I came seeking healing and got only whey protein.

I'm not a Starbucks hater. I did the better part of my studying during college parked in a Starbucks, and I'm always comforted to see that smiling siren at some highway rest stop otherwise monopolized by fast-food joints.  

So when I went to my local Starbucks this morning to sample the Vivanno—the new smoothie drink launching today—I was hoping that I would find a first step towards healing the now somewhat battered brand.

The drink itself is tasty; not what I'd call delicious, but good enough.

It comes in one size (16 ounces for $3.95) and two flavors—Orange Mango Banana and Chocolate Banana. Both flavors are light, silky, and mild-tasting, much less aggressively sweet and heavy than a Frappuccino. The Vivanno is Starbucks' foray into the health-food segment, so it's packed with whey protein, low in fat, free of additives, and 250 to 270 calories a pop.

But for Howard Schultz, the Vivanno may be more part of the illness than part of the cure. The Starbucks staff this morning seemed more overwhelmed than usual, botching orders, spilling coffee, and letting the line grow, all while trying to get a handle on the latest trick to slide out of Schultz's sleeve.

The new drinks require fruit to be peeled and whey protein to be scooped in addition to the laborious pouring, blending, and cleanup already required by Frappuccinos. I was in Starbucks for 15 minutes this morning (I clocked it) to retrieve two Vivannos and an iced coffee. If it continues, Starbucks' time-crunched customers won't stick around for long.

In fact, no matter how tasty the Vivanno is, it's still a significant operational distraction from Schultz's stated goal of turning the company's focus back to coffee, and to restoring the "Starbucks experience."

In his bid to revive Starbucks, Schultz has announced a bevy of high-profile changes since January: A new house-blend coffee (Pike Place Roast) and a new Doubleshot energy drink are already in stores, and in the works are a revamped food menu and a yet-to-be-named Italian product that Starbucks hopes will be "the next Frappuccino."

Yet Starbucks stock refuses to respond, now down 65 percent from its high in May of 2006.

Schultz is in a catch-22. What he needs to drive the revenue in the short term is aggressive product launches, but what it will take to repair the "Starbucks experience" for the long run is cutting down on distractions and returning the focus (both at headquarters and in stores) to exceptional execution.

To most, that means keeping stores clean and making top-notch coffee, all while maintaining an environment that's less Grand Central Station and more sleepy Italian coffee shop.