Here's what some customers do: they order a double or a triple shot of espresso, over ice. Then they go to the condiment counter and fill up their cup, with free milk.

Doing that can save you a $1.50 or more a cup.

"You know I was just talking to a friend of mine who was doing this in Chicago and the gal came from around the corner and got, like told him if he did it, that she's going to kick him out," said Brad, a local espresso drinker said.

Leonard is a coffee drinker who admits doing this every day when he goes for coffee. "I don't see what the big problem is with this," he said. "I think it's okay. It's free and you can do it, plus you can save a little money on your coffee expenses."

Leonard saves money one shot at a time.

He dishes out $2.05 ordering just espresso over ice. Starbucks would charge him $3.50 for a latte. At three coffees a day, Leonard spends about $310 by the end of the year, instead of $525 had he been buying the latte to begin with.

Several baristas said they see it happen and usually just giggle about it. One said he has a regular customer who orders a tall drip in a grande cup, then goes over to the condiment bar and fills up with free milk.

Another one said it really gets her goat when she sees people stealing the milk.

"It's gonna' happen whether they like it or not," said Cat, a local barista.

Coffee house managers say they're paying a lot more for milk these days. Shop owners pay a gas surcharge for every milk delivery, and one shop gets three deliveries of milk a week.

It's the principle of pouring your own milk to save a buck that really seems to get most baristas.

"It bother's me on a personal level of the owners of the café," Cat said. "It's like this is their baby and this is like their passion and then people come in."

Another customer, Mark, said "I'm of the opinion that it's probably stealing."

Stealing or not, this controversy brews on. We'll wait to see if the coffee houses start hiding the milk caraffs.