I'm being STALKED by a SMOOTHIE SHOP.
Written: Aug 06 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Yummy, good-for-me stuff.
Cons: Quality varies between locations, proximity to Starbucks is annoying.
The Bottom Line: Jamba Juice serves up yummy, healthy smoothies, and its geographic reach is rapidly expanding. Quality may vary slightly, but it's a good choice at home or on the road.
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| dbirchall's Full Review: Jamba Juice |
Growing up in the Middle Atlantic region, we didn't have "smoothies." We had milkshakes. Frappes, if we wandered too far to the north. Fribbles, if we went to Friendly's. But smoothies? Nope... not unless you mixed up some frozen fruit in the blender. And why on earth would you do that without throwing in some ice cream?
It's one of those questions that nobody answers, just like why it's called the Middle Atlantic region, when it's not in the middle of the Atlantic.
The move to Honolulu sure changed that. This place is positively infested with healthy people. Surfers, cyclists, swimmers, body-builders, marathon runners, triathletes, beauty queens... to an out-of-shape mainlander, it's like being in some sort of freaky John Waters movie surrounded by all the beautiful people.
One of the best indications of all this, of course, is the "juice bars" and smoothie shops. The phone book lists about nine of them within 12 miles - and it's out of date! I can think of at least 4 more that have opened since it came out.
There are three or four local mom-and-pop places, some of which have multiple locations, but the big chain, the 900-pound gorilla, the "McSmoothie," has to be Jamba Juice.
Here, the Jamba Juice locations are franchises owned by the same folks who own the local Starbucks locations, and are usually situated near Starbucks - which is unfortunate. Catching a face full of smoke from some latte-sipping wannabe beat poet as I head out the door with my healthy drink really ruins the atmosphere.
Being franchised, of course, Jamba is everywhere, or will be soon. When we passed through Santa Monica in our travels, there was a Jamba Juice lying in wait just around the corner from the Big Blue Bus. Even when business took me all the way to Austin, Texas, I stumbled across a Jamba location right down the street from where I met George Bush.
And new locations have been popping up like crazy here in Honolulu, each one more convenient to home or work than the last. I think they're watching me, and building them places they see me go...
Franchising has its good and bad points, of course. On one hand, I know that I can walk into just about any Jamba and say "Protein Berry Pizzaz with Immunity" (we get this all the time since my wife prefers soy yogurt) and they'll know what I mean.
On the other hand, some employees at some locations don't run their blenders quite long enough. A young lady at the Austin location made me a perfect smoothie; the next night a couple young men produced one which was positively gritty even after I asked them to blend it more. Even here in Honolulu, I occasionally get a smoothie that's a little less "smooth" than the rest.
Overall, though, Jamba Juice smoothies are delicious and exactly what I expect more than ninety percent of the time. If you've never had one, and a Jamba Juice pops up near you, by all means give it a try.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dbirchall
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Member: Dan Birchall
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Reviews written: 262
Trusted by: 64 members
About Me:
Techie, writer, dad, outdoorsman, traveler.
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