Starbucks to unveil two new drinks today, including a smoothie-like beverage

The two lines of drinks -- a smoothie-like beverage made of fresh fruit and whey powder, and another sweet, icy drink -- come as the company says it's in the initial stage of a broader push into healthier drink and food products. Flavors the coffee chain has developed include chocolate banana and orange mango. While the fruit drink will be available in all U.S. shops, the icy beverage, developed with an Italian company, will be sold only in select areas like Southern California. (Read the Reuters story)
> Earlier: Starbucks tests sales of protein smoothies at Seattle stores

Comments

[sample cup]

I'm intrigued...

[Pat Nerr]

let's cross our fingers for operational simplicity and high flavor...

... and a low price

and God help Darleen if it tastes like Kool-Aid

[tommyboy]

good afternoon, welcome to starbucks coffee and smoothie company.

[Darleen]

let's cross our fingers for operational simplicity and high flavor...

... and a low price

and God help Darleen if it tastes like Kool-Aid

Hahaha, yup that's about right Pat. You crack me up.....

[tommyboy]

THIS JUST IN! jamba juice roast wins in a taste test over pike place roast! oh,...wait, that's right jamba doesn't sell coffee....they just stick with what they know best. Well, they'll never get anywhere with that approach.

[JJ]

r u kidding? SB has gone way downhill! And, their website is pathetic! Have you [recently] tried to get nutritional info? I gave up...I tried to select any store near me and it was painful. SB...Get with the 21st century online! And another thing, why is it that I go into the stores and they don't have coffee brewed? Not acceptable! I'm an avid SB fan and am considering taking my bis elsewhere.

[darthsid]

What the hell ever happened to going back to our roots?

Where the heck is the innovating coffee?

Wtf.

[Freud]

Diagnosis: chronic corporate death wish
Prognosis: persistent self-hurting

[Barista Joe]

See, THIS is what happens when somebody forgets to keep an eye on Howard and he wanders into a Jamba Juice. Not good people, not good.

[Gopha Cureselph]

We get lots of requests for smoothies. What is the big deal? Should we get rid of everything except black coffee? Going back to your roots doesn't mean you will never introduce new products, that's called resting on your laurels. Lighten up.

[Lilly]

Has anyone actually tried this? Made it? What are the flavors, how does the nutritional profile hold up in face of fraps?

Instead of bashing *&s, let's get some facts! I, personally, am rather intrigued by the whole thing, but am chained to my desk all day..

[anon]

Does "unveil" mean they are supposed to start selling it today?

[AmericanoMan]

I sense a wrong turn here...

[gopha Cureselph]

Lilly- I think it's really funny that you accidently put starands instead of starbucks.

[NC Barista]

Theres another large coffee shop around here, Port City Java, and they have smoothies. So its no wonder that people come in asking us for smoothies all the time

[Gopha Cureselph]

Americanoman- what would be your suggestion? This company has ALOT of people that are more than happy to disagree with decisions, but they don't have a clear proactive idea of what we should do instead. I'm just curious for your viewpoint.

[Gopha Cureselph]

NC-
I would say it actually has more to do with people enjoying smoothies. There isn't a smoothie competitor here, just common knowledge of a healthy, delicious meal-in-a-cup called a smoothie that beverage type places are known to serve occasionally.

[me]

smoothies are stupid

[earnestobserver]

This just continues to open the door of opportunity for independents that care about coffee.

Anyone here an owner/operator of an independent coffee shop? If so, I would be interested to talk about your experience.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

Ohh, the immaturity on this site is becoming ridiculous...
Our customers have been asking for healthy options, and we want to make sure the products reflect our quality brand. Diversifying our product line is exactly what we need right now, as long as it 1)compliments our core coffee offerings 2)tastes good 2)isn't calorie laden and 3)feels like a treat.

I am really, really tired of hearing the pushback and sarcasm around everything we create, it is really wearing and not why I joined this company. If you have an opinion, please at least appear educated, and point out WHY this would be a wrong move.

Please don't just say "Smoothies are stupid" as it reflects on the stupidity of the person posting.

[smoothy]

smoothies make an unbelievable mess. Just the process of making them is a huge mess. Spills....ingredients....etc

smoothies = higher labor costs

[LEGENDARY OR BUST]

Probably Summer Phase II (Sometime late June?)

It will be at least 6 weeks from now

It will most likely NOT be a smoothie, but a Frappuccino. A Frappuccino is basically SBUX-speak for a smoothie. We don't have separate equipment to make smoothies, i.e. I am thinking we will use our existing Frappuccino blenders for these. Until I see nutritional content on the ingredient boxes -- I don't have an opinion.

[paperpest]

Their core business is coffee, they need to improve their basic brew. I was in the Riverdale (Bronx, NY) store; they were playing music so loud that it forced people to speak louder so that their friends could hear them. It was a miserable experience.

[Anonymouse]

p.r.i.d.e: the problem is - people aren't going to Starbucks every day to get a taste treat - the people that keep it going are the everyday coffee-based folks. Diversifying is great when your core is successful - but Starbuck's problem is that it is losing business based on its CORE products. Profits down 1/3 over the last quarter even among all the innovating, while straight-arrow coffee competitors continue to see better business.

Offering a smoothie is fine. But there's a problem when a coffee specialist is offering more non-coffee drinks and ignoring the complaints about its coffee. Like trying to bail out the Titanic with a kitchen pail. Smoothies aren't going to keep profitability up as people go elsewhere for coffee. Ingredients for them cost more, takes more time, health-conscious people aren't all smoothie fanatics anyway - they can be more calories than a venti whip mochalottachocolata concoction. Check the calorie count at Jamba Juice or elsewhere and you'll see what I mean.

Yah, the rhetoric can be harsh sometimes, but you have to wonder if the folks steering the ship are actually listening to their customer base with these offerings.

[Sheik]

Can't wait to see the ingredients list on these "smoothies." Considering there's more sugar in Fappuccino's than coffee, I'm willing to bet the ingredients list will look like...

Ingredients: Sugar, High fructose corn syrup, sugar, Less than 1% real fruit...

[LilBarista]

Anonymouse...

Um, at the starbucks I work at and I'm sure 99% of all others... Half of our drinks that we sell are NOT just coffee. It's the teens and the other group (gasp) of people that don't like straight up coffee that are coming to Starbucks. And I don't see what's wrong with that. To say that there is a problem with them adding more non-coffee drinks or that their ignoring their so called "core" is completely wrong. All the time, esp in summer, we are asked about smoothies or something without caffeine and I think it's great that we're getting a summer drink to appeal alot more people.

no matter what.. you people complain, complain, complain

[tallguy]

my store did the test for the new health smoothies (kinetix). they are nasty and the bananas - which you are not allowed to cover because they will mold - attract fruit flies like nothing else. they also taste like crap. i'm down for new smoothies but how about bringing back the fruit blends we had a couple years ago that were a fruit puree with tazo tea. people still ask for those things.

[Katbeans]

Ernestobserver-

I'm the owner of a drive thru in Renton WA and we serve smoothies BUT we also roast our own coffee on site in a 1.2 lb roaster. We serve smoothies because people come through in mixed groups of coffee lovers and non-coffee lovers and I'd rather have something for the non-coffee people than have them take their money somewhere else.

I don't think that coffee is an either/or proposition. We pull 19-23 second shots and our coffee is at MOST 48 hours old. All my baristas do rosetta pour drinks and we still have smoothies and green tea frappes and non coffee blendeds. We also have 45 flavors of syrup including 22 Sugar Free and sugar free white and dark chocolates. I have been luriking on this forum for a while and I hear complaints from customers who want variety and baristas who say they have no room for more flavoring or that it detracts from the coffee but as a small business owner I have no problem stocking all these syrups and flavors in my 20x10 drive thru. As a small fry I know that I have to offer more variety, a better product and a more accepting and welcoming attitude than the big guys in order to succeed.

PS I also don't have to deal with some of the worse SBUX customers (death threats screaming fits, grabbing) like I've read about on the livejournal barista group but then again, if they tried most of that stuff with me I wouldn't have to "Just Say Yes"

[Nancy Luna]

just got off the conference call. To me the biggest news on the drinks was the introduction of Custom Energy Drinks. Wow.
Read more at the FastFood Maven blog.
http://www.ocregister.com/fastfood

[don't get it]

how does adding new products help in an economy where people AREN'T buying things?? what they should do is lower the price of a latte for the summer and advertise that they feel everyone's pain. they will sell more and get great PR. adding new drinks is NOT the answer. anyone with a business degree can tell you that one.

[Part Nerr]

Just another nail in the coffin for Howie, Darleen!

In fact, Howie used to be a major shareholder of Jamba Juice... now he want's to further dilute the SBUX core coffee business... unbelievable....

[Ben]

Sheik, my district just finished the test on these smoothies a few weeks ago. For the orange mango one, we basically get giant containers of mango naked juice, a bit of milk add a banana, 3 scoops of protein powder, and ice. (a lot of people added strawberry sauce and matcha)

For the banana chocolate smoothie it was milk, mocha sauce, banana, protein powder.

The bananas were the big pain. And dealing with pissy people (we only offered them in grande sizes)

They were each a little under 300 calories.

[Former Starbuckie]

If the employees are making "smoothies" are they still "barista's"? Just a thought!

[Sarah]

About the bananas attracting fruit flies. I'm not a barista and I have no idea if there's even room in your fridges for this. BUT. Once a banana starts to turn from green to yellow, putting it in the fridge will slow down the ripening process and keep the flies away. The skin will turn dark brown/black, but the fruit inside will stay firm and yummy.

[Darleen]

Just another nail in the coffin for Howie, Darleen!

Maybe not, a little too soon to pass judgement, wait till it rolls out.

[SBUXbarista]

I'm all for any kind of HEALTHY, non fattening drink. I don't want to be a Venti Sized Barrista. However, our store could never deal with having more flies from bananas, if that's what could happen. We already have a fly problem.

[Melody]

Oh Ben, I just read your post: banana,protien, whey, etc ... It makes me so sad. I think I'm going to cry. This is a step in the wrong direction for Starbucks. They cannot be going back to a coffee house while making smoothies.

The smoothies have zero to do with coffee. I guess it's what people wanted, but I often wonder if Howard still feels that passion that he did when walked into 1912 Pike Place in the mid-80s and would smell coffee and grab a handful of coffee beans.

I know we're going to get through this somehow. It bothers me though that the smell of coffee is not returning to the stores. Even at 1912 Pike Place, where there is NO oven, and no food, there is NO smell of coffee.

I'll still be a loyal Starbucks customer for a long time to come: Give me a french press of Arabian Mocha Sanani please. It's just not about a smoothie for me.

[e]

what Seattle stores are offering the smoothies?

[Melody]

E - I haven't seen them in Seattle.
From what I gather the smoothies were tested in Southern California, and are going to be more widespread this summer (If Seattle ever has a summer this year).

[StLouieDrip]

I happen to REALLY love fruit smoothies, but I do NOT NOT NOT want one from sbux. No, I won't be going to sbux when the fruit smoothie cravings hit me.

But how about a few varieties of bold coffee? Ya know, like the old days? Got anything like that?

Sbux is obviously a company with a split personality. I also know a few people with that problem, and I try my best to avoid them too.

Luckily I just discovered Peet's has a brand new store in my city. But it's damned inconvenient, part of our newest casino, and in the most maddeningly congested part of the city, that I also try to avoid. But I will go there at least once, just so I can say I have FINALLY tasted Peet's coffee, yay! Hopefully it's the first Peet's of many more to come.

[Ben]

E - We just finished testing them in my district - Marysville/Monroe/Snohomish. The bananas were a huge pain. We had to peel them every morning and keep a bunch in the fridge ready for smoothies. Banana size was inconsistent, as was smoothie consistency. For coffee, some people would add espresso to the banana chocolate. But yeah. I was unimpressed.

[Ben]

Oh, and the worst part? People can add protein/fiber powder to drinks (protein mocha, protein latte, etc.) You steam the powder in with the milk. So for a grande protein mocha, you have to fill the cup up with milk, dump the milk in the steaming pitcher, add protein powder (1 scoop for tall, 2 grande, 3 venti) and then steam it all together. It cakes around the steam wand and it RUINS the flavor of the drinks.

I don't know why they don't use soy protein instead of whey if they're REALLY trying to tout these as healthy. The protein powder leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste too.

But my biggest pet peeve was having separate cups for them. They were standard 16 oz iced cups, but plain, no starbucks logo. Instead we got a big roll of giant "Starbucks Essential Smoothie" stickers that we had to stick on EACH AND EVERY CUP.

Really, if they're going to add a new line of beverages, I would think that they would go with something like Italian Sodas. Something that many coffee places offer.

The only nice thing is that we still use the standard frappuccino blender pitchers for them. We finally got them back after we ended the test on the reformulated frappuccinos, which used different blender pitchers.

[PIG HORSE]

Italian sodas would be an awesome idea. I've always wondered why they don't have them. I hear from really old customers that, way back when, they used to? I know they haven't (to the best of my recollection) had them since at least ... God I can't remember sometime between 1999-2001 when I started going ...

[justsayno]

"I don't know why they don't use soy protein...."

Soy contains environmental estrogens, and also intereferes with thyroid function. Soy is not as healthy as a lot would like to believe.

I'll second the Italian sodas, we used to get a lot of requests for those at my old store.

[Jassibelle]

ok does anyone have any info on the energy packet supplements???? how healthy is that??? i tried it but didnt really notice a difference....

[Sally]

Soy protein also contains every essential amino acid, while whey protein doesn't. Pros and cons, my friend. Pros and cons.

[bonosfox]

There is a SBUX in my city thats RIGHT next to a smoothie shop. I wonder if they have coffee. Just Sayin.

[ripped]

Soy or Whey or Whatever Protein....why in the world would someone want to put protein in their latte or mocha?

The only folks THAT concerned about protein intake are body builders. I used to date a body builder - and protein in a latte is not something body builders do. They would rather eat chicken breast or egg whites.

Anyways, I guess if Starbucks found a new customer base - that's great.

[KelleySD]

Bananas in the summer sound like a fly issue, but if this makes my stock go back up I'll be stoked. BTW, I'm glad there will be something with a little nutrition available for a partner beverage (if we're allowed to use it as a partner beverage)

[SoCalRocks!]

I am a huge supporter of the new smoothie options. It fits right in line with our transformation from grossly overcaloric drinks, to more healthy and fit options. I guarantee that you would see me more often picking up a smoothie, vs. a frapaccino. Most of us know how hard it is to find a healthy lunch alternative- I can see picking up a fruit cup and a smoothie at lunch and actually feeling really satisfied that Starbucks would be able to provide this.

And protein isn't just for bodybuilders, sheesh! whey protein added to a smoothie provides a well-balenced lunch alternative- plus it will keep you feeling "fuller" through several hours, vs. having an sugar spike/sugar low an hour later.