“Island Time,” a student-designed fruity smoothie flavor, was officially announced as the winning flavor of the Mac’s Cafe semesterly smoothie competition on Oct. 17. Created and proposed by Madeline Hung ’28, the smoothie consists of guava, pineapple, banana, strawberry and vanilla yogurt.
Bill Etter, assistant manager at Mac’s Cafe, runs the semesterly smoothie competition, granting one winner a semester-long spot on the Mac’s menu. The employee team collects approximately 30 smoothie flavor submissions designed by students. Taking price, ingredient availability and creativity into account, according to Etter, the Mac’s team narrows the submissions down to a handful of flavors. The flavor finalists then get voted on by the general public through an online poll, shared through flyers and social media.
Hung, a fan of Mac’s smoothies herself, decided to apply “on a whim” after noticing the competition submission slip. Inspired by her recent trip to Hawaii, Hung’s cravings for tropical fruits guided her ideal curation.
“I think being at Cornell, or at college, you don’t get to eat as many fruits as you want,” Hung said. “I was really craving these good guavas I had in Hawaii, and from there I was like, ‘Okay, what else would pair well with guava and tropical vibes?’”
After her win, Hung was rewarded with a free smoothie, allowing her to try the realized version of her idea. Though she was skeptical her created flavor profile would live up to her imagination, she found that "everything tastes right,” ranking the smoothie as her second favorite on the menu under the “Green Smoothie.” Hung was also rewarded with a photoshoot with her creation.
Marisa Bobal ’26, who has been a cashier at Mac’s Cafe since her freshman year, gave the smoothie a try on the job. She found the new flavor to be very similar to the “Maze” and “Spring Break,” past competition winners that have cemented permanent spots on the Mac’s menu.
Despite its resemblance to prior flavors, Bobal appreciates the “tropical vibes” Island Time brings to the menu and said she would purchase it again. According to Etter, the smoothie competition is just one of many ways he keeps the Mac’s menu dynamic, heightening customer engagement. Weekly deli and pasta specials, best-sellers, menu suggestions and staff ideas have all made their way into Mac's dining selection.
“I think people get too stuck in a rut sometimes if you're not doing different things,” Etter said. “It's nice to have variety.”
With just a few days on the market, the Island Time is gathering an array of reviews. One student, Angela Zhu ’27, often samples the new smoothies out of curiosity and quickly took note of the new menu addition on Monday. She said that while the proposed drinks “often sound good on paper ... a lot of the time the ingredients don’t come through in the flavor.”
Though Zhu appreciates the novelty of the new flavor, she said that she is unlikely to repurchase the smoothie. However, others that sipped on the new combination shared different opinions.
Though the competition offers the winner a semester-long spot on the menu, some winning flavors have found a permanent place in the Mac’s lineup.Other flavors, however, stuck to their season, such as the winner of the Fall 2024 round: “Pumpkin Pie Fiesta.”
Whether it’s a bold new taste or a seasonal favorite, the Mac’s smoothie competition gives participants a platform of experimentation and variety at the start of each semester. The next competition will be held at the beginning of the spring semester, with submissions opening in late January.
Rafaela Gandolfo Bustamante is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a senior writer for the News department and can be reached at rgandolfobustamante@cornellsun.com.
