How are the new Starbucks summer drinks being received?

The Pomegranate and Tangerine Frappuccinos have been out for some time now. How are they selling? What do you -- employees and customers who read Starbucks Gossip -- think of the drinks? (Read the Starbucks press release)

Comments

We just received an award for selling the most TFJB / PFJD drinks in our region..they are pretty easy to make..but I have not tried one. We have customer who likes the TFJB with a scoop of VB powder.

[Sheik]

Tangerine is selling far more better than PomeCRAPate. I don't even waste my time making samples of the latter. One woman tried a sample of PomeCRAPate and made an ugly face. She asked I throw the cup away from her. "It's horrible!" she said.

[SeattleShift]

our customers seem to love both. the younger crowd goes for the tangerine and the older (and dare i say, yuppier) crowd goes for the pomegranate. while i drink the tangerine more often, i do love the pomegranate. it reminds of me of being a little girl and eating the seeds with my family at our summer bbq's. another big seller in our store is the substitution of the creme beverage base for the tea. i think the main reason i get the juice blends is because they don't contain the CBB (which i think tastes wretched), but to each their own. right?

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Yes it is popular and the customers also enjoy it alot.

Up here in weirdo quebec, we just got the tfjb and the pfjb last week, so it's been pretty slow. We sell a couple a day, but that's it. Deffinately more t's than p's. The p's are gross with zen tea... who the hell thought of that one?
We sold our first iced coffee con leche today.. why the hell would someone pay to get milk added to their iced coffee, when you can just ask for room?

[AB Pahtna]

whoops, the above was me.
I meant to add that they are very "unstarbucksy" in that they are not very sweet compared to our other bevs.
I stil prefer the old tazo-berry though.

[Nicholaus]

I love the Pomegranate with black tea... tastes the closest to the old tazoberries (RIP)

As for the Iced coffee con leche, I believe they are the same price as the iced coffees.

[AB Pahtna]

Nicholaus, are you sure? we charge the same as "iced coffee+soy" for ours.

[Mista Cawfee]

The tangerine is awful (flavor tastes watered down, not very sweet, tried it twice). The pom is much better, gives the palate a nice clean feel (probably because of the tea).

[heidi]

it is not popular at my store. we have infact had many sent back.

i have order one for myself, sans tea. tea makes it gross. & i like tea.

[scott]

tangerine mixed w/ lemonade is tasty.

[barista chica]

we have FOUR of the new drinks - tfjb, pfjb, and then each of the previous with soy instead of tea. does everyone have these drinks, or are we a part of a test or something? they are quite good with soy - the tsfjb tastes just like a dreamsicle, and in the psfjb, the soy brings it down and makes it quite creamy. if these aren't nationwide drinks, you MUST try it with soy...mmmm...

[Sheik]

1. The new lemonade is much sweeter than the old lemondae. All lemonade's in stores these days are way too sweet so it was nice having a sour one at Starbucks. And then they go and change it. Dammit!

2. What is the rule if someone wants their iced coffee with caramel syrup instead of classic? Some partners have told me to charge extra. When Shaken iced coffee was introduced in 2002 (03?) I was told the classic syrup was built into the price. So replacing classic with any syrup should not mean an additional charge. What does everyone else think?

3. I know Valencia is history but I read on Wikipedia that Toffee Nut is on it's way out too... if this is true, then that'd be horrible. Toffee Nut is theeeeee best!

4. Anyone else think they are discontinuing Valencia to make room for a new, PERMANENT syrup? Cinnamon dolce, maybe? I said it first. Rememeber that.

5. I heard a rumor that there will be another fall beverage this year prior to Pumpkin Spice. It'll be the maple latte/macchiatto introduced in Canada last year. Anyone else believe this?

6. If they are bringing Maple, then you can bet your buckaneer we will be getting about 5 maple pastries to go along with it. Much like they did with the 3 whole grain (still high in fat) pastries that they brought in 2 weeks ago.

Been meaning to get that off my chest for awhile.

[barista chica]

i was told that in iced coffees/teas, you do not charge extra for substitution of syrup. likewise, you wouldn't charge if someone wanted sugar free vanilla in a caramel macchiato...would you?

if they cancel toffee nut i will send in one customer comment a day until they bring it back. they BETTER NOT get rid of toffee nut!

maple!?!

[AB Pahtna]

We had the maple machiatto last year. It wasn't that popular because people here are used to true maple, so the starbucks version of it wasn't up to snuff. It was more popular in other provinces where they don't have maple trees. I imagine it will be similar in the states- less popular in vermont where they have the real stuff, and more popular elsewhere. We got a maple scone with it, and it was a big flop.

hmm we just got more valencia in....lots of it b/c people have been begging for it....is it really going away?

[Z. Gonzales]

In my store, the juice fraps are a BOMB! Since it's introduction we have only sold 5! And that is with active (100+ a day) sample program in place. I have tried diffrent approaches to getting more $ale$s but everyone hates them!

[billmil]

IMHO the smart money is on 7-11's crystal-light "Raspberry Ice" slurpee. They taste much better (and are much cheaper) than the faux-snowcone drinks at sbux.

From the press-release from a few years ago:
http://www.7-eleven.com/newsroom/articles.asp?p=2255

While still considered a fun, refreshing treat for kids and teens, some Slurpee drinkers have grown-up tastes or changing nutritional needs. So, how does a beverage that gained fame as a drink with attitude for the perennially young, appeal to a growing “mature audience” while tending the tastebuds of its youngest up-and-coming customers? The answer, according to 7-Eleven Slurpee category manager John Ryckevic, is to create “something for everyone.”

I just got a card in the mail for a free tangerine frappacino. I gave it to one of my high school kids. I don't go to starbucks because I don't like their coffee. and the frappacinos whether coffee or not taste like artificial sweetner. or artificial fruit. they just taste artificial.

no idea how how starbucks got my address- probably someone was thinking it's a funny joke.

When are they going to make the "Vanilla Ice" frappucino????

[Jane]

At my store we blend (if asked) the cafe con leche ... it tastes like coffee slurpee, I went to a different store today asked for the drink blended and the manager had a fit. Said it is against policy to blend anything that is not SBX base in the blenders .. I asked about blended strawberry-lemon aid and he told me there was no such drink ... am I gone .. and why can't we blend the cafe con leche..we do at our store but is it against policy....no one at my store has heard anyting like that before.

[comeonnow]

BILLMIL get off this site and go find a 7-11 blog to spew your marketing nonesense. PUHLEASE, it is people like you that will ruin the authenticity of this site.

[Theolaxor]

its strange that the juices are soo unsuccessful for u guys. at my store we ran out after 3 days

[James the Barista]

The TFJB is great with Blackberry. 2p for tall, 3p for grande and 4p with a venti. I have always said to my customers, there are two types of people in this world. a PFJB kind of person and a TFJB sort of person. I think they are good, but Mocha Lite seems to be bigger then anything.

[RC of strangeculture]

The pom. one is yummy but the orange one...whew! too sweet for sure, glad i got a sample 1st.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

[billmil]

>BILLMIL get off this site and go find a >7-11 blog to spew your marketing >nonesense.

It's apt! Apt I say!!! I'm not spewing anything, so please save your venom for someone else.

IMO juice fruit frapuccinos simply aren't very good; there's better stuff out there for hot summer days

background: I took my nephew out for a big bike ride through the city of Chicago. We stopped by 7-11 across from Wrigley Field; he wanted a cherry slurpee. Too sweet for me but I did notice the 'mango' and 'raspberry' crystal light slurpees and gave one a try. It was great--almost too tart for my taste. A far cry from the dripping-with-sugar cherry slurpee favored by my nephew.

In my office building, there's a starbucks and a walgreens. walgreen's sells the crystal lite drinks (under rubric of "icee" instead of "slurpee".) The two products compete directly for "share of throat".

The crystal lite drink tastes better than the juice-frappucino at about half the price. I prefer it to any starbucks iced drink (except ice espresso).

[CindyLou]

I'm not so sure how I feel about the new juice blends. It seems to be completely hit or miss for all of our customers regardless of demographic. I personally like the FJB's with a little classic syrup...the POM is for sure way too bitter, the tangerine is OK by itself though. I don't like the Minty after taste from the Zen tea in the POM though...it's better with a little classic and just the POM juice...

I think that the CBB + FJB is going to be phase two of the summer beverages if I am not mistaken...so that comes out at the end of July....

[sbuxboy]

yummy and refreshing! I'm glad they aren't too sweet.

[Leigh-Ann]

Seriously, no more valencia syrup? I love it mixed in passion iced tea...

[CuteBarista!]

the pom is great, and, if any of you cared to read the ingredients (what? i'm the only one who does that?) you'll see that there's no added sugar, just the natural sugar from the juice. so it is legitimately sort of kind of healthy. it tastes better with passion that green tea, though.

the tangerine is okay, not as good as the pom. they've been selling fairly well at my store.

as for the manager having a fit and saying they couldn't blend the coffee, whatever happened to JUST SAY YES, people? sheesh. i think the only restriction we have on that is you can't blend anything a customer brings in outside of the starbucks. same goes for hot drinks (it's in the beverage resource manual).

doesn't stop me from throwing a banana in with some CBB and ice, though. fucking to DIE for.

[Jill]

How does someone who doesn't drink Starbucks and doesn't know how Starbucks got his or her address show up on this site?

CuteBarista-

Just say yes stops when you are asked to break the law/health codes.

[Jane]

Ok I understand the health codes laws...this is about blending SBX coffee with SBX milk in a SBX blender..I could not believe what a hissy fit this manager went on...I told him I was a manager at another store and we blend stuff for poeople all the time if thats what they want...his responce was no blending unless its frap based...no exceptions

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Hi Jane! Even though I am a rebel I know that putting non-approved drinks in the blender actually decalibrates the blender enough that if you continually do it, your blender will be unable to rotate at the approximate speed necessary to chop up all the ice. Since there is no way to correct the error in the blender you would have to buy all new ones for your store. Can you imagine the P & L sheet and explaining it to your DM? The customers would return the frappuccinos and say that it is too chunky therefore requiring more labor to remake the drink and then double blending. Cause and effect Jane. Please cease and desist immediately. Boston Starbucks Rebel.

My store has a stockpile we estimate of valencia and toffenut for 6 months in the event that it is discontinued. However, the TN discontinuation has been threatened forever so not likely to occur. Yes, maple will be an official launch in the Fall after the New England and Canada markets tested it with pretty good results.

[Jane]

Mr BSR,
What? Ice is ice...to say that blending ice with coffee and milk is somehow different than ice with coffee base makes no sence at all. Otherwise blended stawberry/lemond aid would put blenders out of wack. Besides blenders are not calibrated, they are chopping machines..ie they chop the ice into small pieces..ice is ice...calibrated indeed.

[Nickie]

LOL calibrated blenders..joke right?

[Theolaxor]

actually that is correct about calibration. if something the wrong consistency is blended to often it wears away at the gears and causes the blender to become inefficient- its happened twice at my store

[Dave]

Is it calibration or the blades wear out faster than antisipated?

[AB Pahtna]

The blender thing is bull sh!t. We blend iced lates all the time. Also, you can buy these blenders, and no where on the packaging does it say that you should only use starbucks base for your drinks. Yes, if you put a tiny bit of liquid and a tonne of ice in, you'll have probs eventually, but keep the same ratios, and you're fine. My fave drink is an iced non-fat sugar free vanilla blended latte, I get one every day.

[ohiosbuxmgr]

We have two camps at our store. The tangerine camp and pomegrante camp. We are totally having fun with our customers by "bringing them over to our side." Its all about attitiude :)
PS Pomegrante with 3 pumps melon RULES!!!!

[MiamiShift]

The TFJB is selling very well in my store, the PFJB is horrid and I get nothing but people making ugly faces when they try it. I have yet to sell one Iced Cafe con Leche, and seriously it's not Iced Cafe con Leche, it's an Iced Misto!!! Iced cafe con Leche would be an Iced Latte!! No self respecting latin person would call a misto, iced or otherwise cafe con leche!

[Drinker]

I only now got around to trying the banana frap (not a fan).

Summer is traditionally Starbucks' second-best quarter (June 30 -> Sept 30) but trails holiday season by about 15 percent historically.

The fraps of course are a way to try and narrow the gap. Or maybe just to keep up -- gotta answer the cinammon spice latte, etc.

[CuteBarista!]

BSR loves to cease and desist. :)

can't believe all the hate for the Pom! it is sooo good...the only complaint i have about the Tangerine Lime is that it isn't Limey enough. but then i tend to like extremely sour things, which is why i also mourn the old Lemonade. hard to find good lemonade this days. the Odwalla is a good start, very tart, but Fresh Samantha (not easy to find) is to-die tart and delicious.

"How does someone who doesn't drink Starbucks and doesn't know how Starbucks got his or her address show up on this site?"

a friend of mine pointed me to this site because he was quoted in an article. I stayed because it's so amusing.

but I still have no idea how starbucks got my address.

[coffeeguy :)]

I know the pomegrante is very good I find both juices tasty. :)

Don't know what's with all the zen hating I find the pom too sweet with passion I like the zen.

[ihcuids]

Actually I made a mistake and used green tea instead of the passion tea in the tangerine and everybody seemed to like that alot better. I myself actually enjoy the pom a lot better than the tangerine, but I really don't enjoy super sweet drinks.

[AB Pahtna]

We still have some of the old lemonade. Today I tried lemonade do the first line and tangerine to the second. Soooooo good!!!

[Hirayuki]

The nice folks at the Toronto Starbucks I was at last week gladly whipped me up a pomegranate Frapp the day before their official release (with all the posters already up, they could hardly refuse). It was delicious! Almost (almost) gives my customized GTF a run for its money. I didn't like the tangerine as much, but both are a welcome addition to a menu that had been sadly lacking in fruit-based Frapps.

I have been told by several managers that if a customer would like their drink to be blended in the blender- do it. They will be happy and come back. So, just say yes. I think that blender calibration person may have lost their brain to a blender because that does not make sense about the whole calibration thing. Liquid + ice + blender The blender does not discriminate between liquids. I am not a huge fan of pomegranite, but I do love to mix pom and tang together with green tea. Oh yes, it is love.

[LeBarista]

We get soooo many orders for the TFJB a day it's ridiculous. It's become almost every other drink. PFJB, not so much. I just mixed the Pom and TL together...it is quite amazing, indeed.

up until the first fill line, pour in half tangerine and half pomegranate, and then pour in cbb. add ice and blend. i'm not sure how we'd call it though...

grande pomegranate and tangerine, no zen no passion tea, with cream, frappuccino juice blend. mmmm.

Do any partners have any creative suggestions on how to boost sales of the new TFJB and PFJB? What are some of the "out of the box" (kinda hate that phrase) ideas that you have seen work in your store or heard have worked in other stores?

[AB Pahtna]

anonymous, you work at the bucks and drink cbb? are you nuts???

[barista chica]

ewww no no. cbb = cellulite boosting base....haven't you seen those nasty yellow chunks floating in that crap?!

You blender people are crazy!! How is blending a iced latte any different than blending a strawberry lemonade or a pom frap? And how is that against health code? If it is then we wouldn't be putting the blended straw/lemonade in the same pitcher as teh frap before we got the new juice pitchers...

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

The frappuccino blender is a carefully calibrated piece of equipment like the espresso machines. The rotational spped of the blender and time of speed equals the consistency of the beverage produced. However, if the consistency of the relative is not equal to the viscoisty of the frappuccino base, therefore the end product and the machine will be incorrect. The only constant in the equation is actually the blender time which is 25 seconds, one reason because it gives you enough time to prep another espresso drink if necessary or another frappuccino. The actual rotational speed of the blender can in fact be effected by the viscosity of the beverage that it is blending. The frappuccino and the creme both have a greater viscosity than your latte does. Also, that is why the strawberries are added into the blended strawberry lemonade to increase the viscosity. Also I notice that you adding together different parts when in fact you should be attempting multivariable calculus instead because the multiple variables in the function effecting the beverage in the end. For information about viscosity you can check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscosity and also you can do your own test in the store, lets say you take some frappuccino and a non-fat latte and pour them down an inclined plane. Which one wins? The one that wins is the less viscuous liquid.I suggest you do all your homework beforehand. Also, if you read all of Starbucks documented events related to this you would realize that in fact there are strict prohibitions against blending non-approved beverages in the blenders.

[Dave]

Mr BSR,
You have way to much time on your hands ... its all about JUST SAY YES! and happy cusomers.

[CuteBarista!]

BSR....man. you're kidding, right?

if you think about it, what you said just doesn't make sense. let's say i'm the blender buyer for the whole company. am i checking out blenders and looking for a blender that can be perfectly calibrated? i really don't think so. if i'm buying a blender for a place like starbucks, i'm looking for something that can get the shit beat out of it on a daily basis - enduring stupid baristas who can't be bothered to measure the correct amount of ice, and stupid customers who, god forbid, decide they want less ice or more ice or more vanilla bean powder or more chips or less cbb. etc. etc.

in the end, though, i think the just say yes policy wins out. you seem a lot more interested in spouting rules and regulations than actually, you know, providing customer service.

get back on topic, just got out of work a few minutes ago. the Pom fraps are selling like hotcakes! *mwah*

[cmezoom]

Our store does over 4500 blended beverages, and we burn out 2-3 blenders a season from March-Sept. I highly doubt that the 5 iced mochas that we blended in the blender during that time cause the blenders to fail, so please give me a break. Health code....wrong again. If you blend a iced mocha in a blender, you would simply remove the blender, wash it, and sanitize it when done. What's so difficult about that? Instead of inventing a thousand different excuses to say no, it would be easier to just say yes...

[BArista]

Valencia isn't going away.. remember we still have the mocha valencia.

[416barista]

wow....so many things to mention....

First, TFJB and PFJB's are decent sellers, but were still doing more BCF and BNCF's...

Tangerine with with CBB or Lemonaide is so much better then with Passion...

Valencia is still around and we have many customers asking us to use it in tea lemondaides rather then classic.

This whole thing about blending non-blended drinks has never been an issue at my store. Just keep cleaning your blenders and remember....Just say Yes!!

Oh, THEY BETTER NOT TAKE AWAY MY TOFFEE NUT!!!!

[AB Pahtna]

our valencia is gone :(
and my manager says they are discontinuing decaf tazo chai tea. is that true?

[Theolaxor]

they discontinues decaf tazo chai in canada ages ago

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Actually I was quoting the operational policy of Starbucks. But "Just Say Yes" does supercede all of the above comments. And I in fact quote "Just Say Yes" to all the partners all the time. If you read the upcoming issue of the Scoop for July 10, 2006 you will see that there is a special section about "Just Say Yes" patriculary referrenced to "Just Say Yes." Also I heard a manager say this once, "If a customer says 'They always do that at my other Starbucks.' then just tell them they can do that at that Starbucks but we can't do that at this Starbucks. By the way get the name of that Starbucks so we can stop them in the future! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

[CuteBarista!]

speaking of syrups they should fucking get rid of, can i get a hell yeah for raspberry? that stuff is so utterly disgusting i can't stand it. there's so much Red #40 in it that it leaves the most unpleasant aftertaste, and i'm sorry, if it gets on my hand and actually STAINS MY SKIN, then i'm not putting in my body.

ugh!

[AB Pahtna]

Whenever someone orders a raspberry hot chocolate, it smells sooooo good. But whenever someone orders a raspberry steamed milk (which is almost never) I want to puke, because the only person that orders it, orders it half-sweet, so it looks like 16 oz of peptol-bismol.

[AB Pahtna]

speaking of just say yes, we had a guy who wanted 10 blank starbucks cards to give as gifts (pretty shitty gift if you ask me). Allowed? I thought there was supposed to be a minimum put on them.

[Rae Whitlock]

Unless things have changed in the four years since I worked for Starbucks, blank cards can't be distributed. $5 minimum.

[AB Pahtna]

thanks Rae, that's what I thought.

[rikker]

Hey everyone:

Just to comment to the above... why the heck would you give out unfilled Starbucks cards? That sounds like the stupidest (and meanest) thing I've ever heard.

The new juice drinks have been VERY popular here in SoCal... probably because of the heat and the ...progressive... nature of things. Even the pomegranate is selling well.

We've gone to about 85% Frappuccino sales in our store. Please God bring back the rain and cold! I miss being able to make more than one drink per minute!

The new pastries are YUMMY. Love the carmel almond bar. Much better than that NASTY orange cupcake. Also love the idea of the mini-scones. Just a quick little sweet treat. (Maple scones would be VERY popular here.)

Have fun, fellow Buck'aroos.

-Rikker

[AB Pahtna]

"Just to comment to the above... why the heck would you give out unfilled Starbucks cards? That sounds like the stupidest (and meanest) thing I've ever heard."

Agreed.
Conversation:
Man: Can I get 10 starbucks cards?
Me: Certainly, how much would you like to put on them?
Man: Nothing, I just want the blank cards
Me: I'm sorry sir, but there is a minimum of $5 for each card.
Man: But they are gifts!
Me: Well then you can give each person a $5 starbucks card, but we can't give you blank ones.
Man: BUT THEY ARE A GIFT!!
Me: I'm sorry, but it's against store policy.
Man: Another store just gave me 5.
Me: Which store was that sir?
Man: The one over on _______
Me: Ok, I will give them a call and see if they have any more blank cards that they can give you, because we can't do that.
Man: No forget it. Good bye.

[Jason]

It seems like if they had blank cards they could go into any starbucks and be like "Well I got this as a present and they said it had $20 on it"

Then we would have to give them free stuff...

Some people..

What is CBB?

[M]

My store sold its first iced cafe con leche today, let's not forget that's one of the new drinks as well. Is anyone actually selling any of these?

[AB Pahtna]

sold one thus far.. not too bright to pay an extra 35 cents for milk.

[ShaSha]

we sell the crap out of the new fjb's. almost every other drink is now fjb or banana. i have to say i didn't really expect the tangerine or the pom to go over so well in the midwest... people usually hate stuff just because they think it sounds healthy. i like the pom made w/ 1/2 pom, 1/2 lemonade. it would be way better with the old lemonade though. and the better now get rid of valencia. it makes every drink better.

[SBUXSS]

FJB's have been doing surprisingly well in our store. I say "surprisingly" since I don't really think they're that great, but, hey, whatever floats yer boat;)

I've only made ONE iced cafe con leche since it was introduced, and that was just last week! Overall, I think our store has sold maybe a dozen.

BTW --- I thought it was the same price as iced coffee? Don't know for sure since I didn't ring it up.

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

CBB standards for Creme Beverage Base. Its the new thing they came out with this year to replace UBB. It doesn't require prerefrigiration and doesn't clump. I usually blend CBB in the blenders to make sure it comes out the right consistency.

[Newshift]

One of the baristas on drive thru sold a Cafe con Leche. I had to think for a second b/c it was the first one that I have heard ordered so far. They are the same price as the iced coffee, I had to check that out to make sure people werent getting ripped off just because they wanted us to put the milk in thier iced coffee instead of doing it themselves. Also, at the sbux that I worked at before i went to this one we got in major trouble for blending the Creme base in the blender, our manager told us it messed up the consistency or something crazy like that.

[AB Pahtna]

"I usually blend CBB in the blenders to make sure it comes out the right consistency."
Really? I asked my manager if I could do that.. seems like such a good idea! She shot me down though :( She's away this week though......

Wow, that's very un-starbucksy to not charge for the milk. I mean, after all, A double espresso poured over ice in a grande cup is waaaaay less than an iced grande late.
We're licensed and we charge more. It's the same price as iced coffee + soy.

[jess]

I've been a customer (and a former barista) long enough to realize that this is at least the 3rd time in the last 8 years that SB's has had a juice-tea beverage.
Back in the day, they were Tiazzi, and there was a citrus one and another, berryish one. This was before the purchase of the Tazo company.
When I was a partner (2001-2002-ish), it was TazoBerry (and TazoBerry and cream, which you added real 1/2+1/2 to).
The advantage I can see with the new Frappuccino juice beverages is that they can be made with or without tea, and can, as such, be sold to children without as much guilt.
(i always felt bad selling a venti caramel Frappuccino to an 11-year-old, because of the caffeine and calories. It was like sentencing them to a life of bad nutritional choices).
I've tried the Pom, and liked it. Haven't tried the tangerine yet. But, then, I like bitter/sour/tart juices.

[LeBarista]

I sold one Iced Café con Leche. Ever. I keep forgetting how to mark the cup for it.

[416barista]

ICCL - I've made one......for me to sample!!!

Think people are unaware of them with all the promo for the PFJB and TFJB

[dave]

I miss the Tiazzis. Those are what REALLY made me a Starbucks fan. :( There was a third one -- Peach, my favorite.

[JustABarista]

Blending the CBB mix whips in way too much air. Completely different consistency. Don't blend it, it makes Howard cry.

[SBUXSS]

Since day one at SBUX we were told - never, EVER put the UBB in the blender. It was a no-no, but of course, some partners did it anyhow. Understandable, because it was usually a clumpy, nasty mess when mixed by hand. No matter how well it was mixed, once it was in the pitcher, it would almost always seperate and there would be this nasty lump of "stuff" floating on the top that would have to be stirred before use. Since they've introduced the new and improved UBB - CBB, there isn't any reason to blend it since it mixes together so easily, and for the most part, seems to stay mixed.

Hooray! Now we don't have to make Howard cry!

[Sheik]

They need to re-re-formulate CBB and make it come in the same containers regular frapp mix comes in. Come to think of it, why do we have to keep mixing the Dairy part with the powder part of the frapp mix after 10 years? Why not make it all in one?

Oiy

I am in TN and we are not selling the FJB's very well at all. But we also get a whole lot of people who have never even heard of SBUX..
sad really.

[Becca]

sheik, I believe it is for the purpose of decaf frap mix. If they added the coffee to the liquid, then you would need a whole seperate formula for decaf. This costs more than just brewing double strength decaf and adding it to the boxed stuff.

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Well, I only blended it on low for a few seconds not an entire cycle. And I want Uncle Howie to cry so he can feel the same terrible pain that I do every single day! Well they could simply make three different boxes for reg, light and decaf. Simple and done! And why can't they just send us mocha like they do for white mocha! Oh and sorry, I no longer blend CBB because it doesn't come out clumpy anymore. But I did blend CHANTICO because of the clumpies. Nobody stopped me.

[The Iconoclast]

My favorite drink of the summer:

3 parts Iced Passion Tea
1 part Tangerine-Lime Juice
1/2/3 (T/G/V) pumps Vanilla Syrup (Trust me...)
Shake over light ice and enjoy...

Also, ICCL costs the same as IC...
Valencia is not discontinued, it was in the Scoop a while back...

[Becca]

i really like vanilla in passion tea, because it reminds me of berries and cream (yes I know Passion is mostly hibiscus flower, but it tastes like berries to me).
Out of curiosity, do the american, or international corporate 'bucks sell all of the tazo teas? We only have refresh, wild sweet orange, chai, passion, zen, china green tips, awake, earl grey, green ginger, african red bush and calm. But I know there are other ones out there.

[JustABarista]

The whole thing about shipping CBB and Mocha as powder is easy to explain. If you ship already made mocha, you are paying an awful lot of extra money to ship water and a mocha only takes about 1 minute for a barista to throw together. For CCB, the price of shipping thing also applies, why ship dairy when we can do it in store, plus, durability, I don't know how long pre mixed CBB would last on the shelf (possibly requiring cooler space). I think they do the regular and light frapp they way they do is because they got it to a point where it was reasonable to ship and without having the baristas have to mix ten different things.

[M]

Exactly, JustaBarita. Think about if all the frappuccino was premixed how much space it would take up in the back room and how hard it would be to ship.

[416barista]

Becca,

I have the same at my store, but I always want to try more.....Got honeybush in the Christmas gift box and I love it!!!

[Tee-lee]

Please! I'm still pissed at them dumping my Vanilla Tea Latte!!! I loved that one.

[coffeeguy :)]

The "we proudly Brew" stores in my area seem to have way way more tea vareity then the starbucks I work in sadly.

I think it would be great to try some new teas for something new. Does anyone know if partners can order the other teas through starbucks?

[James The Barista]

I have said this before but try Blackberry in your Tang. Juice blend.

[Newshift]

It isnt really hard to mix up mocha, CBB, and frapp. Why do we need to get it sent to us already made. Its not like it takes that long. I would feel worthless is everything was already made and all I had to do was open a box/jug/carton.

okay the same guy who came up with this ridiculous formula as to why we can't blend iced mochas said to blend CBB? OMG!!!!
And where in the heck did everyone get the idea that Valencia is going away I haven't read anything about it. Also Decaf Chai has been discontinued a long time ago (the same we got the Red Bush).
try this drink it is yummy.... tangerine to the first line lemonade to the next 3 pumps coconut (Grande size ) yummeeee

[DanteMacciato]

Well, this is my first time ever seeing this site on the net. Personally, my favorite drink of lately has been the Tangerine & Creme' Frappucino. I use the Tangerine-Lime base to the first line, substitute Passion Tea with CBB to the 2nd line & add Vanilla to it (3/4/6pumps). Tastes like a Dream Bar that you drink! I don't really care for the Pomegranate too much. It's not necessarily bad, but the Pomegranate base is very dominant, so you have to add/substitute a lot of something else to overcome it.

[CB]

I don't know where they did the testing for the pomgranate but you talk about a looser drink here. geez, I can't give those things away, and trust me, I've tried...
And by the way, in our region, valancia is gone. The idea is that its for good, unless there was such a run on valancia trees that they became extinct... :P Honestly, why change the drink recipies and basically make it impossible to order if you weren't taking it away?

I think you mean the "pomegranate", CB. And why do you call it "looser"? Looser than what? Either I've just never had a "loose" drink, or the word you were grasping for is "loser". Sorry, just one of my pet peeves. Your spelling and grammar are still much better than some others on here.

Pom tastes good with strawberry and a splash of lemonade. Tang tastes good with a BSL.

That's one way I've gotten them to sell at my store.

[CB]

I have to admit that spelling has never been my strong suit, I mean that's what spell check is for. What I meant by a loser drink was that it just hasn't done well at all in our store. I mean when we come out with a seasonal offering we usually do wonderful with it. The seasonal drinks are usually drinks that customers come back for even after the season and are sad to see those drinks go. The pomegranate hasn't created that kind of stir yet and I honestly don't think it will.

[NYCKevin]

Just a quick note that the best way (i think) for any FJB is to sub Strawberry in a TFJB...

and in NYC at least, PFJB is FLYING off the shelves, literally, we ran out today...It's such a NY thing though, people think they're cool and order a "pom frap" as if they were drinking POM juice (which actually does taste good)...

and Valencia is soo not discontinued, I ordered it last week :)

Yes, valencia is sooooo discontinued....check today's scoop :)

[SBUXSS]

Valencia can still be ordered for a while, but sadly, it IS discontinued:(

BOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Pat]

Starbucks is so over-rated. Most people who really like GOOD coffee, don't go there. The people who do are going for the ambience and because it is "in". I own a mobile espresso truck and I get compliments all the time about how my coffee taste way better. I have several of the drinks they do at Starbucks. Personally, I thank Starbucks everyday because they made it acceptable to spend 4-5 dollars on a cup of coffee! Thanks!

[Howard]

You're welcome!

[Jeff Durkin]

People don't pay 4-5 dollars just for a drink. They do it for a few other reasons. One, the ambience - Starbucks is a pleasant place to be at (if its a spacious store, at least). Two, the baristas know the names and drinks of the regulars. People will pay a premium for that type of personal recognition. Three, people who are travelling know what they're getting with Starbucks, whereas if they take a chance with a local coffee shop they may end up with something better or worse.

[coffeeguy :)]

Your welcome Pat. If your customers are happy then good. :)

[Johnestock]

I hear they are putting in new espresso machines that will be more fully automated than the current process-thereby increasing margins but also making shot-based drinks weaker--has anyone heard this? Can confirm?

[Jackiechestnut]

Eh, Valencia. I hate being at a new store! We havent seen the scoop since our first week. Also, funny story, I'm listening to Savoy Truffle by The Beatles. This song inspired a new favorite at my store-CREME TANGERINE! yep, I was singing, and made the drink. also, the Blackberry syrup and CBB base. I blended water and raspberry syrup in a blender and it made an Italian soda type beverage.

[Becca]

How can the machines get any more automated than pressing the single or double shots (decaf or regular) the appropriate number of times, and pressing the "auto" button to steam milk, and then manual to get it x-hot?

[Theolaxor]

They hold a 5lb bullet and they are self timing

[Theolaxor]

however the shots are once again 18-23sec so I think they'd taste better maybe?

In Austin, we are the test market for an acai juice blend. Apparently it's the next big thing because whole foods, odwalla and jamba juice are all coming out with acai drinks. It's a berry from the amazon and in my opinion tastes like crap, but people seem to like it. We blend it with the black tazo tea. My favorite is the TFJB with no tea and strawberries. It's an insane amount of sugar, but it tastes the closest to a real smoothie one can get at Sbux.

[Sue]

One of our customers wanted a sugar cookie frappuccino. "Just Say Yes!" Customer bought the sugar cookie & we put half of into a creme blended frappuccino, it was delicious. And, our blender still works.

[coffeeguy :)]

I've had people request pastries blended with creme before.

Our blenders still work just great.

[Bahreesta]

We all love the new Pomegranate blended with soy. Just flip the proportions so that there is more vanilla soy than pom-pom and it's surprisingly refreshing and SO much better for you.

[osoq.com]

all of us know that in the Starbucks store they sell a lot of cool stuff...i just wonder , if one day they are going to sell this.....
http://www.osoq.com
this question is one of my firends asked me...

[Grace]

i love them both!! i think they are really good! especially when u mix tangerine and strawberry in one!

Strawberry lemonadeFrap. is the bomb diggity, i had one at the starbucks at GWU in WAshington where im going to schoo. I think it would be a big hit in the summer especially in the Sunshine state, where we like nothing better then a sweet tangey cold drink

[Joe]

I've been very disappointed in recent additions to the Starbucks menu. The Tazoberry was much better than the current offerings. Also: maple and dulce de leche can permanently be removed, without regret.

[boy twink]

Doesn`t matter what you say, but how...!! But you said it well http://boys-gay.jimka-mmsa.com

[Donna Herrlinger]

what type of blended do they use at Starbucks to make their wonderful frappuccinos?

[Donna Herrlinger]

The frapachinos are addicting- really???

[Walt]

I am trying to find a glass vessel replacement for a Barista blender model# 181822. Any ideas of where to look?