"Starbucks is on a mission to turn its Frappuccino into more than a pricey drink"

That's what USA Today says in a story that reports "sales of the Frappuccino brand have slid the past few years." Don't miss the comments attached to the USA Today piece. || Read "Starbucks gives Frappuccino new life for hot summer sales"

Comments

[isitvegan]

I hope to be a fan. I've never had one. The old ones were not vegan. These new ones can be vegan-friendly. Will try.

[ami]

I tried one made the new way last week (after calling the store to check whether they were using the new method already). Have to say that those who claimed the taste is different are right. Not going to replace my favorite blended ice mocha from a local coffee place, but the option to get decaf and lower-calorie versions is still attractive.

[Fae]

I'm glad to see confirmation in the USA Today article that the Frappuccino originated at the Coffee Connection, a small Boston chain that Starbucks acquired in 1994. I was a great Coffee Connection customer. My first experience with the new Frappuccino was not very good, but I'll try again.

[Free Refill]

Most customers love em if you take the five seconds to explain that its different but better. Primarily because of the lack of high fructose corn syrup.

[Sally Ellen]

It will be interesting to see what happens when mix-and-match Frappuccinos bump up against Obama Care. The law requires that chains with more than 20 establishments post nutritional information. Nobody has yet said whether the likes of Starbucks may post only the basic Frappuccino or must post every possible combination of ingredients

Least you think this an anti-Starbucks post, Dominoes and Pizza Hut are in the same boat with their endless variations of crusts, toppings, etc.

[VentiScream]

When I saw the amount of sugar (base pumps + simple syrup pumps) that went into the Venti Strawberry Creme Frappucinno I was appalled. NOT HEALTHY.

[realitycheck]

darlin, did you really really think a frap was healthy? Really? There is actually less sugar now than there used to be-and no high fructose corn syrup.

[realitycheck]

and did you ask what it was they were putting in it? It was NOT sugar water. It was base. To hold it together.

[og barista]

Maybe sales have been down because of the nonsense that is treat recipts. Last year they went from july 1st to the end of september...that's the ENTIRE summer...that our money making cornerstone beverage was being sold for a measly 2 bucks.

I'm hoping frap happy hour (which honestly...why isn't it called frappy hour? We have the worst marketing people ever) will take the place of the treats...but I doubt it.

[javagirl666]

They are actually MUCH better for you now than they were before! Try the recipe that was in the USA Today article..green tea frap..peppermint(no classic)and chips. Fabulous!

[Nick]

Since our store has hit the ground running with our "soft launch" of the new frappuccino line, we have gotten nothing but positive feedback. It is however a more complex process of making the actual beverage... But, that's why all baristas hate making them. Ha! We will see how this whole Happy Hour thing goes.

[just another partner]

i actually love making them! they are completely rhythmical and are just like barring hot drinks. :) you can just get in the zone and crank 'em out.

[Marcus]

I am curious what the ingredients in the new fraps are....can someone explain how they're made and what the ingredients of each part are?

Pretend you are explaining to a very stupid person because I never got how the old fraps were made....

[javagirl666]

Chemicals vs.fresh!

[SM]

I can tell you that the nutritional information for every variation of a Frappuccino is accessible. Just ask your closest store's Manager for the details! :)

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

Marcus,
I don't have the complete ingredient list right here but basically they are made with:
Frappuccino Roast (kind of a VIA hybrid of espresso and italian roasts)
Milk
Ice
Syrup (flavorings, dyes, and sugar)
Base (Sugar and emulsifiers to hold the drink together)

[Marcus]

@ Mrs. Tillinghamshackles, Thank you, I feel a bit more on top of it now . . .

[formermanager]

None of the stuff SB serves is remotely "healthy", so why does it matter? People still want skim with whip and half a bottle of caramel inside and on the cup and on top. It's like Snackwells. They were "fat free" and "healthy", but lacked any nutrition. 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another.

[realitycheck]

not all baristas hate making them. I love to-more than before. They are not hard at all

[sskcmonig]

I've timed baristas with "positive attitudes" about the new method. They average 30 seconds EACH longer than the old method. Even those claiming they are "on it". This is totally a move to take away manager bonus, since most of it is based on CVS, and most of CVS is wait time.

[147xxxxca]

strawberries and cream should no longer have classic in it I believe. at least that's what I was told.

[Cafe Nervosa]

I try to be positive in my store. I do. And I try to think positively. So when I heard about the new Frappuccino, when everyone around me vented and frothed, I cheerfully pointed out that we'd never have to inventory, count, set pars for, make, day dot, rotate, or deal with at all base. Ever. Again.

I had concerns that they'd be more time consuming to make the new way, but some comments on here reassured me that they don't really take that much more time to make.

I'm one of the fastest partners in my store. I rock the bar like no other.

So, please. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. I know it's been only a few weeks, but I feel like a Frappuccino rush will eat up my time and throw me off in a way nothing ever has before. Do I need more time to adjust? I'm more than a little sad at not being able to bang 'em out the way I used to be able to do. I'm going to take another hard look at our layout tomorrow, but I doubt "flow" is the issue. And I love the rules, but I'm getting very close to making two at a time. I've done it once as an experiment, and the sun didn't explode, but I would still feel dirty doing it.

[jetblue711]

@147xxxxca
Pretty sure that Strawberries and Creme still gets Classic Syrup, but the Blended Strawberry Lemonade only gets the Creme Base Pumps. I would check your beverage resource cards the next time you work.

[realitycheck]

strawberries 'n cream HAS classic still, blended strawberry lemonade does not. Check your recipe cards, not just what you are being told.
@SSK yea, that is the plan, you figured it out. Gimme a break...they are not going to be as fast at them yet as something they have been doing for years.

[Homer Simpson]

"Base (Sugar and emulsifiers to hold the drink together)"

Mmmmmmm, emulsifiers.

[Well-versed]

Beverage resource cards haven't been updated yet. But according to SM and DM, the strawberry juice has changed (i.e. sugar has been added) and there is no more classic syrup in STCF.

[notevenclose]

they HAVE been updated, you should have your new cards-have had them for a long while now! There IS classic syrup. I just made one of these! And seeing as you are pulling that out of your butt instead of from the card...

[notevenclose]

And the strawberry juice has NOT changed...

[Christinschu]

The creme base had sugar in it before too....so I'm not sure the sugar count has changed for the STCF.

[Bongo]

Our store has been doing the new frappuccino for about a year. I think when they added the more steps it became kinda ridiculous. As for sales, I would say our coffee and tea sales are lower than the frappuccino sales. When I say Starbucks in a crowded room everyone wants a frappuccino.
BTW, if you are on a diet or are a vegan Starbucks should be your last choice.

[Coffee Solider]

New beverage recipe cards for blended beverages and smoothies (for the name change and cup labeling change)came about 4 weeks ago. There was an action item that said they would arrive via a mail pack and to store them in a safe place. I assure you there is classic syrup in a Strawberries and Creme I looked it up yesterday before I made one to be sure since we just switched over to the new "better way" earlier this week!

[green glue]

wow! can't wait for this to come out. i love starbucks!

[Doppio Con Karma]

Dear _____ Banana Vivanno,
While your continual name changes may frustrate some, I for one will not miss people butchering the pronunciation of Vivano, (viviano? really?)
Regards

[camachiatto]

I've been making 2 at a time. With the amount of steps involved, when there is a huge line of drinks, I say damn the standards. It tastes the same.

[javagirl666]

You can build them all in the cup and then blend them one at a time. Its not about the taste..of course its going to taste the same..its about the wait time for the customer. And YES, there is classic in the STCR..the sauce changed..about a year or so ago, thats when we started adding classic.

[notevenclose]

@Bogo-what does being a vegan have to do w/ not having sweets? How ignorant can you get

[notevenclose]

if you build them all in the cup, they WILL not taste right! No wonder there are so many complaints! partners are half-assing it b/c they know better and turning out horrible drinks!

[social media strategy]

was there a change? i didn't even notice it?

[Darth Sidamo.]

Build in the cup is in the recipe. Also back in the day, you know when Frappuccinos turned into a multi million dollar business there were not lines on the pitchers and from the start these were built in the cup.

We build in the cup because it is more accurate. Being off by a millimeter in a cup is much better than being off by a millimeter in a wider pitcher.

[tea-rex]

Anyone has more information about building frappuccinos in the cup? I know it was always doable, except it left residue in the cup. What's the dealio with the new method and the cup?

[tea-rex]

Off topic, but your named reminded me. what happened to sidamo?

[Cafe Nervosa]

A month or two ago, there was a message on the portal that certain distribution centers were out of Sidamo... I've unfortunately heard nothing about that. I did an "around the world" tasting the other day, and while Kenya was good, it reminded me of just how good it is... And it's a really great coffee to help people learn how to isolate flavors. "Look. Right here. Lemon. The learning begins..."

[newfrapprock]

even the most die hard in our store are loving the new fraps- we've customized them to their likes, and they love them more than ever. The more I read customer complaints and then compare them to comments from baristas, the more I think it's b/c of lack of training/and or care, and that they are not being made correctly.

[shift misto]

few things...

@NERVOSA
i completely agree with you. i can rock bar/cbev, but these eat me alive. and i too have taken to double building to keep up, it comes out the same. stopping to get milk every time, then put it back in the fridge is a big time waster. but if that gallon hits the counter its ecosure.

RE: STCF
did i abbrev right? ive been labels since day1, im horrible with letters. anyhow, these are THE BIGGEST LET DOWN frap we have. it seems like every time something new comes out they get worse. there is no reason why these should be milk first, not strawberry first. sbx fails hard on this bland cup o poo.

RE: LINES ON CUPS
has anyone else noticed that the 3 lines are perfect match to the tea shakers? (tea bottom, water/juice top). i am so hoping this means the end of creepy old men ordering their afternoon tea "well shaken". it also means that for most drinks that don't use the mid line, we don't have to throw away a plastic cup to precisely measure milk for customer owned cups.

[Cafe Nervosa]

To follow up on (Ethiopia) Sidamo, I was dismayed to note that it wasn't even on the order sheet this time. I mean, nobody really cared when that happened to Serena Organic Blend, but this really hurts. At least Gazebo is just around the corner...

@ Shift Misto- I don't know... I got an iced tea from a store quite some distance from my district, and could taste immediately that it wasn't shaken. I'm a coffee drinker through and through, but was hot and dehydrated and thought an unsweetened passion tea lemonade was in order... It was WARM on the bottom... I know a few people who don't use the shaker, but they all have a method that seems to work for them to get it to taste good, but do you really trust every store partner in the company to put that much care into it?

However, those people who try and tell me that yes, I can shake that iced green tea latte because "the other Starbucks does it" need to be stopped.

[notthatcomplicated]

@shift-yea, since the strawberry has ALWAYS come second. Always. They actually taste like strawberry now, fresh. They've greatly improved on an already popular drink, which is a great way to increase sales, imagine. A black apron decreasing customer experience. Imagine that...b/c putting more than one of these in the blender at a time really does change their taste and texture. No wonder customers are complaining so hard core.

And you can defiantly tell when a tea has not been shaken "her sir, oh sorry it's not frothy or sweet (since the syrup has sunk ), I was just too lazy to care".

[DR]

Worst move by a big corporation in 2010! Ruined the drink I love. I tried to get it mixed like the old version, but finally had to give up. FYI Starbucks, I wasn't drinking the Frappuccino for it's healthy qualities, I was drinking it because it tasted great. Now that you've taken that away, I'm out. Bring back the old recipe, and I'm back in. Hope it happens soon.

[notthatcomplicated]

The old recipe is never coming back. Even if some version of it should, they will never go back to high fructose corn syrup, which I think is a huge part of what people are missing. Yea, it tastes great, but it's far worse for you than sugar.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

Why would you say no to someone that wants their green tea latte shaken? Just sanitize the shaker after you make it, and just say yes :)

[notthatcomplicated]

@darth only part should be built in the cup. if you fully do, they will not taste correct