, Starbucks worked with the branding firm Lippincott on a refresh. Before that, the words Starbucks and Coffee ran around the siren in a ring, separated by stars. The refresh removed all the words from the logo and left the siren on her own. The article argues that dropping the lettering made the mark harder for copycat brands to imitate.
Evidence for this attribution ↓How to get the look
Set headlines and body text in a friendly sans with round shapes, in Starbucks green on white or cream. Use a narrow sans in capitals for menu-style headings and prices. Add a warm, slightly old-fashioned serif only for short expressive lines. Do not copy the siren; it is a protected logo.
Common questions
What font is the Starbucks logo?
The current logo has no font: since 2011 it is only the green siren, with no words. The older ring logo with STARBUCKS COFFEE had lettering, but we found no reliable source that names its font.
Can I download SoDo Sans?
No. SoDo Sans was made for Starbucks by Lettermatic, and we found no place that sells or gives it away. For a similar job, Inter or Jost Bold are free on Google Fonts.
What font is on Starbucks menu boards?
Lettermatic shows Pike, its narrowest Starbucks family, at the top of Starbucks menu boards, and says it carries SoDo Sans into narrower forms.
Sources & evidence
Editorial review completed November 10, 2026.
- Lettermatic — Custom fonts for Starbucks
Type designer
- Creative Bloq — The Starbucks logo: a history
Design publication
- Lippincott — Starbucks
Design studio