Five Handsome Bosses Launch American-Style Smoothies – Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Flavor Is Surprisingly Delicious

▲ Two handsome WooGo bosses, Robbie (left in the left photo) and Jason. Smoothies (right photo)

Intern Reporter Qiu Yunrong / Reported and photographed in Taipei

Smoothies aren’t just sold in convenience stores in Taiwan—Western countries also have their own unique cooling beverages called “smoothies.” In July this year, five dashing young men jointly opened a smoothie-only drink shop named WooGo in the alleys of Taipei’s Dongcheng District. On a scorching summer day, sipping on a thick, chilled smoothie is truly a delightful treat.

▲ The interior of WooGo is purple-based, bright and tidy (left photo). The fun menu makes customers curious to try everything (right photo)

Smoothies are a traditional drink popular in the West, made fresh with various natural fruits, juices, and fat-free frozen yogurt. Jason, a WooGo boss from Canada, mentioned that their smoothies are made with their homemade fat-free yogurt, fresh juice, frozen fruit, sorbet, and a small amount of ice. He said the biggest difference from Taiwanese slushies is that, to fully showcase the natural sweet and sour flavors of the fruits, they don’t add extra sugar and use much less ice. Most Taiwanese slushies are made with crushed ice, resulting in a coarser texture.

▲ All smoothies are made fresh with real fruit

WooGo’s menu is also a highlight, with very creative Chinese names. One drink is calledPeanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich(left photo), which at first sounds like a light snack, but is actually a smoothie with a rich peanut butter flavor. It includes tangy cranberry juice, strawberry yogurt, and strawberry sorbet, making it taste just like eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—creamy and delicate. First, you get the sweet and sour taste of strawberries, followed by a mouthful of intense peanut butter flavor, yet it all blends perfectly without clashing, offering a multi-layered taste experience. Ms. Yu, a first-time customer, said she loves peanut butter, and trying the “Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich” was truly surprising—she never imagined you could enjoy peanut butter in a smoothie.

Among the five bosses, Robbie and Sagiv are native-born Americans from California; Jason and Adam are smoothie experts from Canada who are also biking-loving brothers; Tim is a Taiwanese man fluent in Spanish and programming. The name “WooGo” comes from the homophone of “five guys” (五哥), as the founders are five handsome brothers.

Jason said they often drank smoothies abroad, but after coming to Taiwan, they sometimes craved one but couldn’t find any shops selling them. So the five of them decided to open a specialty store, so both foreign smoothie lovers and locals in Taiwan can enjoy delicious smoothies.

▲ The wall decorations inside WooGo are all created by several artists.

Another boss from California, Robbie, said that since none of the five had a background in food and beverage, they faced many challenges when starting the shop. It took over a year of preparation before they officially opened last month. He also mentioned that opening the shop here allowed them to meet many local artists, and they plan to hold events combining exhibitions, hoping the shop can become not just a drink spot but also an arts and culture space.

【WooGo】
Phone: 02-2778-0182
Address: No. 42, Lane 233, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday 11:00–22:00
Prices:
Small cup (330c.c) NT$85
Medium cup (500c.c) NT$110
Large cup (660c.c) NT$135