Friday, June 27, 2008

Jamba Complicated Juice


Jamba Juice. A smoothie that's fresh and good for you: done! It's a great idea, a great product.

Entering a Jamba Juice you can't help but notice: friendly, clean and that Jamba Juice "smell" - fresh fruit, blenders, almost a rubber / sterile / fruity / airy smell to it. I'm sure it's trade marked. Truly exceptional.

What throws me off is the lack of simplicity, clarity and ease in their menu layout. One walks in wanting a "Jamba Juice" or a "smoothie", yet the menu options seem, although flavorful, daunting and almost confusing.

There are 11 Categories. Some of them are sub-categories, but I can't quite tell. There is "Breakfast All Day" which has 3 sub categories: "Yogurt and Fruit Blends”, “With Organic Granola" (3 additional options) and "Freshly Squeezed Juice and Juices". Wait, no, the "Juice and Juices" is it's own 'domain', with 4 options under its category.

The "ALL FRUIT" category: Ok...I feel like I'm taking the S.A.T. Let's see (by the this point I've stepped out of line because I'm...slowing it down, but then I notice those people meandering about, pretending like they know what they are doing, perusing the menu and decoding as I am.)

ALL FRUIT had 4 flavors. "JAMBA LIGHT", also it's own category, which has 3 flavors, but can I get those flavors as a "BLENDED WITH PURPOSE", which is the category next door? I don't know. Then they have "OUR CLASSICS". But I want a "Strawberry Nirvana", which is under the "JAMBA LIGHT" category, but I don't want the "Diet coke" version of a Jamba Juice. Ok, so there are the "Strawberries Wild" and "Strawberry Surf Rider" under "Our Classics".

I feel like going to sleep or leaving. I can't quite tell.

I asked the very nice and smiling employees: "Hi...I'd just like a Jamba Juice...like a "smoothie"...like that one! (pointing to one they are just putting a lid on). I didn't want to order wrong and get something that resembled a grocery store juice or a milk shake..I wanted their traditional jamba juice - the healthy person’s version of a 7-11 Slurpy!

Maybe if you had pictures next to the menu items? Maybe that would help?

Jamba Juice. Please. Take a page out of Google & Apple's playbook, or even the store next door, Chipotle. Simplify, streamline and make ease and menu clarity your main goal. Streamline the prices and I daresay...reduce them. If you can get to three prices, $3.50 being a 16 oz, your business would get really interesting. Right now my only option is to pay $5 for a smoothie, or $6 for a GIGANTIC burrito with organic ingredients next door at Chipotle. Chipotle wins, unlses you have a $3/$3.50 option with at least 12-14oz, than I'll pay just around $10 for dinner with both products.

The names are fun and cute, but they seem to be a bit over bearing. Too much!

Reduce clutter. Streamline blends and prices. Simplify.

Jamba Juice: A great idea, great stores, fun/nice employees and not a lot of lines. Maybe the menu is just...too much.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Their current menu is an upgrade. The old ones were way worse if one can believe.

Raymone said...

They need to keep refining and refining, much like Chipotle did (article above)...Chipotle had a simple menu, and they made it even "simpler"...keep it simple stupid.