McDonald's To Take On Starbucks

Ad Age:

Take note, Starbucks: McDonald's is coming after you. Yes, that McDonald's.

Emboldened by rave reviews for the relaunch of its coffee business 18 months ago, the company is planning to roll out premium coffee drinks -- including smoothies, frappes and bottled beverages -- priced just below that of Starbucks. The goal: to gain a bigger share of the $60 billion U.S. coffee business, of which the burger chain now says it holds about $6 billion.

Read the whole story: Ad Age

Comments

[sheila]

02:32 PM on 11/14/2007

do yourselves a favor and save all but 8 cents of that $3.50 by making your own fresh, organic, free trade espresso/coffee at home. it is the easiest damn thing on the planet so why on earth are people hemorrhaging all that cash to either starbucks or mcdonalds, both of which suck?

put the money in a little jar and at the end of the year, take a great vacation or make an extra principal payment on some debt. organic, free trade, no trash, no corporate bullshit. better for humanity, the planet AND your wallet - win/win/win!

[starrianna]

01:48 PM on 11/14/2007

There was a story on the news (NO LIE) that said in Thailand,

a blind taste taste showed that there's a new leader in town

(in Thailand anyway)

(1) Local "Monkey Spit" coffee
(2) McDonalds
(3) Starbucks

Apparently, chewed monkey spit tastes better than Starbucks Vannilla Frappucino!

I'm going to the zoo and will try to get the monkeys to spit in my coffee!

[bmitchell]

01:14 PM on 11/14/2007

As one who serves Starbucks, I'm not exactly violently anti-corporate coffee, but I'm not worried about the McCafe. For a few weeks now they've had a promotional "free coffee on Monday" deal. They offer vanilla lattes right now, I believe. It tastes like terrible "cappuccino" machine coffee that spurted out of a machine in 30 seconds. Worse, it's something like $2.50 a cup. If I want syrupy milk, I'll go to QuikTrip. McDonalds' BLACK coffee is just fine, but in terms of "premium drinks"? Without a quality method of preparation, they don't have a chance with those who actually appreciate coffee. I'd like to know how the premium drinks are made.

[WARisEVIL]

08:01 AM on 11/14/2007

Here in Europe you get a great cup of coffee at ANY restaurant. Why?

Because we don't believe in boiled water with a little coloring.

Its just normal to have good coffee here.

[godlessclif]

07:16 AM on 11/14/2007

McDonalds also makes their coffee 40 degrees Farenheit hotter so they don't need to throw it way when it cools.

McDonalds can't even challenge Dunkin Donuts.
The smell of donuts make you crave coffee, The smell of Big Macs makes you crave high fructose corn sweetener.

[Earl]

06:52 AM on 11/14/2007

Isn't it "set SIGHTS on" not "set SITES on"?

[Trittydi]

03:06 AM on 11/14/2007

I make better coffee than all of them.
*

[Trittydi]

03:03 AM on 11/14/2007

Interesting. If they can produce the same cup of coffee for half the price or - hopefully - less - they get my business.

I'll get coffee at Starbucks perhaps once every 2-4 weeks. I can't afford it on anything approaching a regular basis.

So if McDonalds can pull it off - I'll go there.
*

[LastDaysCafe]

01:47 AM on 11/14/2007

The smell (stench) coming out of Starbucks cafes always made me wonder if maybe they were boiling "urine" in there for some reason?

McDonald's regular brand coffee recently won in a taste test in Toronto over 8 other franchise brand coffees including Starbucks!

What McDonald's has to understand to get a piece of S'Bucks'biz is that Starbucks is popular mainly because they've been able to "advert-brainwash" their clientel into believing that its a huge "status symbol" to patronize $'Bucks and of course buy their overpriced coffees,lattes etc.

[ChicagoBob]

01:40 AM on 11/14/2007

!
I can just see myself relaxing on a hard plastic McDonald's straight back seat enjoying a cup of high rent coffee while other people's kids run around on the playground equipment.

Regardless of the taste I just can not see McD's as an environment for enjoying coffee.

But I could be wrong.
!

[totalliberal]

01:39 AM on 11/14/2007

Tim Hortons coffee rules above all.

[HumeSkeptic]

01:07 AM on 11/14/2007

Leave it to McDonalds and they'll find a way to clog your arteries with coffee.

Besides, I can't have coffee and smell Big Macs.

[HumeSkeptic]

12:52 AM on 11/14/2007

How can one buy coffee at a place that smells of Big Macs?

[Gary47]

12:13 AM on 11/14/2007

Starbucks coffee is consistently bland at best. That McDonald's will compete with them on this is perfect. It creates more room at the mid to high-end for top notch quality beans and roasters. America is getting more and more quality coffee all the time. Starbucks and McDonald's will occupy the low-end.

[truthyguy]

11:39 PM on 11/13/2007

If you have ever had McDonald's coffee you know why the people at Starbucks are laughing their asses off at this.