Jamba Juice Launches Coffee, Cheeseburger Smoothies Nowhere to Be Found

Jamba Juice is getting into the coffee business, brewing coffee by the cup to order (that's just madness!) and even making what's called Coffee Hot Blends™ (coffee, chai tea, green tea, or hot chocolate blended with frothed milk).

It seems like an obvious product extension since they've been selling oatmeal for a while. Also, coffee is profitable! But not only does it "violate the laws of marketing" — it is "Jamba Juice" and not "Jamba Coffee" after all — it also totally goes against what they were recently saying about how McDonald's shouldn't be getting in the fruit smoothie business.

Back in July, firing back at McDonald's, Jamba Juice made a mock-Cheeseburger Chill smoothie commercial that claimed "Jamba Juice is all about whole fruit and natural smoothie goodness." But there's not a lot of whole fruit in a cup of coffee or blended coffee drink!

Even their related prank website CheeseburgerChill.com (that's conveniently down now) spouted the hyperbole, "Is Jamba Juice getting into the burger business? No way. But it does seem some burger chains are getting into the smoothie business -- which to us, is about as weird as a Cheeseburger Chill Smoothie."

So which is it? Stick with what you know? Or expand, selling new and different things that also happen to be sold by other chains? Guess that cheeseburger smoothie isn't too far off. Maybe paninis first?

· Jamba Juice Debuts New Breakfast Platform [Jamba Juice]
· All Jamba Juice Coverage on Eater [-E-]