Jamba Juice Vs. Juice It Up: Battle Of The Smoothie Chains (2024)

Craving a nutritious blended fruit drink? Smoothie chains like Jamba Juice and Juice It Up! promise delicious, healthy smoothies packed with real produce. No fro-yo machine required!

Both chains started in California and now operate hundreds of locations across the western US. Beyond smoothies, they serve up juices, bowls, and bites to satisfy any craving.

But how exactly do Jamba Juice and Juice It Up! compare? From ingredients to nutrition to taste, we’ll see which smoothie chain takes the crown. Time for a refreshing fruit blend battle!

A Brief Comparison Table

Jamba Juice Overview

Jamba Juice pioneered the concept of blended fruit drinks back in 1990. Since then, they’ve perfected the art of smoothie making.

With over 800 locations today, Jamba Juice is the largest smoothie-focused chain in the country. They promise to “simplify and inspire healthy living” with made-to-order fruit smoothies.

Some key facts about Jamba Juice:

• Founded in San Luis Obispo, CA in 1990
• 800+ locations across the US
• Comprehensive smoothie menu plus juices and bowls
• Fresh, high-quality ingredients like whole fruits and veggies
• Nutritional info available for all menu items
• Partners with the American Cancer Society

Now let’s explore their main West Coast competitor – Juice It Up!

Juice It Up! Overview

Founded in 1995 in Irvine, CA, Juice It Up! follows Jamba’s lead with a menu centered on smoothies. But they also serve up raw juices, superfruit bowls, wraps, and more.

With 200+ locations across California, Arizona, Oregon, and New Mexico, Juice It Up! is smaller than Jamba Juice but still widely available out West.

Here are some Juice It Up! highlights:

• 200+ locations across 4 western states
• Smoothies, raw juices, and bowls are specialties
• Uses raw, organic, natural ingredients whenever possible
• Menu and nutrition info available online
• Part of Healthy Brands concepts focusing on nutrition

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Key Differences Between Jamba Juice And Juice It Up

Now that we’ve introduced the key players, on to the comparisons!

1. Taste Test

First up: how do the smoothies actually taste? With rival fruit blends, this hands-on test matters most.

Jamba Juice lives up to its reputation for delicious, well-balanced smoothies. Standouts like the Orange Dream Machine and Acai Primo pack lots of flavor. Their texture and consistency is also spot on – smooth and thick but not chalky.

Juice It Up! smoothies get decent but not spectacular reviews for taste. Flavors like the Date Dream and Tropical Tango tend to be pleasant but not as vibrant as Jamba Juice’s creations. Their texture gets mixed reviews for leaning too icy at times.

When it comes to taste alone, Jamba Juice smoothies win for their complex flavors and creamy texture. Juice It Up! isn’t bad but doesn’t quite measure up.

2. Ingredients and Nutrition

Of course, smoothies need nutrition to boost your body along with tantalizing your taste buds. Which chain uses higher quality ingredients and more nutritional mixes?

True to their motto, Jamba Juice loads smoothies with premium fruits and vegetables. Choices like spinach, kale, mangos, pineapples, and acai pack a nutritious punch. Their menu highlights nutrition stats so you can customize your smoothie meal.

Juice It Up! advertises a big focus on raw, natural ingredients like avocados, dates, almonds and chia seeds. Their bowls and juices contain lots of produce. Smoothies tend to rely more on fruit purees and sherbets though. They don’t post nutrition details for easy customization.

Overall, Jamba Juice emphasizes whole ingredients and nutrition more across their menu. Juice It Up! also highlights health but doesn’t consistently deliver nutrient-dense options.

3. Menu Variety

Beyond smoothies, what else is on the menus? A wider range of healthy offerings makes for an ideal one-stop meal shop.

Jamba Juice serves:

• Smoothies
• Fresh juices like orange, apple, and beet
• Fruit and veggie energy bowls
• Oatmeal and cinnamon rolls for breakfast
• Flatbreads, sandwiches, and wraps for lunch/dinner
• Freshly baked cookies and snacks

Juice It Up! offers:

• Smoothies
• Raw, vegetable, and superfruit juices
• Acai, oatmeal, and pitaya bowls
• Sushi rolls and wraps
• Salads and sandwiches
• Nutritious bites like hummus and pita

Both provide smoothies plus juices, bowls, lunches, and snacks. Jamba Juice simply has a larger menu with more variety, especially for breakfast and lunch options.

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4. Customization and Ordering

Smoothies aren’t one-size-fits-all drinks. The ideal chain allows you to customize entirely to your tastes and diet.

At Jamba Juice, you can customize smoothies from top to bottom. Substitute ingredients, change textures, add boosts, and more. Their mobile app makes ordering and customizing a breeze.

Juice It Up! offers pre-set smoothie recipes without much room for changes. Ordering is only available in person or via DoorDash delivery.

Jamba Juice’s flexibility and convenient app ordering give them the advantage for a personalized smoothie experience.

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5. Prices and Value

Pricing out the options, Jamba Juice smoothies range from $5 to $8 depending on size. Their bowls, oatmeal, and juices cost roughly $7 to $11.

Juice It Up! smoothies fall within $6 to $10. Bowls and juices run $8 to $12. Their salads and wraps land in the $9 to $12 range.

Given the higher quality ingredients and taste, Jamba Juice provides better value across comparable menu categories. You’ll pay a bit more at Juice It Up! for a less satisfying experience.

6. Loyalty Program

For frequent smoothie customers, a loyalty program can add up to major savings. Here’s how the chains compare:

• Jamba Rewards members earn $3 back for every $50 spent. Free birthday reward and bonus point opportunities too. Must register credit card.
• Juice It Up! offers loyalty discounts like 20% off orders. No point tracking – just automatic specials when you join.

Jamba Rewards earns you points to redeem for future dollar-off rewards. For heavy users, their program saves you more over time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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The Verdict

To recap key differences between the smoothie chains:

• Jamba Juice smoothies have the edge fordelicious flavors and texture
• They focus on premiumingredients and nutrition, while Juice It Up! falls short
• Jamba offers awider menu varietywith more meal options
• Their customization and ordering experience issmoother
• Jamba Rewards provides abetter loyalty programfor frequent buyers

With advantages across the board for smoothies, ingredients, and ordering experience, Jamba Juice emerges as the clear winner in this battle. Their smoothies pop with flavor, nutrition, and customizable options.

Juice It Up! is decent but fails to measure up in taste, quality, or ordering convenience. Jamba proves they still lead the smoothie game over 30 years later.

Craving the ultimate smoothie experience? Skip the fro-yo or coffee chains and head to Jamba Juice for tasty fruit blends packed with nutrients. Their smoothies deliver on all fronts while competitors lag behind in flavor and quality. Get ready to fill up and fuel up the healthy way at Jamba Juice.