It's Vivanno launch day. Share your stories here.

Customers, what do you think of the new "healthier" drink? Baristas, what kind of reaction are you getting? (Press release: "Starbucks Launches Vivanno Nourishing Blends")

Comments

[Shawn]

When I stopped to get my grande Pike this morning my favorite barista gave me a coupon for a free Vivanno. I'll be trying it later today. I'll let you know how it goes!

[stuckinthedrivethru...nolonger!!!]

Yesterday I go in for my shift really looking forward to my Mango Orange Banana Blend Vivanno... and we were all out of bananas... Sad day...

We're still in the middle of the Made Fresh for You Frappuccino test in Austin so the fanfare for Vivanno is very quiet around here... We don't even have menu boards with them on it yet... And we can't even wear our shirts for another week and a half or so...

[ryanawesome]

I'm in my store right now, and our poor RMT is walking around in a banana costume handing out samples. the customer reaction so far has been tepid, some people like to pretend they're too grown up to appreciate how funny a banana costume is. overall I think the drink will perform well though, if this morning is any sort of litmus test.

[Yummy]

I got the Banana Chocolate Blend this morning and it is delicious!!! I can't wait to try the Orange Mango!

[Pat Nerr]

"I'm in my store right now, and our poor RMT is walking around in a banana costume handing out samples. the customer reaction so far has been tepid, some people like to pretend they're too grown up to appreciate how funny a banana costume is."

That's funny in the wrong way...

[Jamie]

As a partner, I think it's another degradation of our brand and our company. We're a coffee-house, not a smoothie-shack or milkshake-condominium...I see this as yet another step in the wrong direction.

Let's get back to basics...lose the blended crap, murde r the frapuccino, get rid of the breakfast sandwiches now...and serve some friggin' coffee and tea. That's our business. We're the best at it when we're not trying to be something other than a coffeehouse.

[Sue De Nimes]

Shift here. I've been pathologically avoiding learning how to make the thing... or peel the bananas (yes, they gave us training on how to peel bananas). If I wanted to make smoothies, I'd work for Jamba Juice. Since I'm quite happy with Doubleshot plus energy... I don't expect much.

[Atrain]

A Starbucks Rep just brought in samples to the radio station (can you say "Free Advertisement"?). I tried the Orange Mango. Delicious! I can see these being a very good sell for the chain. I'm curious what the sugar content is on these.

[Pat]

I received an orange-mango sample yesterday, and bought one later in the day, because I liked it quite a bit. My partner got the choco-banana, so I tried that too. I like the bittersweet chocolate flavor - it's much more upfront that I expected. I may not order these often though - it seems like really a lot of work for the baristas. In the store I was at, they used frozen banana chunks, so there was no peeling, at least not at point-of-sale.

[Pee]

The drink is awesome, but I hate the "I work at a coffee house, stick to coffee and tea, Starbucks". That really makes no sense. I believe that Wal-Mart should only sell things on a WALL, not on the ground or in display cases. That makes a lot of since, doesn't it?

Regardless of any new non-coffee and tea item, the coffee will always be the same standard.

[Tall Drip]

It was kinda hard to ignore the girl at the register wearing the banana hat. She asked me if I liked bananas, and then proceeded to give me a coupon. I will try it eventually - if it's made with just fruit, protein, coffee, and no syrups or nasty sugary crap, I will probably like it. It seems to be more nutritionally sound than what Jamba Juice has on the menu...Jamba Juice is a sugary nightmare.

This seems like a decent new item to me, though I don't know how the majority of customers will respond. The mainstream likes to talk a good game about having healthier alternatives, but at the point of sale they often end up choosing the same old crap. That's what I suspect will happen with this, though some people like me will be more enthusiastic about it.

[149something]

i'm off today so i'm curious how these are doing at our store.

re; pee, i also hate the "do away with the frappucino" attitude. i only drink them once in a blue blue moon, but i highly, highly doubt starbucks could pay me and give me health care if we only sold plain old brewed coffee. (and i'd probably be bored out of my mind if i didn't have to make backups and clean blender pitchers!)

[stuckinthedrivethru...nolonger!!!]

ATRAIN:

I can't tell vouch for the exact sugar content in the drink, but the Orange Mango Banana Blend only has the natural sugars in the Banana and the Orange Mango Juice (which is made by Naked Juice, who do not add sugar to their juices.) The Banana Chocolate Blend does have added sugar from the mocha syrup however.

[Herman M]

Pee:
What? How did you come to that comparison? You do know that Starbucks started out as a coffee shop, I guess. But you really think Wal-Mart started out as a store that sold walls? You are really unaware that the company is named after its founder, the late Sam Walton? Get it? Wal, Walton?

I feel sad right now that you thought you had a good one there. What's next? K-Mart should only sell the letter K?

[UPod]

I tried the orange banana mango viviano this morning (at the roseville mn store across from the rosedale mall) and I thought it was excellent (I had mine made with skim milk)! I didn't taste any chalkiness others described.
I look forward to trying the Banana Chocolate next time. Some may be put off by the $4.00 price (that's what it cost here after taxes).

[UPod]

I tried the orange banana mango viviano this morning (at the roseville mn store across from the rosedale mall) and I thought it was excellent (I had mine made with skim milk)! I didn't taste any chalkiness others described.
I look forward to trying the Banana Chocolate next time. Some may be put off by the $4.00 price (that's what it cost here after taxes).

[Verismo Wiz]

The stockmarket isn't warming up to Vivannos:

STARBUCKS CP(NasdaqGS: SBUX)
NEW Real-time: 13.50 -0.50 (-3.57%) 10:29am ET

[KMAC]

I got a Chocolate Banana Vivanno this morning.

It's good, but it tastes pretty powdery. This is apparently because the barista didn't level off the whey powder like she was supposed to. My Starbucks friend said it's technically not a Vivanno then.

Oh well.

[truth]

The market LOVES vivano.

Down 5%

[Yuck]

I tried a Mango-Orange-Banana Vivanno this morning from a store in Arlington, VA. Yuck! It tasted like it was either made with unripe bananas or poison. Seriously. While there was no chalky aftertaste, it had an extremely bitter aftertaste. I will try the Chocolate-Banana once but I won't be going back for the M-O-B one anytime soon!

[UPod]

Uhmmm, 90% of the companies listed on the down and 80% on the Nasdaq are down today. I don't think it's Vivano more than overall pesimistic market sentiment (especially the retail sector).

[it'snotcoffee]

it's all crap

[Esther]

I'm in Los Angeles, where they also launched the Sorbetto today. I loved it. It was a sweet, tancy icy drink. Very light and refreshing. On the menu, it was clear that the drink used Pinkberry frozen yogurt. My drink was the original Pinkberry flavor mixed with a pink, tangy citrus flavor.

[Tracy]

Why are we even thinking about viviano? Did anyone else notice that Gazebo is back? Hello heaven in a cup.

[DJ_EdgE]

The Orange Mango Banana has 32 grams of sugar in it. I dont remember the Chocolate Banana off the top of my head.

Thank God I don't have to work today... Manager was out looking for banana costumes last week for everyone working today

[somedude]

This option seems "healthy" in the Starbucks way, like their "healthy" pastries. I got the scoop on the nutritional information from a barista this morning. 16g of protein, 32g of SUGAR and 270 calories. I looked up my grande nonfat latte 130 cal, 13g protein,and 18g sugar.

The new "healthy" breakfast cookie they have (the berry star cookie) has 300 calories and 10g of fat. Starbucks, please don't fake healthy. If you are going to do it, DO IT.

[what?]

I just had a quick question. I know they are marketing this and Sorbetto as healthy but what are the calories on the Sorbetto. I had a customer ask me and I cant find it anywhere! seems kinda weird they arent sharing that as openly as the vivanno. Oh and have to say....not a fan of these drinks but people are saying good things about them!

[Yummy]

DJ-
Did you forget about the 6g of fiber that comes in the Vivano??? How much fiber is in your latte?

[magic1]

somedude: Bananas and lattes have sugar in them - fructose for the banana and lactose for the milk in the latte. Sugar does not necessarily mean the white powered stuff.

[somedude]

I heard 5g of fiber. That's nothing you don't get from a slice of bread at lunch. I do fine on fiber myself, probably because I prepare my own food, I don't need supplemental fiber in my diet. I guess it's just the average American's ideas on nutrition that are messed up.

[somedude]

magic1:

True me, I'm very aware of that. I'm just skeptical of calling a drink with almost as much sugar as a coke in it healthy. I'm aware the sugar is coming from differnt sources. If you want healthy though, try eating the whole fruit instead of drinking the concentrated juice (therefore concentrated sugar. That way you won't have to add fiber powder to it because you extracted the fiber in the juicing process.

[double blended]

I think Vivanno is going to be one of those things that Starbucks looks back on and says, "Well, that was a good idea at the time."

At my store, we've been talking it up to local fitness centers and hospitals as a meal-alternative for those on the go, but if I were in their shoes, I'd go to the deli across the street before I'd get a protein "nourishing blend."

Not to mention, since we've been sampling them every day, some of my partners have noticed some of the, uh, interesting side effects the extra fiber in our diet has caused.

While I don't very much like the drink (or making it--takes too long!), I'm sure it will do well enough that it will last... for a while anyway.

[Westcoast Barista]

(including myself pre-close tonight) will have to wear some run-of-the-mill promo t-shirt. All I know is that I'm certainly not wearing some ridiculous awkward costume while futilely attempting to clean the floors and the washrooms.

On another note, are we now allowed to refer to the Vivanno as a "smoothie?" Those pathetic marketing/training videos specifically told partners to shy away from referring to the Vivanno as either Frappuccino or smoothie-like. Yet, it's new slogan per these same corporate mouthpieces is "Today is the new smoothie."

Once again, I'm glad I declined my Starbucks stock options, otherwise I'd be taking a huge bath at this point.

Continued freefall to under $10.00/share by end of August.

[Mike in Seattle]

I tried a sample of the mango/orange/banana yesterday when a local store was practicing and was amazed at how good it was.

[Argentius]

Somedude --

Yes, you're absolutely right, whole, raw fruits and vegetables are the healthiest thing that just about anyone can eat.

BUUUUUUTT, come on now: as far as it goes, if you are someone who is buying smoothie-type drink at a cafe, this is pretty wholesome.

At the health foods store I used to work at, we had some truly healthy smoothies. I'm talking about unsweetened yoghurt plus celery, carrots, plus wheatgrass and peppers.

It was, shall we say, spicy. Actually I enjoyed them sometimes, but the conventional market wouldn't hold that for a moment, and you know it.

[Laurie]

A banana costume????
Are you kidding????
Talk about an off brand move.
Who thought of that one? - a former Chuckee Cheese executive.
Howard needs to hire someone with 'come back' experience. I think he still thinks everything he touches is gold. He has the potential to make it worse. Starbucks employees dressed up like bananas!
Turning a company built on status around in a questionable ecomony is a more difficult task than building the brand in the first place. Howard, retreat and seek advice from those who have blazed a simliar trail.

[SoCalRocks!]

I see the banana costume as tongue-in-cheek, an attempt to show that we don't take ourselves too seriously...

But I agree its off brand. I don't know that I support that angle- there are 100 things we could do, besides dress up in a banana costume...

[skiwi]

Can anyone tell me if these smoothies are also debuting in Canada today?

[Willoughby]

Tried the Orange Mango version moments ago, with the addition of soy milk and matcha. Very smooth, no chalky aftertaste. However, none of the (4) baristas present knew exactly how to make it, what the nutritional info was (they took issue with the sign, saying it was incorrect) and whether to charge extra for soy (they decided not to). I'd like to see the process go a bit more smoothly, but I enjoyed the drink and will likely order it again.

[Barista Joe]

Just got through a day hearing people ask for "Tall Viviannos..." Not only mispronouncing Vivanno but trying to get different sizes. To quote my favorite Hives song, "Hate to Say I Told You So..."

[double blended]

Banana costumes? And I thought the inflatable monkeys at my store were cliche.

[Ari]

Grabbed a Chocolate Banana one on the way to the library today. It has a flavor i would call muted, texturewise it is lovely. As a barista, i wonder how much of a pain these will be to make in practice. I still have mixed feelings about it.

[Curious]

Willoughby, just curious as to which location you had this experience at?

[IllinoisShift]

I am off today (amazing!), but have been drinking the Vivannos for the past week. Our store as frozen banana pieces due to the shortage or whatever. The drinks are time consuming to make-- they have to be blended two separate times. But other than that I think they are delicious. Yes, they have sugar, but it is good sugar from natural fruits. Not like the high fructose corn syrup found in other drinks. And the protein is great!

Customer responses to the samples have been very good! Plus, I typically hate our mocha-- but in the chocolate banana Vivanno, I think it tastes pretty good. I'm hoping the Vivannos will go over well and boost sales. I have a feeling my store may be the next to go if not...

[Willoughby]

@ Curious:

The Shops at the Arboretum in Richmond, VA.

[Zokuga]

I enjoyed the taste and temperature of the orange mango flavor and matcha...Chilled, but not at a brain-freeze level. And the taste, as others have said, was light and muted...Definitely had a more solid nutritional feel than your typical smoothie.

However, the constant blender during the breakfast hour was a turnoff. If this drink becomes big, it means SB really is moving away from the premium coffee shop idea.

[chiquita]

first we were "getting back to basics" with the perfect espresso shot, steamed milk and 30 min freshly brewed Pike's Place....next to the test market with the made fresh for you frappicinos that take all these steps, all the room on our already to little counters..........and now, the VIVANNO, bananas and fruit flies......as we connect with the customers, we are supposed to tell them about the frapps, the vivanno, the perks SB card, the customer service survey, do they want a receipt...it has gotten ridiculous!!! Customers get annoyed with all the questions...and it makes the baristas feel like vacuum salespeople. The perfect shot and perfectly steamed milk have already gone to the wayside...old news, this week onto the next last ditch effort to bail SB out of the slump....

[Tall Drip]

Health-wise, this is certainly no worse than Jamba Juice, and probably somewhat better. 32g sugar is not that terrible, and I could probably get that to come down by asking the barista to go easy on the chocolate syrup.

At least SBUX isn't overloading so-called healthful smoothies with frozen yogurt, sherbet, and "juice" that is little more than fruit-flavored water with sugar, like Jamba. I actually hope this thing catches on.

[dd]

does the powder make anyone else's stomach churn?

[jenna]

as a partner I am glad we're getting new drinks simply because I am tired of drinking the ones we have! I like change and I like learning to make new drinks. Maybe it won't be a hit, maybe it's not a "back to basics" thing, but I think it's pretty fun. And now I can add bananas to any drink we have!

I tried banana chocolate with espresso last night and it was pretty good. We hadn't received any mango juice yet. I hope they got some this morning.

I have noticed that since Christmas our siren's eye's are nowhere near as big as they were last year. Our store only had one box of new retail to put out. I know this is a way of getting back to coffee and having less crap to sell but I really like new mugs and stuff-it's like christmas for me.

Did anyone actually get the banana sharpies? The partner engagement kit list said we got 5 banana sharpies, but we didn't and neither did the store about 40 mins away. i want a damn banana sharpie!

[Westcoast Barista]

Chiquita, couldn't have said it better myself!!

More than ever before, the company has clearly lost any sense of direction, and they are trying practically anything to fend off quickly nose-diving sales, potential store closures, and especially the anemic stock.

Very fortunately, even though I put in casual and sporadic hours with Starbucks, I am not beholden to dishing out extra helpings of kool-aid infused pre-rehearsed pabulum to my customers. Even still with me being my store's contrarian, I still generally consider myself providing a much more honest and genuine "Starbucks experience" than many of the other partners at my store.

[smalrus]

I've got to say... I'm having the Chocolate Banana one right now and it's kind of boring tasting. There's no real banana flavor (Jamba Juice, this is not), the bittersweet chocolate is barely tasteful, and even though it's less expensive than a Frap, the price point is still going to be a killer.

Paying to have a healthy treat is one thing, but under these economic conditions, $3.95 (here in Manhattan) is a lot to pay for a grande banana with powder. Even with consideration of price fluctuations in local markets, I bet the downturn is too steep for Vivanno to be a profitable line.

Unless they tweak the drink, they'd be better off bringing back Chantico.

The idea is worth while

[smalrus]

Whoops, I meant to say "The idea is worthwhile, but unless they tweak the drink, they'd be better off bringing back Chantico."

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

One of my favorite quotes:
"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better- King Whitney Jr.

I think we need to build "change training" into our barista 100 level classes. Progress requires us to innovate, make some mistakes, and constantly try new things. That is who we are. It is who we've been. Heck, Howard changed the company from selling whole bean to adding espresso bars in the 1980s, and since then we've had constant change. It's innate within the Starbucks culture, and to me, it keeps things refreshing.

[Coffee Soldier]

There was an action item a week ago stating the banana sharpies would not be coming.....I think it's fiscally responsible of the company. We don't need banana sharpies...imagine how much they cost...at 5 per a store. I'm sure it was a a couple thousand dollars saved. I also doubt Sharpie makes a banana sharpie and they were going to be specially produced for us. Good job saving some of our money for once Starbucks! My store just missed our controllable contribution by 78$ for Q3...so glad my smallwares charge was almost 400$ for all the banana crap for a frozen market.

[Cali ASM]

Just found out that a store in Atwater, CA is closing. The Bellevue and Winton Way store to be exact. This is not 100% confirmed, but one of the partners told me they might close in 45 days.

I was also told this may be the only store in the Central Valley of CA that is closing. Not sure if this is true or not and also not sure if this just for right now or for the entire 600 stores.

[truth]

Market up 1/2%. Starbucks down nearly 2%

The market doesn't love Vivianno.

[AG]

@P.R.I.D.E

I think you're right about the "change" stuff. I worked at SBUX for a year and absolutely hated any time my day-to-day routines had to change.

"You mean I have to use the shot glasses? I've gotten used to pushing out 35 orders a half hour doing it MY way..."

But now I work for an internet company. We change monthly, if not weekly or daily. It's part of the business here.

It's easier with a company that has two offices, of course, than one that has thousands of stores, but I think you're on to something.

[BN Cafe]

CALI ASM:

I'm working at a Barnes & Noble Cafe in Central Valley, CA... San Joaquin County Specifically.. I am a farily new employee and I'm wondering if you can give me any information on the Recipe Cards for the Drinks. I have asked my managers repeatedly to no avail.. And am nearly at the Point of Writing the Recipes down as I learn them, except I am still unsure as to whether or not I am learning them correctly. A little insight would be a great help!!

[Tall Drip]

The stock market loves only one thing right now, and it's oil. A low stock price doesn't necessarily correlate to an unprofitable company.

[truth]

@ tall- oil is down $5 today. Your point is?

sbux is down 2.7% And MCD is up 1.5%.

Stocks of companies who just launched their next brand-saving product don't act this way.

No one believes vivvano is an answer, let alone THE answer.

[StarbucksCustomer-1]

I am a Starbucks customer.

I went in today and the employees were wearing the Vivano shirts. It was about 11:30AM and the store was empty. I tried a sample of the chocolate banana. One of my family members also tried it. The flavor was good but it didn't taste sweet enough. and it didn't have enough flavor. It was also too thick. The combination of ingredients needs modified.

So my family member ordered the orange mango banana. She did not like it but I had a sip and I loved it.

The one problem is that it took a long time for the barrista to make the Vivano and there were no customers in the store. I can only imagine it with a crowded store. This Starbucks gets really crowded and packed on Thursdays because this location is at a lifestyle center and right outside the Starbucks is a stage and every Thursday there is a band that plays and the public comes out to listen and there is a a huge crowd.

[StarbucksCustomer - 1]

Me again.

In my opinion, Starbucks should get rid or modify the chocolate banana vivano. Too thick, not much flavor.
Keep the orange mango banana Vivano. It is really good.

[sbuxnewbie]

finally got to make the Vivannos today - the bananas just arrived yesterday, on my day off.

The orange mango banana isn't bad - could use less banana.

I'm not in love with the banana chocolate,, however. The chocolate flavour is fine, but the 'nana is too strong, and the protein powder seems more out front than in the orange mango.

On the other hand, half of the folks who sampled it bought one. (either flavor). One regular customer sampled a banana chocolate, and was about to order it when i mentioned the orange mango. He asked for that with two espresso shots in the mix - and liked it.

What I noticed was, he paid with a registered Starbucks card, and the two shots were no charge on the receipt. he was prepared to pay the full price, and was pleasantly surprised (as I was!) when he saved bucks, and the total was $4.05, tax included.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER]

The link to the press release is now working. FYI.

[seventysix [76]]

Truth,

It has been less than 24 hours since Vivanno launched. You can't realistically say that a 2% drop today was because no one likes it. Please be quiet.

In general though I don't like your attitude or negativity. Some partners within this company still have passion and love what they do. So what if we're in a gigantic recession? I go into work everyday and make a healthy handful of people happy. That's all I care about. I just like making somebody's day a little bit brighter.

We're in a period of trying new things. We're trying a lot of differently shaped puzzle pieces until one fits. Maybe I'm just madly in love with this company and what it stands for. I fell in love with this job a year ago and I still am.

So hold the negativity. What good is it doing?

Thanks,
seventysix [76]
Partner

[Just about done]

Is anyone in Cali scared to DEATH about cleaning the Taylor machine tonight???

My store didnt get the sheets for the Equipment maintenance book on it-all we have is the DVD to refer to ( when we cant remember the 4000 parts and how they go back together). We get 1 person and 1 hour to do the whole thing on the first night...OT looking likely...YIKES!!!!!

[detail]

Meh. Other than banana, the chocolate's taste/texture was like a SlimFast Chocolate Royale. Maybe I'll sample the mango.

[coffee_master]

banana costume? really? wow....good thing we dont have that in my store....we just have to wear the vivanno apron IF were ACTIVE SAMPLING the drink.

when we were sampling it yday customers like it..so im having a good vibe about the drink. the only thing is i didnt like all the "commercial" we put on our door to promote it.....too much stickers. i think the menu board looks good though.

[truth]

"We're trying a lot of differently shaped puzzle pieces until one fits."

Translation: Expect more banana costumes.

[Tall Drip]

"@ tall- oil is down $5 today. Your point is?"

hehe - yeah, but what have all the oil stocks done prior to today? It will go back up, the market makers are just trying to flush the peons out, then jump back on the profit train.

I was trying to say, don't judge a company by its stock price. I think the market has bigger things to worry about lately....I don't think Vivanno is the cause of today's drop.

[jacquelyn]

In response to one of the questions posted above, the Starbucks home page is calling this a smoothie.

I'm excited to try it. But then again I make my own kind of smoothie evry day for breakfast: an Alba double fudge packet, whole banana, ice, and skim milk. The only thing I am missing is the protein powder, which I plan to purchase. I'll be curious to see if the Starbucks version is better or worse than mine.

[Green Bean Barista]

I was on the opening shift this morning for the Vivanno launch at my store. It is a deployment challenge when you are running a busy drive thru and cafe store with four partners during a morning rush. Oh and did I mention that I am in a test market for the new frappucinnos. Cold bar now takes forever but tastes great.

Many of my customers tried and liked the new Vivannos, and we sold out of Berry Stellas by noon. Overall, I hope we get some serious labor to go with Vivanno. I felt like our store underperformed due to not enough people on the floor. I hope I earn a dedicated cold bar station position soon cause I needed one.

Oh and Tracy- I was excited to see Gazebo too!

[AJ]

I tried the Chocolate Banana. I would not order it again. Does not have much flavor.

[Starbucks Shareholder]

I tried the Orange Mango today and thought it was pretty good. It actually served as my lunch replacement (didn't get around to actually grabbing lunch anywhere).

I just wanted to note that today's performance of SBUX isn't necessarily an indication of anything. How you can correlate fluctuations in Starbuck's stock price with whether or not "the market" "likes" Vivanno is quite beyond me. I am "the market" and I quite like it. I hope it'll be a hit, but I really don't know. And I suspect that's what most shareholders think. It's way too early for any shareholder to decide to "like" Vivanno or not (from a stock value perspective, that is).

[piratebarista]

@bncafe

I can't remember the BCB recipe, but I think this is the OBMB or whatever the marking is:

(Only use Grande measurement on blending pitchers)
Naked juice concentrate to first line
Milk choice to second line
Full banana
Scoop from special Vivanno ice scoop
3 leveled off scoops of protein/fiber powder

[Westcoast Barista]

So I take it no complaints from fuming customers who are rightly pissed off that they can't get their decaf Caramel Frappuccino in the evening anymore? We still have many customers requesting light cream based Frappuccinos, let alone requesting decaf coffee Frappuccino base.

And as for the stock price dip, Truth is completely correct with pointing to the direct correlation between stock movement and corporate announcements (ex. store closings, new products, etc.). You're a fool to believe otherwise, and more so of one to be convinced to stick any of your wages into bean stock before it hits rock bottom.

[LMD]

Since us Target stores won't be doing the Vivanno just yet (I won't complain too much about it -- we have all the smallwares and the powder, it's just the juice and bananas Target is having problems with), I'm planning on trying it later tonight. I'm really looking forward to the OMBB with matcha.

New drinks, new syrups, revivals of old syrups, even a new mug arriving in the order is like Christmas morning to me. I don't know why some people don't embrace it! It's so much fun for me to be able to talk to guests about a new product -- it's like a challenge, to be able to talk them into buying it. I love it! :-) But then again, maybe I'm just weird.

[Trent]

My stomach seems to be pretty sensitive to these drinks. I had that "I have to take a dump now or my ass is going to explode" feeling for the rest of my shift after I had an orange mango one for my breakfast.

[Starbucks Shareholder]

"And as for the stock price dip, Truth is completely correct with pointing to the direct correlation between stock movement and corporate announcements (ex. store closings, new products, etc.)."

Yes, and if you do a little research you can find out how much Apple's stocked dropped on the day the first iPod was announced. What a failure that iPod thing turned out to be, right? Market fluctuations on a product launch day should be used as a template for investment decisions.

[Starbucks Shareholder]

I meant to say: "Market fluctuations on a product launch day should NOT be used as a template for investment decisions."

[marion]

Ick - did you know that in French it meand Red Snapper :)

[truth]

@tall- Yeah, we are on the same page. Thanks.

@ starbucks shareholder-- There's this little wall street saw called 'buy the rumor, sell the news'. Well, the rumor of viviano was here for the last month. And the market sold right through it.

And today's launch? The market yawned and kept right on selling.

This product launch is costing a gajillion dollars and the market shrugs. That's not good.

A shorter response:

Vivanno is the next Ipod? Please. Wasn't that what PPR was supposed to be?

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

Westcoast barista- what have you done when a customer requests a lovely cup of chantico? Or a Pomogranate juice blend? We've had a revolving menu over the years so you'll definitely want to get on the bus and learn how to appease customers by offering alternatives while empathizing. That's kinda our job.

[Gabe]

I give the new Vivanno Orange Mango Banana drink 86 out of 100. As in, 86 it off the menu. It needs something like, rum or added sugar.

[zokuga]

Sorry to go back to dreary news...but if a place serves Vivanno, can we assume that the store ISN'T slated for closing, either at the end of this month or later this year? Why go to the trouble of bringing all that stuff in and training people if you are going to lay them off soon?

[Portland Barista]

Try the orange mango banana blend with soy instead of 2% and 3 scoops matcha added in! Yum!

[PhillyBarista]

My store must have given out 300+ samples of both types today and had ONE person purchase one before I had left. We had someone out in the cafe activly sampling it, but no one was biting. The most comment reaction was "its kind of bland..."

I really hope this goes the way of Chantico. I dont blame them for trying, but seriously, stop grasping at straws. I'd have rather seen all the money going to educating a lot of these baristas about the coffees we sell. When I got into another store and quiz the baristas (pretending to be a customer) better than 75% of them can't answer simple questions (single origin vs blend). Seriously, focus on the coffee or drop the "coffee" from Starbucks Coffee and just become "Starbucks".

[Starbucks Shareholder]

> And today's launch? The market yawned and kept right on selling.

Which is pretty much irrelevant. Wall Street's assessment on product launch day quite frankly doesn't interest me as an investor. They're not "selling" based on the product's financials, since those are not available. There's nothing more to it than hysteria, which really an appropriate basis on which to judge a product launch.

> This product launch is costing a gajillion dollars and the market shrugs. That's not good.

"Gajillion" dollars? What the hell does that even mean? Can we stick to rational discourse?

> Vivanno is the next Ipod? Please. Wasn't that what PPR was supposed to be?

Of course it isn't. The point still stands.

[Cali ASM]

CALI ASM:

I'm working at a Barnes & Noble Cafe in Central Valley, CA... San Joaquin County Specifically.. I am a farily new employee and I'm wondering if you can give me any information on the Recipe Cards for the Drinks. I have asked my managers repeatedly to no avail.. And am nearly at the Point of Writing the Recipes down as I learn them, except I am still unsure as to whether or not I am learning them correctly. A little insight would be a great help!!

Posted by: BN Cafe | Jul 15, 2008 12:30:32 PM

Is there anything in particular or all drink recipes? I would be happy to help.

[Westcoast Barista]

PRIDE, I was a customer long before I became a barista. Therefore, I know full well how Joe Average feels when they're told their favorite drink is no longer served. Generally, pretty much all customers understand special season offerings like eggnog and pumpkin spice, but many have a hard time grappling with stuff like certain fruit flavored syrups and decaf coffee Frappuccino mysteriously disappearing off the menu board.

My biggest concern is like the handling of the store closings, corporate communications doesn't have a clue in hell of what they're doing. On one hand, tell partners to steer clear of calling the Vivanno a "smoothie", but on the official release completely contradict yourself by directly calling it a "smoothie."

Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing!!

[SORBANNO]

So I've heard some of you have had to wear banana suits to sample out the new Vivanno? We actually got a bright yellow apron which isn't too bad. so far, our customers have been neutral about the drink, since most of them are iced coffee fiends. we sampled a few out, but we've only sold a few so far. I tried the new Sorbetto drink (I live in Southern California, the test market for Sorbetto), and I was incredibly impressed. Reminded me of Pinkberry (and Howard owns a bit of that company too) so it was only a matter of time until he introduced something yogurt-ish into Starbucks. If we manage to sell a bunch of these in So. Cal, you can bet its going to spread like wildfires towards other markets in the country.

[Darleen]

Truth,

It has been less than 24 hours since Vivanno launched. You can't realistically say that a 2% drop today was because no one likes it. Please be quiet.

In general though I don't like your attitude or negativity. Some partners within this company still have passion and love what they do. So what if we're in a gigantic recession? I go into work everyday and make a healthy handful of people happy. That's all I care about. I just like making somebody's day a little bit brighter.

Well said 76, well said!

[Pee]

Herman:
"Pee:
What? How did you come to that comparison? You do know that Starbucks started out as a coffee shop, I guess. But you really think Wal-Mart started out as a store that sold walls? You are really unaware that the company is named after its founder, the late Sam Walton? Get it? Wal, Walton?

I feel sad right now that you thought you had a good one there. What's next? K-Mart should only sell the letter K?"

Nice one :). I was making a satire of ignorance based on others ignorance to show how STUPID it is. Please, tell me how not making Frapps or Vivanno's improve tea or coffee quality? I think Starbucks offering other choices for NON coffee drinkers is a good thing. The coffee and tea is unaffected by it. It is NOT a legitimate complaint.

[thanksalatte]

I think its a great product for partners and our customers! I am excited that we are jumping on the healthy platform and look forward to more flavors!

[Mark]

The yellow apron for active sampling the Vivanno was the company's initiative. The banana suits, hats, etc. were not. Any SM or DM who tells you otherwise is full of it. The least we can do is allow our partners to maintain some dignity. It's bad enough we're walking billboards every time a new product rolls out with these shirts.

[Westcoast Barista]

"Please be quiet." - Darleen

"In general though I don't like your attitude or negativity." - 76

Quite shocking how so many within the company are so opposed to any sort of constructive criticism whatsoever!!

Perhaps, just perhaps, hiding behind the euphoric safety of the rose colored glasses is what has hurt this company from the start??

The problem is that with so many partners, Howard is in fact God, and the company can do absolutely no wrong. Please tell me how this is healthy for any type of organization - in your family, at your work, in politics and government, or otherwise?

[SuperBarista]

I opened this morning. And when I got off. My store manager informed that we nearly at our sales goal! That was exciting. I like the partner prizes for active sampling. I personally dont like the banana chocolate... but i love the orange mango banana! Most who we sampled to, loved them. I think it will be a hit only for the summer. But summer only.

[starbucks partner]

our store had green bananas delivered. required some creativity. people liked the vivannos, though.

[Decaf Drinker]

I visited our brand new local store today, it's been open about a month. No one even offered to sample the new drinks - didn't suggest them at the register - nothing! I was a little surprised given they were wearing new shirts, the signs for the launch were around the store, and people in line were talking about them.

Got my usual iced vanilla latte, but no super service - which kinda bothered me about a brand new store.

[Zipy]

The banana costume idea was some creative managers idea. Don't blame the company for someone trying to be creative. If anything, its nice to work for a company that allows for people to try and do silly things like that to get people 'excited' about new stuff.

As for the Vivanno's? I want them to work out, I really do, because it's a lot healthier of a drink then the extra carmel milk and shots monster my heart really craves -- but I'd rather fit into my clothes then pig out on that crap. I am a poor college student, though, and I'll take whatever I can get thats free to drink at work -- this now just gives me something 'better' for me that isn't a crappy 2 splenda latte.

As far as going back to our coffee core -- Really? That was a huge-ass speech -- a long partner and customer letter. Read the whole thing, not a single line. He said we're going to focus on our core. We're also going to try and be more innovative. If we just went 'back to our core' we'd have 5 drinks and go bankrupt. Frap's added a huge amount of money to the company, and they are looking for the next product like that. You have to be kidding if you think doing so is ruining us -- it's what made us. Coffee is still a big part of the picture, but they have to be realistic and focus on our main market -- drinks.

As far as stock goes -- take a look at the market as a whole, with the fed stepping in to save indymac - and all the other fun - the entire market is taking a beating. We're no longer in the land of bulls. Starbucks isn't the only company hurting.

Hell, apple just sold what -- a million iphones? and their stock keeps dropping.

[Pig Pig]

I tried it - the one that you could toss a shot of a espresso into. My thoughts:

- It's a decent drink. It tastes 'good', particularly if you like bananas, which I do.
- It's expensive. This is coming from a latte / americano / cap. drinker, so maybe I'm just not used to the price of these more fru-fru drinks. But it seemed expensive.
- Bux needs to figure out a better way to push the presentation / theatre behind the making of the drink: isn't his 'fresh blended' blah blah blah? If so, figure out a system so that your baristas are showing this happening. My barista dude stood with his back at the counter for the entire time it took to make it.
- Are we going to run into timing problems? It could be opening day hiccups, but it seemed to take a LONG time for them to make this. How many steps are involved?
- I'm completely mystified about the 'protein powder'. Why include this in the drink? I don't think it adds to the taste - the 'health advantage' of protein in powder form, particularly in a society that consumes enough of the stuff on a daily basis, is debatable. What's the point.

My overall impressions are therfore: good ... but with some background concerns: cost, necessity of extraneous ingredients, and time to prepare.

Unfortunately, note, I'm just saying 'good'. It wasn't fantastic. I'm not sitting here thinking 'I could go for another one of those right now'. It seems nice but unexceptional. Could be worse of course - they could have rolled out utter crap. But I'm a bit worried if this was the best they could do. Maybe it has to do with the fact tht the combined it with chocolate ... I feel like combining things with chocolate is a 'lazy cook' method. Most people like chocolate 'well enough' so it becomes the ingredient equivalent of a crutch.

I will try this again. But I won't be rushing in to grab one.

[pig pig]

Note, the store itself did a FANTASTIC job of promoting the drink, getting into the spirit etc. My hat goes off to them. [I was in the Hyde Park store]

- Fully decorated inside
- Balloons outside
- all the 'presentation pieces' were deployed
- servers were dressed up in new stuff - one dude had a green pompom on his head
- a regional manager was in the store checking into thinggs
- big crowd

So, yes, store did a nice job. Everyone seemed happy / atmosphere seemed festive etc. Great way to roll out a drink. I only wish that the drink was more of a 'wow' and less of an 'eh, okay'. I feel like bux is in a place where they need a 'wow'. Filling the menu with 'eh pretty goods' works fantastically when you're doing well as a company. But I don't know if 'slow and steady' is going to save the day. I feel like they need a killer product rollout to give them a boost. Not sure if viv is going to do it.

[anotherformeremployee]

Here's a question...

No one is bothered by the Pinkberry branding on the SoCal drink?

Another test product mysteriously promoting a company Howard is an investor in? Just like the Kinetix promotions in Seattle.

He uses Starbucks as a platform to pump up other companies he has an interest in and no one cares? This is beyond unethical!

Where the hell is the Board of Directors? Don't the employees care? Anyone?

[Julie]

When i worked today, I tried the banana chocolate with white chocolate instead. I took out the protein powder and substituted the 2% for some soy.

Oh dear god it tasted like banana bread dough. not what i was expecting. I'm excited to experiment with the Vivanno drinks but i agree with most of the partners on here, starbucks is steering away from their roots.

[Torontodude]

There were big displays in a downtown Toronto store. And all partners were wearing T-shirts. But in 30 minutes in the store, I saw precisely zero Vivano sales.

With tax, a Vivano costs almost five bucks. That's a lot.

I had a venti estima. Then I got a free refill, took it home, added my own ice, milk and splenda -- and had two more huge coffees.

Works for me. Total cost was $2.62.

[Seattle smoothie]

Thanks to PRIDE for his comments on embracing change. If we don't keep up with our customer's needs and preferences we will quickly become irrelevant, and be in even bigger trouble. This is not about straying from our core "coffeeness." This is about adding value for our customers and revenue for our business. Blended bevs have the highest margins of anything we sell. To the naysayers and "let's just sell coffee" promoters I ask, Would you rather sell drips and doppios for a pittance to noone or stay relevant and have a job! No change equals no starbucks!

[dharmacup]

WESTCOAST BARISTA-

Well said. Well said. If you work for any company, one should be able to voice opinions of any sort, good or bad. That doesn't mean that you aren't "towing the line" like everyone else. It means that one can see beyond the double-speak and blind fanaticism to solutions that could be for the greater good overall.

I firmly support those people who voice opposition and would like to see SBUX return to coffee. My passion is coffee, espresso and an expertly made drink. If someone handed you a plate of crap, would you just smile and take it?

No! You can however politely say, "No, thank you."

Back to the main topic: VIVANNO

I sampled them in the drive-thru today. The reaction was one of either disgust or indifference. We sampled both drinks at the same time. 99% of the time people chose the Orange Mango Banana. One person was brave enough to try the Mocha Banana. She didn't seem to like it. In fact, most of them didn't really care for the drink. People are always happy to be offered a free sample of something but not this time.

I also handed out comp coupons to some customers. Again, no shouts of joy or even elation that they were getting a free drink. Just polite indifference. "Oh. Thanks."

I tried both drinks and I marginally liked the Orange Mango more than the Mocha. Would I buy one or get one for my partner beverage? Nope. The Mocha was absolutely gross. Too chalky and suprisingly bland. Some partners have also complained about stomach problems due to the excessive amount of whey/fiber.

If it blends like a smoothie, tastes like a smoothie and looks like a smoothie. Guess what corporate SBUX Kool-Aid Drinkers(tm)?!

IT IS A SMOOTHIE! Go figure.

Bring on the Espresso Revolution!!!

[s]

I love the Chocolate Banana Vivanno with Soy... it tastes good... I work out and it's a perfect shake after the gym!!! YUMMY... i like it... I'm a customer and I will buy it again.

[truth]

RE: back to the core

It IS about the 'coffeeness'. When your main product (coffee) is generally considered NOT GOOD, then it's pretty easy to be frustrated when the company promises to fix it and does so by telling people to dress up like giant fruit.

And don't tell me that the coffee is good. The PPR fiasco proved the company itself recognized otherwise.

Screw the smoothies. I'd just like a decent cup of coffee when I have to go in a store.

I'm a little surprised no one is mentioning the seasonality of vivona. How much demand is there gonna be in two months when snow is flying across the northern states and Canada?

[Canadian]

@ Truth

"I'm a little surprised no one is mentioning the seasonality of vivona."

dude, it's "vivanno"

[Pee]

Truth:

I am confused. How can Starbucks coffee suddenly not be good when it's been the same thing? Vanilla Latte should only taste the same if not better. Pike Place? Wow, one roast you specifically do not like. Gold Coast and Verona will not taste any different if there are smoothies.

By the way, my store sells non-stop frapps all winter long. We sell more cold than hot. It's ridiculous, but also the "truth". Vivanno is, for now, only supposed to last through September, only.

[PartNerinMO]

This is a great product as an addition to our coffees, teas, and blended beverages. We could not keep up today with demand-especially in the afternoon. No fancy costumes, gimmicks, balloons, or window paint-just old fashion connections with customers about an awesome new platform...something we may actually be able to hit some goals with. (and that's nice for a change)

[formershift]

Alright, I was in downtown Seattle today (in the retail district) just past middday, and I have to say it was the most understated national rollout ever. I dropped in a bunch of stores--even the Pike Place one--and not one partner was sampling! Partners were wearing their green promo shirts but otherwise it was just another business day. What's up with that?

[vancouveremployee]

To all those against Vivanno:

-according to the thousands of posts over @ mystarbucksidea.com, people wanted a healthier beverage option, and Starbucks is simply trying to meet some of their demands.

-if Vivanno doesn't work out, who cares? unless you're Howard, you shouldn't fret over the drink's success. If it bombs, so what? It's the company's money/stocks that is going to suffer, not the petty $4 a customer spent on their less than spectacular Vivanno experience.

[dharmacup]

"awesome new platform"????

"hit some goals"???

Please. Sounds like a corporate shill, if I ever heard one. Y'all are pretty easy to catch.

The marketing for this beverage has been on the heavy side. In our meeting, we were asked to really push and sell the beverage. Usually when marketing is pretty heavy for a movie, like you see commercials for it every five minutes or lots of cross-promotional advertising all over the place, the movie is usually a huge turkey that no one wants to go see.

The Vivanno might be the huge turkey-of-a-drink that people just aren't impressed with, no matter how much we coax them into trying it.

[Melody]

I'm assuming that the thing about banana costumes was a joke!

I tried a Chocolate Banana Vivanno early this morning and liked. Actually, in some ways I was so glad to see it because I'd become a little bored with the menu.

Yes: It worries me to see Starbucks new launches as ways for Howard Schultz to develop companies that he's invested in, meaning Kinetex and Pinkberry. When I hear that he has a $20 million apartment in NYC, and is venturing into a million businesses, all it makes me think is that his heart isn't here in Seattle. And to me, Starbucks is very Seattle.

The Starbucks menu is tired, and it might not be the Vivanno that turns things around. I think they should've done the reverse: Launch Sorbetto everywhere, and then limited launch of Vivanno with more R & D as to how they can really make a nourishing blend with widespread appeal.

I'm with P.R.I.D.E. that we need to look forward to change. I suspect though we're in a trial and error phase of new product development.

[waltie]

From open to close, my store sold 5 vivannos.

And, yes, we all wore the shirts and kept sampling. some drinks sell themselves. This one sure doesn't. It's ok. That's about the best you can say for it.

[Melody]

Waltie, I went into a Starbucks in the afternoon and couldn't get a Vivanno because they'd sold all the bananas. Sounds like you had nothing like that kind of demand? I'd tried one many hours earlier in the morning.

[Phil]

Shift here. Let's face it, this company would start selling moose tracks ice cream flavored lattes if they thought it would turn business around. I don't want to hear the "don't be afraid of change" speech.... We're all adults and are all fully capable of assessing what change is good and what change is bad. Steaming milk properly= good change. Offering one kind of coffee all day that ditches the bold trademark this company spent 25 years developing= bad change. Getting rid of smelly breakfast sandwiches= good change. Relying on mediocre smoothies with modest health considerations to "save" our business= bad idea. Seriously, the drink is ok but just like everything else besides our traditional drinks- its gonna be a flash in the pan.

[dharmacup]

By the way, anybody notice that Jack-in-the-Box is selling new coffee beverages? So, add another fast-food outlet selling coffee/fruit beverages. Taco Bell has rolled out new fruit blended drinks, too.

I guess it's just a current trend in the industry to have some sort of "healthy" alternative to their menu. SBUX is just following suit. This is not innovative at all!

My goal is to sell quality drinks, keep wait-times down, and provide stellar customer service. I look at the people coming into my store as GUESTS and they are treated as such.

I find that this method of operation results in:

More hours for my fellow employees.

More tip money to be divided up each week.

Happy repeat customers.

That's my bottom line.

[Ibis]

During my shift, we had maybe ten sales. Most of our supplies (bananas, juice, and the like) went to sampling. Customers seemed mildly curious, but we had few enthusiastic responses. They didn't seem to be in the mood for taking a gamble on a new beverage, preferring to stick with their regular favorites.

Orange Mango Banana was overwhelmingly more popular than Mocha Banana, and for good reason in my opinion. I think the Mocha Banana is disgusting. The combination of bitter powder, plus dry chocolate, plus starchy banana equals chalky mess. If you're not used to making your own smoothies with several different kinds of fruit, honey, orange juice, and yogurt (like I do at home), then you'll probably enjoy the Vivanno. Otherwise you'll see it for what it is - a poor attempt at pandering to competitors like Smoothie King and Jamba Juice.

[Moe The Chimp]

I bought the Orange Mango Banana and didn't like it. I mean, it's not a bad alternative for someone looking for less sugar found in a frappuccino, but I won't be ordering it again.

There was a sample cup of the Mocha Banana, and I think I liked that one a little better. Still, not as sweet a drink as you're used to from Starbucks.

I doubt either flavor (in their current incarnation) will stick around long.

[blindsided]

Hmmm....a mocha plus fruit beverage.... sounds good, maybe we should try it with other stuff..... like mocha and perhaps....orange....hmmmm that sounds like a good ide- oh wait.

Joking aside, I don't really care for the Vivanno, it's pricey, not really exciting for the BCB and too chalky for the orange mango. This will go and join the ranks of the honey latte, maple latte, orange mocha, and chantico.

Is it such a bad idea to stick to a niche and run with it? Starbucks makes kickass coffee, why not keep it that way without trying to be all things to all people?

[pancakes for lunch]

new vivanno drink in alberta: $4.57
-and-
the whey powder is hard on the tum tum.

[truth]

@ dharmacup

"The Vivanno might be the huge turkey-of-a-drink"

Cripes. Don't give them more new product ideas. Thanksgiving is not too far off.

[Tall Drip]

You guys are not used to drinking things with protein powder. I'm actually impressed that you're using whey - it's a high-quality, bio-available protein. I would have expected a cheaper protein of less nutritional utility, like soy protein.

[LouLou]

I posted this on a different thread a couple of days ago, but now that the official rollout has occurred I'm wondering if anyone notices any side effects from the whey/fiber powder.

Someone on a prior thread mentioned the fiber component comes from chicory root. (I haven't verified this info.) However, I do know that Fiber One's delicious granola bars are made with chicory root, and they cause very uncomfortable bloating and GAS. I am talking about HUGE QUANTITIES OF UNCOMFORTABLE GAS. (google it if you don't believe me.) I know this firsthand - as a matter of fact we call them "fart bars" at our house. Is anyone who consumed 1-2 Vivanno partner bevs today noticing unexplained gas?

[Torontodude]

sugar + protein powder = does not compute

32 grams of processed, refined white sugar is a staggering amount -- about 4 tablespoons full. By no stretch of the imagination is this "not bad." It is very, very, very bad. Few things are worse.

Sure, other Starbucks drinks have as much sugar. They are ALSO very, very, very bad.

Marketing anything with this much sugar as "healthy" is unconsciounable.

[Wyfind]

It was pretty interesting today. I would go around and do some samples in the morning -- with the sampling being less frequent around 10 and in the afternoon because of the sheer volume that we do then where we can't spare a blender for five seconds -- and I am really surprised.

There were people that loved the OMBB. I then invited them to try the BCB with a coupon with some customers taking three or more from my hand! It's ridiculous.

They do take longer to make than frappuccinos but I wouldn't say it was that much longer. We didn't sell a lot though but probably because people stick to their longtime favorites: frappuccinos, drips, and breakfast sandwiches (which we always sell out of 100%).

[Mark]

C'mon Truth, can't you envision the Turkey Dinner Smoothie? Fresh turkey meat (white or dark) blended in a gravy base with green beans and stuffing, topped off with a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy drizzle? In the interest of freshness, maybe Starbucks would build pens out back and have live turkeys delivered every night, with some poor barista having to run out back with a hatchet every morning to get turkeys ready to put in the built-in roasters. Oh wait...the roasting aroma would ruin the coffee aroma in our stores...darn...

[Goose Bear]

I find the disparate reports - some markets had great days with the drink, others had slow ones - to be very interesting. Seems like side wide divergences here. I wonder if this will be a regional hit and miss. (e.g. some areas of the country will love it, others will pass it by)

Starbucks historians out there, are there any drinks that previously fit this profile - drinks that did fantastic in region x but poorly in region y? If so, what happened in the longer term?

(FWIW, in my area - a pretty high-end socioeconomic neighborhood in Chicago, but also very diverse customer base, both drinks looked like they were selling really well throughout the day. It was very hot today. Maybe it's a weather thing?!?)

[lattegal]

Yes, they do take longer to make and that's an issue especially when your labor is not bumped up.

We did a lot of sampling and gave out coupons for free ones so not a lot of sales but some. We really got a great response from customers on both flavors.

Wish it was a little thicker. It's a bit runny for me. In my drink I doubled the ice and it was a perfect!

[azasm]

In response to the 'no decaf frap' - offer to make a cream based frap w/ a shot of decaf espresso. Tastes different of course, but can be a nice compromise for those decaf drinkers. (ie my mom!)

[Name:]

It's amazing to see the amount of ignorance on this site. The Vivannos DO NOT have 32 grams of refined sugar in them. Seriously?! The banana alone as approximately 17 grams of natural sugar. Adding in the natural sugars from the juices of the orange-mango juice ups the amount of NATURAL sugar in the drink. In one cup of two percent milk there is 12 grams of sugar. People, get real. KNOW the facts, don't just THINK you know the facts.

As far as the market goes, Vivanno had nothing to do with stock going down. Almost all the major stocks were down. The Dow, Apple, Google, and many more were all down today. Those who pay attention know that Apple was actually down on the day the new iphone launched.

One more thing...Howard never stated we are getting "back to coffee." He stated the following in his first Transformation Agenda Communication:

"Going forward, we will be refocusing our entire organization on the Starbucks Experience, by going back to our heritage and what made us so successful in the first place; putting the customer back at the center of everything we do."

So to all you who keep saying, "How is this getting back to coffee?" Well, Howard never stated that. (I really just want to come out and say, "You can suck it.) Also, if you go to starbucks.com, you'll notice he fore-warned about store closings in January. I don't think, however, anyone anticipated 600. I've written plenty, for now.

[AmericanoMan]

IMHO, Vivanno is another FAIL.

Tried both flavors today. Both were chalky with very dull flavor.

As I sat at the front of the store cleansing my pallet with a dopio espresso, then my usual Americano, I watched the folks readily accept the Vivanno samples and just as readily throw them out after one sip.

I watched them sample a full tray of each flavor of Vivanno, and not one person bought a Vivanno drink or even accepted the free Vivanno coupon.

And one final comment, the yucky shade of green Vivanno t-shirts that the partners had to wear did not look good either.

[AmericanoMan]

IMHO, Vivanno is another FAIL.

Tried both flavors today. Both were chalky with very dull flavor.

As I sat at the front of the store cleansing my pallet with a dopio espresso, then my usual Americano, I watched the folks readily accept the Vivanno samples and just as readily throw them out after one sip.

I watched them sample a full tray of each flavor of Vivanno, and not one person bought a Vivanno drink or even accepted the free Vivanno coupon.

And one final comment, the yucky shade of green Vivanno t-shirts that the partners had to wear did not look good either.

[NAME!!!!!]

"I really just want to come out and say, you can suck it"

You 'inserted' that so abruptly, as if the feeling took you by surprise ...
Are you telling us that you were having a homoerotic awakening as you wrote that angry post? Honestly, I think you need to refocus on the coffee - this is a family board!

[javallama]

I don't really like either of the Vivanno drinks....the consistency tweaks me out.

What I really don't like about them though is that they take up space on our cold beverage station, so now we're putting the iced tea pitchers on the counter by the register/iced coffee. LAME.

[Vivanno Fan]

TORONTODUDE- There are not 32 grams of processed refined white sugar in these drinks! It's all sugar from fruit and milk, except for the sugar in the syrup for the mocha one. If I am not mistaken, there is NO refined sugar in the Orange Mango Vivanno.

[spence]

I had the banana orange mango. IT WAS THE BEST PROTEIN DRINK IVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Thank you Starbucks!!!!!

But please...... BRING BACK BOLD COFFEE.

[tallgrandeventi]

Vivanno was a hit at our store today. We sold out of bananas and had to buy more from our local grocer to meet our demand. Our customers loved the Orange Mango, but the Banana Chocolate was an also ran in the race. We also sold out of the Stella Berry and sold 25% of the Gazebo we received. So far this promo has indeed been driving sales in my store.

I found making the drink was a bit cumbersome initially, but once you are used to it, it flows just as easily as making any other blended beverage. We did have to ditch the plastic tongs used to pick up the bananas, because they didn't grip well enough. Once we switched to some spare pastry tongs, things rang much more smoothly. I did find we had to wash the blender pitchers more often than normal, because the protein powder sticks to the sides. All in all, I think it was a good launch.

Luckily no one in my store was wearing a banana suit or any banana hats. Just our lovely green t shirts. :)

[bichywon]

I think Vivanno went well today.
I did not have my partners wearing banana costumes... nice touch though.
Customer feedback was GREAT.
We beat our actual and inflated goal.
Don't knock it yet.

[pariah]

i think the launch went well. i hated the t-shirts we had to wear for them, but it was a mild launch.

i don't think we would have sold nearly what we had if we weren't pushed to sample the hell out of them.....

[casbuxchick]

Okay, we launched Sorbetto and Vivanno, and lived. Just like we did launching Frappucinos, creme based Frappucinos, and warming sandwiches. We're smart, remember??? These new products aren't the silver bullet for the problems we're facing, but they'll help drive some customers into our stores. Question is--what happens when they get there? Are the partners friendly and enthusiastic? Are they sampling something? People like free stuff. Is the place clean and welcoming? Is the line moving at a reasonable pace?
Do the partners have access to the recipe cards posted at CBS? They came in the promo materials. Do you have a deck of beverage recipe cards that you use to train your new partners?
These products are just a new addition to your repertoire...and what partners like, partners sell the stuffings out of.
It's true--we had to walk, chew bubble gum and skip rope this time, but once you've done the routine for a few days, it gets easier. The customer will decide if they want these products or not, but it's not right for partners to derail them before they've had their chance.
My customers liked Vivanno in the morning through lunch and the choco one is my favorite. They LOVED Sorbetto-we crashed through our goal by 3:30pm, and we didn't have steady sales until 1PM. We sampled the heck out of Sorbetto in the morning, and customers came back for them later.
I'm worried about my labor, I'm worried about fruit flies, and I'm worried that our closes will last forever and everyone will quit. That's my job. I hate that we had to push two major launches together and I haven't slept well in three weeks. It was silly and someone needed to tell Howard waiting a month would be okay. And yet today, I was really proud of my team, and what they can accomplish when we all take it to another level.

[COFFEESOUL]

I personally believe the Vivanno will be a forgettable drink. It's decent at best, not the greatest thing in the world, although it is quite good for you. Starbucks customers are too hooked on our current offerings to be so bold to try something different. It will generate decent sales at best, but not stellar ones. On the other hand, Sorbetto was more of a huge hit, lots of people offering great compliments about the beverage after much sampling. Although Sorbetto is strictly limited to the So. Cal market, i strongly believe it beat out Vivanno on launch day. Besides, Sorbetto IS incredibly delicious. If all goes well, the Sorbetto will be launched in other markets outside of So. Cal and will rival the Frappuccino in sales.

[Keyla]

Vivanno went really well at my store in Lafayette, Indiana today. We almost doubled what was forecasted for blended and sold thirty-six Vivannos on my closing shift alone. People seem to be really really excited about them. I was really proud of my team tonight and what we managed to accomplish! I really hope Vivanno continues going this well and that other stores are feeling the sales boost we are.

[wholahay]

Our Vivanno launch was pretty awesome! We tripled our USD goal, and our customers seemed to love them!

I think that 90% of success is getting your partners excited about new beverages. If they arent excited, no one is gonna buy them (SF Mocha).

And for those of you who said that your Vivanno tasted Chalky, watch the barista preparing your drink. If they're not leveling off the scoops of the protein powder with the lid on the container then you're getting probably double the amount of powder. Ask them to remake it correctly. You paid for a correctly made beverage, it's our job to do it right.

Also, I think it was Lattegal earlier who said hers was runny? It was probably incorrectly made? I know we've been having trouble even rinsing it out of the pitcher its so thick!

[Yoko Donkey]

Re: this much touted sorbetto thing

Honestly, I'm not one of those people who freaks out when bux expands their product lines. I believe they need to always offer great coffee and espresso as a core product, but I don't buy the 'It's all about the coffee to the exclusion of anything else!!!' fearmongering. I'm comfortable with (intelligent) expansion into other realms. FYI, you can group me as a 'pretty laidback long term customer and investor in the company (no, not a nutty day trader)'

Okay, so that's my preface. Now, my counter:

For all of that, this Sorbetto thing strikes me as being WAY beyond the core competencies of starbuck and WAY beyond the brand message. Honestly, it could only be the color (silly, but you'd be shcoked how much color goes toward branding). But I think there's more to it ... it just seems so off message. Coffee ... italian ice? It's almost as if Howard was taking a wild 'trip' and he was like ...

'yeah man, they have italian sodas in coffee places all the time so ... what if we brought in Italin ... get this get this ... Italian ICE. ICE!'

Even if the drink is the most wonderful tasting thing on the planet, I wonder what the longer term cost would be if it is ever rolled out nation wide. (Which I'm sure it will be eventually given Howard's constant 'talking about not talking about it' that he did for the last 6 months) Drive throughs, sandwich, etc. .... it all fits to a certain extent despite the carping. But ...

Italian Ice?

(I'm purposely avoiding the brand language of the drink. I know it's "creamy yogurt blend with zip". But the name and the appearance shout 'Italian Ice in a cup')

[Yoko Donkey]

The cost, btw, might be that final plunge into the deep end of 'we no longer mean anything because we mean everything': music store, coffee shop, bakery, meeting space, ice cream parlor, toy store, holiday shopping stop, etc.

Perhaps they need to take the same culling of growth philosophy that they applied to their store expansions and give a sharp-precise eye to their product line expansions.

[AUTHENTICBARISTA]

RE: Is it safe to say the stores selling Vivanno are not closing any time soon?

Nothing is EVER safe to say. My store is selling the new blended "beverage" and we are closing. We found out last week we will be closing, but apparently no date is known yet. Chances are, if your manager or district manager hasn't told you you're closing, you're probably safe. Never take a product launch as a sign you're safe. Of the fifty stores which were the first to be closed, several had managers go in on Tuesday night and say they won't be opening the next day. Supposedly, Starbucks is being "gracious" by giving us a 30 day notice and not offering an extension of benefits, but looking at how they closed other stores, it's unknown how "genuine" the company will be to its partners. (Yes, I think the WHOLE company should be living up to those Green Apron cards...) Granted, since I told you this, Starbucks can terminate my position because this could be viewed as speaking negatively about the company. But I have to say this, not even for $125,000 a year would a wear a banana costume. I don't think so. I was hired to brew coffee, sell beans, provide excellent customer service, and make a latte or macchiato that is "perfect," not play dress-up Romper Room stuff. We work at a coffeehouse for crying out loud, not a day care or NickToons.
As far as the taste of the Vivanno, I'll agree the Chocolate-Banana is bland and muted, but I do like the Orange-Mango. There's always the possibility of a recipe revision. Remember the last minute updates on the Doubleshots?

[AUTHENTICBARISTA]

I meant to say... Not even for $125,000 a year would I wear a banana costume. Let Uncle Howard wear that costume. I'm sure his pay and benefits are enough to compensate for the humiliation and possible rash caused by that thing.

[sherrie]

I had to tell a customer I couldn't give him a decaf frappuccino, but I could give him a cream based frappuccino with a shot of decaf instead.

He looked at me like I had just shot a puppy in front of him.

Remind me again why we're getting rid of a coffee based product to make room for the vivanno.

[Fruit Fly Vivanno]

So, the Bananas are a fruit fly dream and my store is currently seeing 20 to 30 fruit flies a day. Most are congregating around the Banana Boxes (the unpeeled) ones. A big way for the NYC health department to make their quota, (they will be entering stores on the 18th of July to check compliance of the caloric information law.)

Also, in NY we've apparently decided to stop selling Decaf Ice Coffee and Decaf Frappuccino. Our customers were livid today, when I had to tell them that we would no longer be serving decaf frap. Lots of pissed off older women who are not able to intake any caffeine.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[Zokuga]

Thanks for the answer Authenticbarista, hope you find another store to work at, SB needs to keep its coffee-focused baristas.

[nomoreyesmenforhoward]

I think the problem may be that Howard is surrounded by "yes men". We need people with business acumen AND balls surrounding Howard.

[BarisTundra]

@PEE

adding smoothies doesn't detract from the taste of coffee, shipping the coffee a month off roast and keeping them on shelves for another 8 months does. Ripping open bags of pre-ground in the morning rather than grind-as-you-brew does ( if you're not in a PPR market. If you are, grinding them in the morning while they go stale all day does )

This company has seriously lost it's way when it comes to coffee, and the lies spread about those godforsaken one-way valves can probably be traced back to the root of it.

While I do agree that eventually Starbucks needs to decide whether it will ONCE AND FOR ALL, dedicate itself to going back to it's roots, or merely being whipping boy of society's fluctionating fancies. HOWEVER, I'm a shift supervisor, and when I went in for my mid-shift, we hadn't sold more than about 3 Vivannos (and this is during peak time). However, I noticed that the partners that were working were some who are disenchanted wi