It’s possible that you might have ordered a Chai Latte recently and gotten a test item. Starbucks is testing a “Teavana Custom Chai Tea Latte” in Philadelphia, isolated areas of Colorado, Atlanta (and I believe surrounding areas), and possibly areas of San Diego County. (If anyone has better information about the test areas, let me know.)
The areas that have Teavana Custom Chai do not have any Tazo Chai products. Some areas of the country have Tazo Chai, which was renamed by Starbucks as “Classic Chai.” By the way, whether a customer is ordering a Chai Latte or a Chai Frappuccino, in the test market customers receive the new Teavana Custom Chai.
With the Teavana Custom Chai, the classic sweetener goes in separately so a customer can truly customize how much he or she wants. The standard amount of classic syrup in the test chai is two pumps in the short, three pumps in the tall, four pumps in a grande, and five pumps in the venti size. I assume that this test is to figure out the demand for a reduced sugar or low sugar Chai, such as suggested in this MyStarbucksIdea.com idea.
The best part of the new Teavana Custom Chai test is the instructions on the side of the box guiding the Starbucks in preparation:
The box says, “Should you become perplexed while preparing this Teavana Tea Latte, turn to the official beverage standards for guidance. And remember: you are always the final magic ingredient.”
Edit on Feburary 20, 2016:
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I knew this day was coming, but was hoping when they renamed the Tazo chai to “classic” it would be delayed a bit longer…
How about we just rebrand the Tazo chai to “Teavana” – would that work? 😉
I need to find this! I like sweetening my teas with honey or german rock sugar, so this would be great to try! 🙂
i work in the ATL market, and my customers have asked for at least one MORE pump of chai to compensate for the difference between the teavana and tazo versions. i wish we didn’t have to change something that wasn’t broken..
i’m guessing this isn’t a test, just a precursor to a nationwide rollout. i do think it’s great to be able to control the amount of sugar, but if the chai concentrate isn’t as strong as the tazo version, then we’re going to be having a good deal of customization.
as seems to be the case now that i work less days, i learn more here about what’s afoot than i do at work! thanks for sharing…
Jenn – I appreciate your insights. You bring up a good point – you could really be right that this is more of a soft rollout than an actual test. It’s fairly large scale (multiple cities) for just a “test” and so that must at least say that Starbucks is pretty sure that this is really going to work.
It’s much closer to a national launch than some other very small tests, like the single store tests of things like the French Vanilla Custard Latte test or things like the Copacabana Beach Frappuccino test.
In my area we have many customers who order what we have come to call a Chai Misto, using just the tea bags, water, and milk so they can control the sugar that’s added, or not added, to their drink. So I like the sound of this test, it will help standardize those kinds of customization, it’s really hard to get all partners everywhere to ring up the “Chai Misto” the same way and can end up confusing some customers as to why one place charges them differently than another.
@Alyssa – tea mistos should be on the register. I’m not sure if there’s an ability to upcharge for the pricier brewed Chai (~$.30 upcharge to accommodate for the $.25 Oprah “donation”) though.
The Teavana chai is ghastly. I cannot even believe the research and development people released for testing! It has an awful chemical aftertaste, and no real spice “bite” that made a tazo chai so good. Every barista I have spoken to across Colorado– about 25 separate employees say it is universally disliked. Many of these baristas have made all sorts of custom attempts for me for free as I have sought Classic chai and they all taste like crap! Unbelievable disappointing. The only positive is that I have saved about 200 dollars in the last month not drinking my daily chai. And 2 contacts with corporate Starbucks were dismissive and unresponsive. They’ve lost me completely!
This is being tested all over the Denver metro area. And almost all of my customers who previously purchased the Tazo classic chai dislike the new Teavana chai. I have even lost a few customers because of this test. It is unfortunate that we don’t even have the ability to order the Cozzo time as an alternative for those customers who do not like the that we don’t even have the ability to order the Tazo chai as an alternative for those customers who do not like the Teavana chai. From all the feedback that I’ve gotten from stores in my area, the test isn’t going well in Colorado, and that feedback is being rolled up to Seattle, to hopefully at least make the Tazo chai available again.
@Zac, how have your loose leaf tea sales been since the switch to Teavana? (Every store manager I have spoken to has seen their brew at home tea sales plummet since the switch.)
My store in Atlanta seems to be the only store in the Metro to be left out of the test and still only have the Classic Chai. We recieve 8-10 calls a day from customers looking for the Classic Chai. The Custom Chai isn’t going over too well but my store is becoming a haven for Chai lovers!
Hate Teavana! Hate it, hate it, hate it!! On the bright side, I will save about $150 a month. Terrible move Starbucks!
Three different stores have tried to pawn off Teavana on me when I have asked for Classic. Don’t do it – I won’t come back!
Chia latte is my drink and the first time I got the new version I took it back (a first) because I thought they had used some bad syrup. If it is not broken don’t fix it Starbucks. Bring back our old Chia latte!! Please speak out all you Chia latte lovers!!
I’m in Metro Atlanta market and that Custom Chai is horrendous!! Tastes like warm milk. None of the peppery, spicy bite of the Classic Chai (or heck, of the chain at competitors Caribou Coffee and Dancing Goats…which is where I’ve been getting my chai fix). It’s the same reason I don’t like Oprah’s chai too. I REALLY hope this isn’t an eventual national roll out. Justin where is your store?
Powers Ferry and Terrell Mill in Marietta, Drive Thru Only store.
I would echo everyone else. Chemical aftertaste, no spice. I actually choked and spewed out the first sip I took of custom chai. Thought I had gotten a sip of rancid chai syrup. A bit embarrassing. The only good thing about custom chai is it’s saving me $4.46 a day. I really hope this is a failed test because I miss my daily chai.
I really can’t stand the “test” Chai. I’m in the Atlanta market and at first I thought they were making it wrong. I’ve been drinking Tazo Chai for close to 20 years and the stuff they’re passing off as Chai is tasteless to me. I’ve stopped going to Starbucks and I’m making my own using the Tazo that is sold in Grocery Stores. If they keep it as their chai, they’ve lost me as a customer – I don’t drink coffee.
I have called and emailed the corporate office several times letting them know how terrible the new chai tea is. Their last response to me is to make my own at home. Really?? I have been a daily chai tea latte drinker for 12 years and that is the response I get?? Very disappointed in Starbucks!!!’
Absolutely horrendous. I got the chai latte without knowing about the change, it was so terrible I couldn’t even stomach it and had to throw it out. What a disappointment, it was one of my favourite places for Chai. Never again
I understand the business sense in pushing the Teavana however I find it to be totally disgusting and I no longer frequent Starbucks which is a habit that has saved me 15 to 30 dollars a week so thanks Starbucks.
I have been a loyal chai latte customer for 15 years. 3-4 stores in north Atlanta know me and my drink when I walk in. Ventin6 pump non fat no water chai latter. Now I have to get venti 8 chai 5 vanilla, 4 classic syrup and no water to create something I can tolerate. I want my spicy heart warming tazo chai back
I have been a devoted Starbucks chai latte lover since Starbucks started serving chai (well before they launched the Tazo brand). Living in the Philadelphia area, I have tried several different Starbucks and each new Teavana chai order tastes different from the other, the only consistency is that it tastes like cardboard. It is awful and I can’t believe Starbucks would serve it without giving the Tazo as an alternative.
We have found one Starbucks store that still has the Tazo chai so now we make a trek each day to get it. I hope Starbucks brings back the Tazo chai!
Visiting in South Jersey and very disappointed in the “test” chai I’ve tried from more than one store in the area. Some don’t even inform you it’s different. One located in a Target said “we’ve already got rid of it” and another store said that this will be nationwide soon. In every store the staff said “everyone is complaining. No one had an answer for me when asked where I could give my review. Takes more of my time (and SB workers) to try and get it tolerable to drink. Very disappointed – like others I only drink chai. I’ll probably start saving money by not going back.
So Melody (or anyone else), do we have confirmation/updated information on where Starbucks is with this test? Is there an end date to the test? Have they decided to continue with the horrific Teavana chai and roll it out nationwide? Or, best case scenario, they’ve gotten their heads out of their asses, are actually listening to all the customer complaints and are bringing or Tazo chai back?
I am in Colorado. We have gone back to Tazo and my baristas are telling me it’s for good!!! They have said the Tevana chai was universally disliked–as we can all agree! Hope you will have the good stuff back soon.
Thanks for the update from Colorado Melody! I haven’t set foot in a Starbucks here in Atlanta since they started the test so I haven’t checked. But I will. I’m sure since Colorado went back, Atlanta followed suite. (Of course I have my own Tazo chai concentrate at home just in case lol). Thanks.
Naretha I have checked two stores around Atlanta since Melody’s post and neither one have switched back to Tazo:(. We can keep hoping……..
I am from the Phila market and all my local Starbucks are taking part in the test (the 6 closest stores). We were told that they would be going back to the ‘classic’ sometime in November, but that has not happened. I contacted the district manager and they no longer have a time frame for the classic to come back. I personally do not like the new and felt Starbucks should have given the customers a choice and NOT force the test on the customers. With no date for the classic to return…I keep asking myself if I still want to spend money on a drink that is just ‘okay’?
I had to meet a friend at Starbucks (she wanted coffee). I hadn’t been there since the beginning of November. The Duluth GA (Atlanta area) Barista said that the test received a lot of complaints and that they were going to change to a spicier formula – still from Teavana. He said that as soon as they ran out of inventory of the bad stuff they would be changing over. I’ve been going there for years and he knows me and said that it’s going to be similar to the Tazo and I should like it. WE’LL SEE.
Donna – I have started to hear the same thing at my local Starbucks (in PA) that they are going to have a spicier formula of the test. My only question is if people were not happy with the test, why not go back to the classic chai?
Well crap Donna and Db! I still haven’t tried an Atlanta Starbucks yet. When I went to the one in downtown Decatur, GA they were out. So haven’t bothered. Been getting my chai from Dancing Goats (and when I was out of town for the holidays in TN I went to Starbucks which hadn’t been a part of the test). Hmmm…may stop in the Starbucks on the Decatur Square again this weekend and ask/see what’s up. I’d hate to not be able to use the Starbucks card I received as a Christmas gift. But if Starbucks Atlanta hasn’t gone back to Tazo then I probably won’t be back.
So lately every Starbucks I went to (granted only 2 locations) were out of chai. But the barrista at the Midtown Atlanta/Ansley Mall location told me when I asked about the who terrible chai test, Tazo vs. Teavana chai, that “all of our teas are Teavana.” And that when they would get restocked it would be with the Teavana chai…not the Tazo we all know and love.
So looks like Donna is right…they’re sticking with Teavana…but maybe a spicier one?? Anyone got any coporate/company confirmation on this?
Melody are you sure the Colorado locations are back to Tazo for good? This switch to all Teavana tea sounds like a national/corporate move.
Melody, do you have a corporate connection at Starbucks that can find out if sales of Chai have dropped off in the test market? The only way that Starbucks Corp will stop this is if it affects their bottom line.
I was in today on my lunch and the barista said that they can’t even get the new formula (I’ve tried it in other places). She said her customers won’t order the new one and she can’t get a new order.
It was cold today, so I ordered a Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
I’d prefer that they go back to Tazo Chai, but if they’re making a stand corporately, only the bottom line will change their mind.
Leave the Teavana at those locations for those who prefer. I’m from California and I won’t drink Chai at Peet’s, but those that frequent it, do.
Please bring back the original Tazo Chai. The new “custom” version is terrible & produces a very inconsistent product when you are trying to recreate the original which is what most customers do. If you don’t tweak it the drink is basically undrinkable and when you “customize” it, it still doesnt taste like the original. Don’t fix what wasn’t broken. You’ve lost a loyal customer who has tried the custom version several times & been disappointed every time!
Melody….any update on this??!!
@Naretha I sent out an email to a couple of a contacts inside the SSC to see if I could figure anything out.
@Naretha –
http://www.teavanamelody.com/blog/2016/2/20/update-on-the-teavana-custom-chai-latte-test
^ This is all I know as to an update on the Custom Teavana Chai test. I’ll publish the same article on StarbucksMelody.com on or about 2-22-16. It’s published on TeavanaMelody.com as of today, 2-20
I guess I’m the only one who likes the Teavana custom chai and am sad to see it go. I live in atlanta and they told me as of Monday they will bring back the original recipe. I don’t want all that sugar in my drink so now I’m out of luck. I guess when some win others lose.
I can only add my disgruntlement to the above comments. The Tazo chai is excellent. Whatever Starbucks did to try to mimic the flavor failed. I drank a venti classic chai on a daily basis (almost $5.00 per), hot in winter and iced in warmer weather. Whatever is currently being passed off as chai has not fooled my excellent taste buds. On the upside I’m saving about $150.00 per month and 300 calories per day. On the downside, Starbucks has lost my long-time allegiance. I’ll have a nice vacation this year.
Teavana chi tea isn’t even close to tazo , it is very weak even if you order extra pumps. I’ve tried to recreate the tazo recipe at home by trying differante recipes and still have not found a good one. If you want teavana tea than you should give us the recipe to make our tazo tea for our selfs . All of us tazo tea drinkers don’t want teavana . I’ve just stopped drinking tea altogether ( if it doesn’t taste good why drink it) and I’m so angry you changed that I now go to Dutch bros for my coffee.
Had a SB chai tea latte and couldnt work out what was do wring with it. Forget the sweetness which is BAD enough, but it tastes furry and insipid. No tea glavour, no clean spice flavours (where is the cardamon??) and a horrible greasy furry after taste. I am not fussy but this drink is appalling. I poured it away. Not worth buying. Bring back tazo chai and an option to add own sweetness.
The last few chai lattes I have purchased have tasted like foamy milk. The last one was so disgusting that I literally threw it out. Disgusting! I wish they would bring back the old formula!