McDonald's Coffee Bar

McDonald's plans to install coffee bars to sell lattes and cappuccinos in every one of its U.S. restaurants this year, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The move would be an attempt to eat into the luxury coffee business of the global giant Starbucks.

McDonald's three-month trading chart
The Journal based its report on internal McDonald's documents from 2007, which outline a plan to hire "baristas" at all of the burger chain's 14,000 U.S. outlets, complete with espresso machines at the front counters.

Who's gonna pass up Starbucks for McDonald's if the quality is as good? You can't get an Egg McMuffin at Starbucks!

Sort of old news...they have been doing pilot Mac's with this concept for awhile now...with very good results. Personaly, I like the new Mac's coffee they introduced much better than the Bucks; then add in the luxury coffee mix to the equation mix with breakfasts...and you have now hit a homerun. As a floor trader, I have been adding to my position on Mac's as the 1B dollar hit is only going to make this stock soar later this year, if not sooner IMHO.

Yup! One of the reasons why McDonald's stock has been such an outstanding performer over the past year or so is their new premium coffee, which is really very good. (The other reason is the expanded breakfast menu.)

Whether one likes McD's fast food or not, it is very difficult to deny that they know how to market themselves successfully. So, I have no doubt that they will successfully transition themselves into a coffee "destination" for many people. I, for one, could not be more delighted since Starbuck's coffee always tastes "burnt" to me.

quote:

Originally posted by thediningroom

McDonald's plans to install coffee bars to sell lattes and cappuccinos in every one of its U.S. restaurants this year, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The move would be an attempt to eat into the luxury coffee business of the global giant Starbucks.

McDonald's three-month trading chart
The Journal based its report on internal McDonald's documents from 2007, which outline a plan to hire "baristas" at all of the burger chain's 14,000 U.S. outlets, complete with espresso machines at the front counters.

Who's gonna pass up Starbucks for McDonald's if the quality is as good? You can't get an Egg McMuffin at Starbucks!

I don't know how widespread it is, but when I was going through the drive-through at Starbucks on saturday, I saw a list of breakfast sandwiches posted.

If McDonald's makes coffee like they make(dare I say it) hamburgers...I'll stick to a coke if I'm strapped down and forced to eat in the Golden arches!

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

If McDonald's makes coffee like they make(dare I say it) hamburgers...I'll stick to a coke if I'm strapped down and forced to eat in the Golden arches!

Real original there leethebard, it's getting old people think they are sooooooooo funny putting down McDonald's food, my mother always told me "If you can't say something good about something, it's wiser to keep it to yourself".

I will get coffee ANYWHERE except Starbucks! Can't stand them on many levels!!!!!!!

McDonald's decaf is so bad I had to pour the last cup I had of it into the garbage.

I feel genuine sorrow for the poor shnooks that pay the outrageous prices Starbuck's charges for it's absolutely horrid tasting coffee.

quote:

Originally posted by danimal15

McDonald's decaf is so bad I had to pour the last cup I had of it into the garbage.

Sorry, but, I never had a cup of good tasting decaf.

Personally, I think Dunkin Donuts and even 7-11 coffee is better tasting than Starbucks.

Einstein Bagles has very good coffee. I also like Macs and even Bucks sometimes.
With Starbucks I always order the light coffee and put a pretty large amount of half & half in
to get it to the right color and flavor.

Sorry dinningroom,
Wasn't trying to be funny...just stating the obvious like so many countless others in these forums. A forum is for expressing one's opinion....and as so many here can attest...Mcdonalds is what it is...I guess what I think it is is different from your opinion. I stick by my gut feeling...there regular coffee is no better in quality than their terrible burgers..so why should we hope "gourmet" coffee would come from the clown factory!!
leethebard

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Sorry dinningroom,
Wasn't trying to be funny...just stating the obvious like so many countless others in these forums. A forum is for expressing one's opinion....and as so many here can attest...Mcdonalds is what it is...I guess what I think it is is different from your opinion. I stick by my gut feeling...there regular coffee is no better in quality than their terrible burgers..so why should we hope "gourmet" coffee would come from the clown factory!!
leethebard

Consumer Reports rated McDonald's premium coffee ahead of Starbucks. Maybe you should try their coffee (not the new coffee bars) before casting judgment. Everyone I know who have tried it, gives it a thumbs-up.

quote:

Originally posted by jman

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Sorry dinningroom,
Wasn't trying to be funny...just stating the obvious like so many countless others in these forums. A forum is for expressing one's opinion....and as so many here can attest...Mcdonalds is what it is...I guess what I think it is is different from your opinion. I stick by my gut feeling...there regular coffee is no better in quality than their terrible burgers..so why should we hope "gourmet" coffee would come from the clown factory!!
leethebard

Consumer Reports rated McDonald's premium coffee ahead of Starbucks. Maybe you should try their coffee (not the new coffee bars) before casting judgment. Everyone I know who have tried it, gives it a thumbs-up.

In addition to Consumer Reports having given a high rating to the "new" McDonald's coffee, other publications have also rated it higher in quality than Starbucks and other competitors. While I can't recall all of the other publications, I do recall that The Star-Ledger (the leading newspaper in NJ) concurred with Consumer Reports. Blind taste tests inevitably result in a consensus that Starbucks coffee tastes "burnt" when compared to other coffees.

No chain is consistent with the quality of their coffee, due to variations in local water quality, the freshness of the brewed coffee and how much ground coffee the local purveyor actually used when brewing the coffee. While I can tolerate Dunkin Donuts coffee most of the time, there have been at least three occasions when I had to throw it away because it was so bad. So, perhaps "leethebard" had the misfortune to get the occasional bad cup of coffee from McDonald's. However, if he/she thinks that it is consistently bad, then he/she is in a very small minority.

I have a very popular McDonald's very close to my business. Although I never go to Starbuck's for coffee, I'll give the clown a try next week before I go to work. Letcha know.

I drink a lot of coffee at home and on the road and I always drink it black with no sugar, milk or cream so I get the actual taste and not an adulterated taste. Tedbear described accurately how coffee can differ so won't go into that. I have no problem with Starbucks coffee. They do roast their beans close to a burnt taste than the others but I enjoy a strong brew. If I had to rank the coffees I would go with Caribou first, Starbucks, McDonalds and then Dunkin Donuts. It has been a few years though since I have tried Dunkin Donuts but I hope if they are expanding outside New England they realize many of us in the Midwest do not heavily sugar, milk and cream our coffees. I asked for regular once in a Dunkin Donuts and got it loaded with sugar. I handed it back and explained where I was from regular meant unadulterated. So when I got my coffee straight without cream, milk or sugar I realized that Dunkin Donuts actually served a pretty cheap poor tasting brew.

McDonalds has upgraded their coffee. It is acceptable now but is not quite the same quality as Starbucks and Caribou in my opinion. Also, with so many establishments in less sophisticated and demanding areas like on the interstate interchanges you do run into a wider range of quality for the reasons Tedbear mentioned. However, I would not have a problem drinking McDonalds coffee if brewed right.

Rather than knock Starbucks I thank them for upping the standards and expectations for coffee all around the country.

I can't believe the good press McD's coffee is getting. Since they've changed to the Premium Roast brand, I've had it twice... both times I've never been able to finish it (and that's with plenty of cream in it).

When I was traveling to Minneapolis a lot in the mid-90s, I learned about Caribou and enjoyed it very much. I used to bring some home and brew it. We don't have Dunkin in these parts of WV, but a friend of mine who works for them recently sent me a 5lb bag of beans. It's pretty darn good, better than I can remember it was.

Like was said here, *$ has raised the coffee bar for everyone, and for that, they should be thanked. Unlike WalMart which kills business where they go, *$ helps all involved through raising awareness of the product. There is one opening in the next month just off our major interstate exit in town. It should do well, and will definitely help the McDs down the road when their coffee bar gets installed. I'm also assuming McD's is going to price their products less than *$ does.

quote:

Originally posted by jimcfs1

I can't believe the good press McD's coffee is getting. Since they've changed to the Premium Roast brand, I've had it twice... both times I've never been able to finish it (and that's with plenty of cream in it).

When I was traveling to Minneapolis a lot in the mid-90s, I learned about Caribou and enjoyed it very much. I used to bring some home and brew it. We don't have Dunkin in these parts of WV, but a friend of mine who works for them recently sent me a 5lb bag of beans. It's pretty darn good, better than I can remember it was.

Like was said here, *$ has raised the coffee bar for everyone, and for that, they should be thanked. Unlike WalMart which kills business where they go, *$ helps all involved through raising awareness of the product. There is one opening in the next month just off our major interstate exit in town. It should do well, and will definitely help the McDs down the road when their coffee bar gets installed. I'm also assuming McD's is going to price their products less than *$ does.

I'll agree with your philosophy regarding Bigbucks. Oops! meant Starbucks. However, I still won't buy my coffee there.

quote:

Originally posted by thediningroom

my mother always told me "If you can't say something good about something, it's wiser to keep it to yourself".

Oh horse pucky, it was someone, not something and you know it.
Something tells me even your sainted mother wouldn't mind hearing disparaging comments about a fast food hamburger.

quote:

Originally posted by enginecapt

quote:

Originally posted by thediningroom

my mother always told me "If you can't say something good about something, it's wiser to keep it to yourself".

Oh horse pucky, it was someone, not something and you know it.
Something tells me even your sainted mother wouldn't mind hearing disparaging comments about a fast food hamburger.

I'll have to agree with "enginecapt" on this one. After all, this IS a forum. And, If no one voiced a critical opinion, it wouldn't be a forum. Right?

quote:

Originally posted by twinwillow

quote:

Originally posted by enginecapt

quote:

Originally posted by thediningroom

my mother always told me "If you can't say something good about something, it's wiser to keep it to yourself".

Oh horse pucky, it was someone, not something and you know it.
Something tells me even your sainted mother wouldn't mind hearing disparaging comments about a fast food hamburger.

I'll have to agree with "enginecapt" on this one. After all, this IS a forum. And, If no one voiced a critical opinion, it wouldn't be a forum. Right?

My favorite quotes of the week. It seems like a lot of Roadfood posters do not want any critical opinions at all. If you don't agee with every poster and if you do not "Yummy yummy yummy", every food phot, you get people jumping all over you. No wonder a lot of posters have left!

I used to think Starbucks was for "that other type" of person, not me. Turns out I are him and now I can't seem pass one by with out stopping.

The new McDonalds coffee is pretty good, but still not as good as Starbucks IMHO.

Oh I have tried the coffee at our local Mcdonalds...and it is weak brown water....I actually prefer 7-11 coffee...or wawa coffee...
leethebard

I love McDonalds coffee. Starbucks always seems bitter. Dunkin has a good cup as well as Tim Horton....Russ

Interesting thread. The McD's in my neck of the woods has OK coffee, but I wouldn't write home about it. Dunkin is inconsistent IMO. Sometimes it's delicious; other times not so much. Starbucks house blends are better, in my view, than their fancy espresso drinks. I have to agree with other posters about Starbucks being bitter or burned...I think they overdo their roasting. It's hard to get a really rich, full-bodied cup of coffee unless you brew it yourself. I happen to love espresso and drink it w/o sugar but 95% of the time, the stuff I get is just plain bitter. Oh to have some real espresso brewed in Italy! Unbelievably good.

I find McDonald's coffee to be excellent. I go get a large coffee at McDonald's just aboout every morning. By the way, I don't know about other areas of the country, but where I live seniors can get a regular size cup of coffee for 49 cents. Of course, that's an increase from last year's 34 cents a cup.

Overpriced coffee is big business.

http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10498747

A regular "senior" coffee at the McDonalds near me is 75 cents.

quote:

Originally posted by twinwillow
After all, this IS a forum. And, If no one voiced a critical opinion, it wouldn't be a forum. Right?

Correct. It would be a circle jerk instead of a forum.