Starbucks Introduces the 'Vivanno' Drink: Looks, Tastes Like Smoothie, But Not One
Starbucks is unleashing another "healthy" answer to the extra caramel Frappuccino with extra whip. Launching Tuesday, the "Vivanno" will taste, look, and act like a smoothie but since it's "so much more than a smoothie" according to Starbucks, they won't let you call it one.
The Vivanno will come in two flavors: Orange Mango Banana Blend, made with Naked Juice, protein and fiber powders, milk, and ice, with 227 calories in a grande. In the Banana Chocolate Blend, mocha syrup replaces the juice, and there's 270 calories for the same 16 ounces. Each blend also contains a whole banana, which Starbucks really wants you to know and love. According to one barista blogger, staffers were reminded repeatedly that there's “at least one serving of fruit with a whole banana" throughout corporate training. They even watched a DVD underscoring the banana presence.
And bananas are good. Americans eat as many bananas as apples and oranges combined, according to banana sage Dan Koeppel. Less than 300 calories is also good, as Frappucinos can easily reach the 600- to 700-calorie range.
But is Starbucks a smoothie house? Not according to the barista blogger. "This isn’t Jamba Juice. This isn’t Smoothie King. This is Starbucks Coffee & Tea. Not Starbucks Coffee & Tea & Smoothies. Or I suppose Starbucks Coffee & Tea & Nourishing Blends."
What do you think? Would you grab a not-smoothie from Starbucks?
Read our review of the Starbucks Vivanno and a comparison to Jamba Juice Smoothies.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
18 Comments:
I'd grab a healthy low calorie smoothie from Starbucks on a hot day if and only if I like the texture, flavor and price. But for my taste banana is too strong a flavor to add a whole banana to one drink. 1/4 of a banana is about enough for the flavor to be there but be subtle enough to allow the other flavors to be appreciated.
phaelon56 at 9:28AM on 07/14/08
If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and tastes like a duck, it must be a duck. Mark me down for calling it a smoothie.
gb944 at 9:47AM on 07/14/08
Starbucks is usually my preferred port when I'm out on the road seeing clients. I stay away from the frappucinos and such and usually content myself with a plain water and a forshspeis from the food selections. But I'd definitely go for a smoothie - no denying what they are! Grab one, have a seat, open my laptop, and spend a while....
JeffsInTheKitchen at 10:07AM on 07/14/08
In Hawaii, a lot of the Starbucks are next door to Jamba Juice. I wonder how this will work.
I don't drink hot coffee, so when I do go to the Starbucks stall at our work cafeteria, I get the green tea frappucino 90% of the time, and then some random other creme frappucino 10% of the time. I'd check it out when they come out with more flavors. I detest citrus and grapes with my mango and I don't care for chocolate.
Cassaendra at 11:02AM on 07/14/08
Sounds like a mistake to me. If I go to Starbucks, I am after coffee based items. Not nutritional, over-banana-ed, tryi not to be a duck smoothies! ugh.
jdshd at 11:13AM on 07/14/08
There are literally NO smoothie joints out in my neck of the woods, and sometimes I crave one. This sounds right for when I'm craving nutritional blends.
onalark at 12:27PM on 07/14/08
The original posts staes:
"Starbucks is unleashing another "healthy" answer to the extra caramel Frappuccino with extra whip. Launching Tuesday, the "Vivanno" will taste, look, and act like a smoothie but since it's "so much more than a smoothie" according to Starbucks, they won't let you call it one."
If they won't let you call it a smoothie then why did they put a new sign up in the window of my neighborhood 'bucks today? The sign says "Today is a smoothie day."
phaelon56 at 12:50PM on 07/14/08
the reason it's not a smoothie is because they're not blending any fresh fruit in them!! (oh i'm sorry, but the whole banana doesn't count, that's just pure starchiness) They basically found a way to overcharge you for putting Naked Juice in a blender...
tzm13 at 1:00PM on 07/14/08
Um, I thought the whole point of Starbucks' re-branding was to get away from all of this crap and try to win back it's status as an actual coffeehouse?
Guess not.
MegB at 3:28PM on 07/14/08
@MegB: Oops, that's "its," not "it's." Doh!
MegB at 3:29PM on 07/14/08
I had the banana chocolate Vivanno today and it was surprisingly good and filling! It was not too banana-ey, and the texture was really nice. You could have one for breakfast and be full because of the fiber(6g) and protein (21g). Also, it's cheaper than a smoothie at Smoothie King.
keenie12 at 5:44PM on 07/14/08
ok, I'm a partner at Statbucks so here's the low down...
1) the sign says 'today is a new smoothie'
What they mean by new smoothie is that its more than fruit juice blended with ice, which is what most blended drinks at Jamba Juice and the equivalents are. It's more than a smoothie because it not only has juice and ice, but really fruit, the banana, and a added mixture of protien, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Corprate simply doesn't want the public confusing Vivanno with the Jamba Juice smoothies that typically have just as much sugar as the frappaccinos.
2) Starbucks is trying to go back to its roots as a coffee shop, you should look at their training on coffee beams alone! On the other hand they are a business and need to maximize their profits and they realized that they needed to capitalize on the health food/fruit smoothie demographic.
3) I'm sorry... Bananas are fruit, I'm not even going to argue that point... And they're going to be the same price or cheaper than the Jamba Juice smoothies, which are juice and ice blended unless you pay for for their boosts... I'm sorry tzm13 but you're a bimbo and should try thinking before you type...
4) When we were told about the new health line (oh.. There's more to come) we laughed about starbucks and healthy in the same sentence too. Vivanno isn't about changing starbucks into a health joint, we still are serving those sinful delights, but we want to offer a better choice for those people who want to be healthier. There won't be any more 'sorry guys, I cant go hang out at starbucks with you all because of my diet'. Its going to be 'you get whatever you want, I'm watching what I eat so I'm getting a Vivanno'.
For everyone who's curious, go into your local starbucks Tues the 15th and you'll get a sample. The starbucks goal is to give a sample to ever customer from opening to close.
buahaha321 at 3:28AM on 07/15/08
Calling someone a bimbo is not the most effective marketing method, nor is blatant misspelling.
butterface at 12:51PM on 07/15/08
Yah! (good comment butterface)
pjacob01 at 1:05PM on 07/16/08
I tried a Banana Chocolate Vivanno today, and it was actually quite tasty! After drinking like 1/2 of it though...I felt incredibly full and sort of regretted getting one with my lunch! I would recommend it though! I looked up the fat content and it only has 5 g of fat in a grande (which I didn't finish) and a ton of protein, fiber. etc.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:55PM on 07/23/08
I had a chocolate-banana one today, and I might be hooked. I'm a big chocolate-banana fan anyway, and this whateveryouwannacallit has a better than average balance of nutrition to calories, and doesn't taste powdery or protein-y. (And, um, calling someone a bimbo is definitely _not_ ok, but a banana is not just starch... excellent source of potassium and B6 along with the fiber.)
hefetc at 12:53PM on 08/04/08
I'm not a regular Starbucks customer (there isn't one where I live!), but recently I was on vacation and got a chocolate Vivanno. It was delicious, first of all, had enormous amounts of protein and fiber, and it was absolutely all I needed for breakfast! I tried the orange mango the next day. Also delicious. Don't know why there are all these comments about how Starbucks shouldn't be selling smoothies. Ridiculous. It's a top quality product, healthier than most people's sweet roll breakfasts, and certainly has a place on the menu of a top quality place like Starbucks. Keep up the good work, Starbucks! I'm home from vacation now, but I'll drive 30 miles to the nearest Starbucks just to get one. I did it yesterday!
acampbell at 12:51PM on 08/14/08
I only drink coffee in the mornings and because I'm not a "morning person", I don't have time to stop at Starbucks before going to work. Since coffee isn't something I want at lunch or after work, I rarely go to coffee houses. However, today, after my lunch hour workout, I wanted a treat. I was thinking something cold and "rich tasting". I passed by the Starbucks and thought I would treat myself to a frappacinno. However, once inside, I started feeling quilty about indulging and was regretting my impulse to go there. I asked what kind of iced coffee was available and was told about the Vivanno. I got the banana chocolate and it was delicious...cold, creamy (tasted "rich")...and no guilt! Call it what you want! I don't care! With all the fiber and protein in it, it will hold me up just fine, so I'll pass today on my usual lunch of a frozen diet dinner. Starbucks just made a new customer!
khulin at 2:47PM on 09/17/08