digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

McDonald's To Take On Starbucks

huffingtonpost.com — 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.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • lindsay4767, on 11/14/2007, -8/+80wanna try the world's worst latte?? i'm lovin it
    • PorcupineTree, on 11/14/2007, -6/+15Seriously, McDonald's can't even get their coffee right, and now they want to take on Starbucks? By the way, don't order their coffee after 12pm...
      • brianjlowry, on 11/14/2007, -3/+14I think they have some of the best coffee around. Starbucks coffee is terrible. Seriously, next time you walk into Starbucks, try ordering a house coffee with no sugar or creamer. 100% of the time it tastes burnt/ foul.
        • astrotrain, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1Starbucks is overpriced coffee.... yeah let me spend $4.00 for a standard cup of Joe.
          McDolands... I tried their coffee once... and only once... its awful.
      • DarkSamus, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3lol, starbucks
        http://www.flickr.com/photos/darksamus/2019122945/
    • Rooster99, on 11/14/2007, -5/+12Actually they have had this for a while in Australia. Its not bad. Its like a another section of the restaurant and its nice to be able to get a muffin or some cake. Its nothing to write home about, but its not just standard Mcdonald's coffee with a fancy cup or anything like that.
      • ghosttown80, on 11/14/2007, -7/+10I went to a McCafe while in Australia, and yes, it is regular ***** McDonalds coffee in a fancy cup.
      • betobeto, on 11/14/2007, -2/+4We have those around here in Central America too. Trouble is, they let clueless people / kids to come in with their stupid Happy Meals, sodas and stuff - completely ruining the whole "sit down and savor a coffee" experience, if you know what I mean. Like, if they couldn't sit down somewhere else around the place! Sorry, Starbucks still FTW.
    • zip22, on 11/14/2007, -2/+28mcdonalds coffee scored better than starbucks in consumer reports
      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16951509/
      • darkstar949, on 11/14/2007, -14/+1This might be true, but the average person is not a "trained tester" and the vast majority of people do not order straight black coffee from Starbucks as such the review is moot - people don't go to Starbucks for black coffee, they go there for flavored coffee.
        • cdahlkvist, on 11/14/2007, -1/+19I love the elitist "trained tester" *****.

          You know what? You don't have to be "trained" to know if you like something or not.

          Trained testers sure have proven their worth with the recent article about white wine with red coloring fooling them and the cheap wine in the expensive bottle fooling them.

          You people are useless. Critics and trained testers are just a bunch of people that are too lazy to get a real job so they try to dupe others into believing their "expertise" on a given subject.
          • astrotrain, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3"Trained Tester" = Which company is going to give them the most $$$ to say their coffee is the best.
        • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -11/+2I'm not a trained tester but I know how to taste coffee like one. They taught me how when I worked for Starbucks about 10 years ago. You take a little sip and make an audible slurping noise so that you're consuming half coffee and half air. Then you just sit for a minute and tune in to your tongue, so to speak. Don't taste another type of coffee until you've had a sip of cool (but not cold) water.
          • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -2/+6So you sit there gargaling a drink like toddler in order to appreciate it?

            Um, I just drink it. If it tastes burnt or like cheese i dont go back.
          • wellyuk, on 11/14/2007, -2/+6What's the point of that? People don't drink coffee in the manner you described.
          • fnaqzna, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Dugg down for explaining a process. That's Digg for ya.
          • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3@MuletTheGreat
            You don't gargle it. That's at the back of your throat. You "flutter" it across your lips to the middle of your tongue so that all your taste buds are exposed to it.

            @wellyuk
            The point is to find the character of the beverage. You're not meant to consume the drink that way, just to evaluate it.
          • wellyuk, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2@spyrochaete

            Fair enough! I was taking your description as a way to consume the coffee. Sounded like a lot of hard work to quench your thirst.
        • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -2/+0*applause*
      • MindStalker, on 11/14/2007, -4/+1mcdonalds coffee scalds better than starbucks in consumer reports
        There fixed it for you.

        I actually like McD new coffee its pretty good, though I won't intentionally go into a McD unless dragged by someone else (don't goto starbucks either..)
      • TheWorm, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5That's because no one goes to Starbucks for real coffee...they go there for their candy drinks like fraps with more whipped cream, milk and sugar than coffee beans.
      • TheUngod, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1Because the average consumer always knows what they're talking about.
        • Putts335, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Since the average consumer is going to determine where his or her money is spent, I don't see what point your trying to make.
    • roberto_deneero, on 11/14/2007, -2/+20They've had McCafe in California for years too (El Camino/Page Mill Rd in Palo Alto). Their coffee sucks. They need to stick to crappy burgers and chemically treated McNuggets, their strength.
    • Shawn4168, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4Ba da ba ba bah.
    • ZachSka87, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5Last time I got coffee from McDonalds it tasted like cigarette ash. I dumped it out and vowed never to buy coffee from them again. It was seriously the most disgusting thing I'd ever tasted.
      • drachemorder, on 11/14/2007, -2/+9And Starbucks coffee doesn't taste like cigarette ash? I swear, their coffee roaster must be Trogdor, because everything comes out burninated.
        • ZachSka87, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2No. Seriously. Starbucks is strong but I can take it. This was....cigarette ash.
      • TheUngod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4McDonalds can use the greatest beans in the world, but until the employees know how to brew coffee properly, it will always taste like ass...or ash.
    • dafragsta, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Ewww. The beans come pre-burned. I'd rather have some poser beatnik hipster "barista" do that for me and charge me $5.
    • spudnic, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Mc donalds just isn't cool, and it never will be. That's the problem.
      People go to Starbucks (generalising here, but you'll see my point) to sit on a comfy chair and read a book, or use their laptop, or chat with friends.
      That's a world away from screeming kids eating happy meals and sitting on nasty plastic chairs, Mc Donalds could charge half the price of Starbucks, and people would still go to Starbucks.

      If Mc Donalds wants to take Starbuck's core customers they're going to have to change the whole environment, not just charge a little less, even if the coffee is better.
      • nicko68, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2It's like when they tried to go upscale with their "Arch Deluxe" campaign.
    • skellener, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3How is McDonalds even relevant in 2007? The food will kill you. The service sucks. Their marketing is some of the worst ever created. Is it the free Wi-Fi?? Because I really doubt it's the coffee. Seriously, if you're over 6 and eat there you're not doing yourself any favors.
  • yodaazpirant, on 11/14/2007, -35/+13i hear their new coffee aint bad, but i don't set foot in Mickey-Ds on general principle. that principle, in part, because of the destruction of the rain forest (yes, those dead cows are mostly raised in South America where the rain forest grew since time immemorial until their economies were highjacked by the United States to support companies like McDonalds, Exxon, and so forth.) Kinda sad, and very tragic, but true.

    oh, and cooking all that greasy cow meat is another big cause of global warming and pollution, as are the cows themselves...

    You know, McDonald's is in a position to use their popularity to reverse all the years of bad karma. They should go all-natural and vegan, organic, even...the world needs a fast-food option that is, indeed, healthy. Their recent move into salads and such has done their company good already, and I read that in the WALL STREET JOURNAL so it's probably true.

    I'd be lovin' THAT...Mrs. Kroc, you listening?

    y.a.
    • mathmanjeffy, on 11/14/2007, -3/+7First of all, a fast food health restaurant is a horrendous idea. While there are some convenience health food restaurants in the larger cities, a large chain of them the size of McDonalds implies a drive to improve profits by doing cost cutting; hence, the illusion of "healthy" while still being riddled with additives and GMOs.

      Secondly, their salads aren't all that great for you in the first place (with a few notable exceptions).
      http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition. ...
      Remember, their dressings and "croutons" are listed separately. I'd pay special close attention to some of the salt content. Yikes. (Again, notable exceptions)
    • NGliam, on 11/14/2007, -2/+11Actually their cows I think are almost all from North America. I read something about it recently, in certain South American countries it is not against the law to feed processed beef to Cows, even though its bad for them or something, so they can sell the beef cheaper than north american farmers.

      Secondly, almost all McDonalds in England (thats where I am so I don't know about elsewhere) recycle the oil used to cook food by using it in their delivery lorrys (trucks), and a few McDonalds are doing stuff like building solar panels on their roofs to power the building.

      P.S. I have a McJob :P
      • MindStalker, on 11/14/2007, -1/+0Hey which dictionary is that that describes McJob as an rewarding experience??
    • sovereign3, on 11/14/2007, -7/+4Respiration is a cause of a global warming. Should we all stop breathing too?
    • humage45, on 11/14/2007, -5/+2cow meat? that doesn't even taste like cow meat to me.. more like.. a hard slab of grease
    • hmmmok, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1brainwashed.
    • NullPolarity, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Ba da ba ba ba, I'm buryin' it.
  • deadowl, on 11/14/2007, -1/+21So wait... is this going to be like the Pepsi Challenge?
    • 89vision, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3uh huh
    • mashedpotatoes, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4More like Crystal Pepsi
      • dafragsta, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1I actually liked Crystal Pepsi. It wasn't around for long.
      • aduzik, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1My packrat grandparents still have a few bottles of Crystal Pepsi in their basement. I have claimed it as my inheritance, much to my siblings' dismay.
    • ivandir, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Yeah, except this time it's going to be which coffee tastes more like coffee.
  • yodaazpirant, on 11/15/2007, -8/+3hey, i remember taking that, but you could *totally* tell!!
  • burchie2, on 11/14/2007, -7/+13except they'll have twice the fat and calories ;) I won't lie, I enjoy some good Mcdonalds every now and again.
    • iheartartoo, on 11/14/2007, -2/+12Good McDonald's is an oxymoron.
    • nochilinopity, on 11/14/2007, -0/+10Some Starbucks drinks have more calories and fat than a Big Mac...
      • fnaqzna, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Actually, some Starbucks drinks have more calories and fat than the entire Big Mac combo meal.
        • dafragsta, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Please don't say Frappuccino. It's the only thing I ever go into Starbucks for.
          • offwithyourtv, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the worst Starbucks beverages as far as caloric content, with a Grande ringing in at 570 calories.
  • sickswaystop, on 11/14/2007, -5/+13mcdonalds puts a lot of time and money into making sure its no. 1
    good luck bucks McCafe is comin!
    • humage45, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5not as much of no. 1, but more of making as much money, and milking the franchise as much as they can
    • sodoh, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4you would be surprised but Starbucks do the exact same thing. In the US for example Starbucks are renowned for buying out the lease from under other nearby coffee shops so they can remove competition. Well if you can say opening up another starbucks is removing competition.

  • chaosmachine, on 11/14/2007, -7/+58Starbucks appeals to an "upscale" market. I think it will be hard to convince anyone a McDonald's Brand coffee is worth $4.
    • krets, on 11/14/2007, -2/+19What a bunch of *****. I've been to many Starbucks that were far from an "upscale" market.
      • cortlandjim, on 11/14/2007, -0/+10Saw the local homeless vet standing on the corner begging for food or money, problem was he was drinking coffee from a Huge Starbucks cup, is that upscale enough for ya.
    • playmusic, on 11/14/2007, -0/+16Upscale? There is literally a damn Starbuck's in my local Target!
    • dhVyse, on 11/14/2007, -1/+14Also, McDonalds coffe is never going to be $4... that's the idea.
      • sickrubik, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2That's good, because the starbucks coffee isn't $4 either. Their coffee drinks, however...
    • urge55, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6Starbucks Upscale?? You're kidding right?
    • givinupthefight, on 11/14/2007, -0/+21By "upscale" do you mean high schoolers trying to be cool?
    • MetaMars, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5It's perfect, really. Now the ***** coffee at starbucks will be available at the same place you get your ***** hamburgers. Now all we need is McDonalds inside of Wal-Mart, and the trifecta will be complete. (oh wait)
      • G-RaZoR, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Hahaha, I was going to say... There is a McDonalds in my Wal Mart. But there is also a Subway in there too...
    • icebrk, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4While in reality Starbucks doesn't care who buys they're coffee as long as the money is green, the point I think he was trying to make is that the image starbucks sells along with the coffee is that of overly priced coffee. Assuming starbucks and mccafe sell the EXACT same coffee with the exact same level of service just with a 1$ or 2 difference, there will still be a good deal of people going to starbucks who are paying that extra dollar for said image...
    • icebrk, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3*their coffee.. damnit!
    • NullPolarity, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I hope that you're expressing sarcasm by typing "upscale" in quotes like that, but I fear that I am merely deluding myself into wishful thinking.
    • pinchduck, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3I think you are right. I would rather have a latte and surf the web from a starbucks, which will be relatively quiet and pleasant, then surf the web in a McDonalds and sipping a latte while 35 little kids run around screaming in the McPlayground. From that point of view, Starbucks is certainly upscale.
    • TheUngod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Whether or not Starbucks is upscale, most of the people who go there THINK they're upscale, and classier than the typical McDonalds goer. The people who go to starbucks for the most part are unlikely to head to McDonalds for a cup of coffee, even if the coffee is great. Until you can whip out your Macbook in a McDonalds and look uber cool, it just won't be the same.
  • AriaStar, on 11/14/2007, -6/+14It's been a couple years since I've been to McDonald's. In'n'Out Burger is just better, and I'll kill for some animal fries right now. But if McD's can make something comparable to Starbucks for less and through a drive-through, I just might give it a try.
    • FunkyPits, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4A lot of Starbucks have a drive through now, and it would have to be a much lower price point for me to go there instead of Starbucks. I won't say its because Starbucks coffee tastes that much better, its just the people that serve it to me there are usually that much better looking.
    • Ricky8765, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I stop at drive thru starbucks every time I'm on the road
    • betobeto, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1My kingdom for a Double-Double with a shake.
      I did, however, try one of McD's new Angus beef burgers, and to be honest it was quite OK for me. As far as I know they're just offering them in CA for now.
      • mezoko, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1I would love to try an Agnus burger, can you ship one to me? (I can't legally leave the country)
    • PATSCRU, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1To all who don't know what an in-n-out burger is, may god have mercy on you.
  • Schneckehaus, on 11/14/2007, -2/+44As a former Starbucks employee, I can in all confidence tell you that Starbucks coffee is NOT THAT GOOD.
    They just roast it longer to make it stronger, but honestly, it's about the same as everywhere else.
    • Surreal, on 11/14/2007, -15/+3While I agree that Starbucks isn't all that great, it's obvious that you don't know much about coffee in general.
      • darkfish, on 11/14/2007, -0/+11Oh please enlighten us. Do tell us why the over roasted (burnt) Starbucks coffee is better?
      • offwithyourtv, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Apparently you know nothing of the stupidly massive amounts of coffee knowledge you gain in Starbucks barista training. I was once a Starbucks employee, too, and I know more about coffee than I will ever need to know.

        And Tully's coffee is way better than Starbucks.
    • KicktheDonkey, on 11/14/2007, -0/+9Starbucks coffee always tastes like it's burnt to me. I'd rather have Caribou Coffee any day of the week. The new McDonald's coffee they rolled out a little while ago isn't that bad. Hell, I think Waffle House has better "plain" coffee than Starbucks.
    • dhVyse, on 11/14/2007, -0/+9I have to agree Starbucks coffee doesn't taste that great. Dunken Doughtnuts coffee is way better.
    • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -3/+6As a former Starbucks employee I disagree with you. They have some fantastic roasts and blends (I especially like Verona, Kenya, and Christmas blend). It's nice that they have so many varieties as it's fun to try them all. I do the same with beer and with food in general. It also helps that their decaf roasts use chemical extraction instead of Swiss water treatment to preserve the flavour while omitting the caffeine.

      My biggest gripe with Starbucks is that they now use automated one-button espresso machines and I think it detracts from the flavour. I've since bought my own espresso machine so I can tweak recipes however I wish. You haven't lived until you try a mint chocolate Bailey's irish cream double shot latte! If you don't mind maintaining and cleaning your own espresso machine you'll save TONS of money in the long run. $11 of Starbucks espresso beans will make at least 25 or 30 shots.
      • Rorsach, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7"mint chocolate Bailey's irish cream double shot latte"

        And you call that coffee?
        • NullPolarity, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3"Coffee" with a dose of smug around the LD50 level.
        • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3I call that a dessert coffee, not really a coffee. I don't need booze in every cup I drink. I'm useless in the kitchen but I'm good with the espresso machine so I like to make myself appear useful by coming up with wacky recipes.
      • pinchduck, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4I think you are right. I drink a lot of espresso and used to burn out about two machines per year. I've finally settled on the stovetop models, they are dead simple, won't break, and cost under $20.
      • Matt2k, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3Consider getting a home roaster and some green beans. It'll really expand your horizons and tastes. And as long as you're not buying all Kona or something extravagant like that, it's cheaper in the long run. You can pick up some decent stuff around the $5/lb range. http://sweetmarias.com/prod.greencoffee.mvc.shtml
    • jlungu, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3The more you roast, the more robust the coffee tastes ... but it also reduces the amount of caffeine.
      • javajockey, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3It also reduces the origin characteristic of the coffee. Especially if you go past full city.
  • crackah, on 11/14/2007, -1/+19They already do this in australia.

    Maybe we were the trial?
    • Rooster99, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1No idea why you are dugg down. You are probably right.
    • mitchlourens, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3I know that some McD's in the area I live are sometimes trials (Raleigh, NC). We've got one with 8 plasma screens scattered about the restaurant that was actually a trial as reported by the newspaper, so you're probably right.
      • humage45, on 11/14/2007, -3/+2yep.. same thing with the one at White Oak in Garner, NC also
      • humage45, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5yep.. same thing with the one at White Oak in Garner, NC also
    • deviouskoopa, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6Congrats, you're a McDonald's coffee beta tester. A living legend.
      • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -3/+0Australia just has a bigger market for coffees and wine. You know, the fine foods. Should try some of our fusion quisine, we have ***** of cafes and resteraunts.
        • pieinthesky, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4But no schools apparently.
        • Stuntaneous, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1yeah hes a noob, but americans still take the cake as a whole.
    • urge55, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Yep, Australia was the trial. We were also the trial for the new healthy options.

      I wonder if it's because the McDonalds CEO is Australian?
    • NoShameInc, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2its actually because an aussie came up with the idea for the mccafe.

      /worked at maccas for 5 years... to long in my opinion
  • lieutenantmudd, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8That's a great paragraph length article. It's so in depth and well cited.
    • roberto_deneero, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2LOL My thoughts exactly! Hmmm, selling advertising anyone?
  • wiirdo, on 11/14/2007, -2/+20Super Size = Venti
    • bightchee, on 11/14/2007, -2/+3I don't put up with either of those crap names for sizes.
      • sites, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1Way to stick it to the man!
      • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9Venti is Italian for 20. It's a 20 ounce cup. I'll let you wrap your head around that for venti minutes for it to sink in.
        • NullPolarity, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2He as well as I probably already knew what the term meant, but I don't see how knowledge should indicate approval, or logically inverse, disapproval should indicate ignorance. Yeah, I'll give you another venti minutes to wrap your head around that.
        • offwithyourtv, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Except the Iced Venti cup is actually 24 ounces. In iced espresso drinks, that just makes up for the ice so the amount of coffee is closer to 20 ounces, but a Venti Frapppuccino is literally two Grandes.
  • mess7777, on 11/14/2007, -2/+5Starbucks has nothing to worry about. Take their ice cream for example. You might have one when you are there, but not many people go to McDonalds for ice cream alone. It won't be any different with coffee.
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4MY GOD YOU ARE WRONG. So many people come into my maccas just for a coffee. The dining room was renovated to have a divisiom, moving the fancy cafe section far far away from the playground and party room section.

      Its soo busy of a morning, but the snobs do roll in.

      This is the same at every maccas ive worked at.
    • FlyingSpaghetti, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1HAHA...the words "snob" and "McDonalds" just do not go together!!
    • CircleFusion, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1A lot of people go to McDonalds and THEN go to Starbucks to get their specialty coffee. Now those people won't do that. They will just get their mocha at McDonalds. It will affect Starbucks. Hopefully, Starbucks and McDonalds will fight it out for the "fast" specialty coffee market while the "real" coffee houses reestablish their market that was shaken up by Starbucks a few years ago. Ideally, Starbucks will be seen as it truly is, a convenient place to pay too much for fast, low quality speciality coffee drinks.
  • bightchee, on 11/14/2007, -3/+21I don't eat at McDonalds.... I don't eat or drink at Starbucks. Now I can not drink at McDonalds, too.
    • l33tsauce, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1So you go to restaurants and coffee shop just to sit around?
  • benroy, on 11/14/2007, -1/+22McBucks or StarDonalds? Either way, I just created two new super-heros.
    • rkzda, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I prefer StarMcBucks.
    • zylvester, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1There are already chains operating under these names in Russia, China and Korea
  • Lanefair, on 11/14/2007, -7/+3I don't go near either place to be honest. Anyway McDonalds customers don't drink coffee, they drink sugar and corn syrup. If they drank coffee they'd get motivated to do something with their fat clammy selves.
    • krets, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Because McDonald's black coffee contains sugar and corn syrup?
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4No, he is making reference to our old sugery buns and fountain coke. Coffee is just another tasty food.
      OI! Lanefair, you think only skinny people drink coffee? *****. People who need an energy boost, a wakeup or need to kill some time drink coffee. INCLUDING FAT PEOPLE
    • dhVyse, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5This is a pretty broad view of someone just because they go to McDonalds...
    • IAMKOREA, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Most people who go to Starbucks don't drink coffee either, they drink fat and corn syrup. Most of their 16 oz drinks are somewhere between 300 and 500 calories, with some pushing over 600.
    • imamessy1, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Having spent a year at Starbucks in college, a lot of people who go to Starbucks want something super-sweet with lots of whipped cream on top. I remember making a drink for a lady who asked for 10 pumps of caramel syrup in her grande latte, which normally would get 4. Then there's also the people who get venti breve drinks, so they're essentially downing about 16-18 oz of half and half.
      Let's not forget the pastry offerings. The classic coffeecake tastes great, but has around 600 calories.
  • keegster, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4maybe with the competition i wont be spending $2000 a year on starbux -- hopefully the prices go down some.
    • aaronm67, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1...you need to learn to make your own coffee or buy an expresso machine. $2000 a year on coffee...that's more then I spend on food.
  • inertic, on 11/14/2007, -2/+23More competition = consumer wins.
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -5/+0your a bloody genius mate, you got it!
    • IEatHamburgers, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3It's not just McDonald's trying to topple Starbucks - there was a report on CNN about this a couple months ago talking about the "coffee wars", where McDonald's and Starbucks are also facing competition from Tim Horton's, which is expanding into the US from Canada, and the American copycat Dunkin' Donuts.
    • PATSCRU, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Or, more soccer moms buying their hyperactive kids 400 calorie venti mocha frappucinos for their hyperactive and increasingly overweight 11 year old daughters.
    • CircleFusion, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1I don't think that line is always true. Starbucks caused a lot of good coffee shops to close down when they came into the market. In that instance, competition was not good for the consumer.
  • isuisorisuaint, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7the lack of customer service at mcdonalds outweighs any ***** coffee drink they try to pawn off.
    • spyrochaete, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4What, did their 24 hour coffee technical support hotline not meet your needs?
  • quakerorts, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5One word: ambience
    Okay, two words: drive thru
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3We do not serve cafe through drive through, its too time consuming and our goal time 320 seconds from start to drive off with food. You MUST come inside for mcafe, we do have an espresso machine for good coffee in drive through tho
  • alorber, on 11/14/2007, -2/+17This is a BS article. McDonald's premium coffee is purchased from Seattle's Best. Seattle's Best is OWNED BY STARBUCKS!! McDonald's premium coffee actually helps Starbucks by introducing a clientèle that would never go to a Starbucks to the sort of drinks that are served there.
    • Amazetbm, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Sounds like a Win-Win for Starbucks. LOL
    • havokdu, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3That may be true in the US. Not in the rest of the world where Starbucks doesn't have a market as big as Mc Donald's.
    • rufo, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Sorry, but not exactly. In the Northeast, McDonald's uses Green Mountain coffee, which isn't owned by Starbucks.

      I do agree it may help Starbucks in the long run, as it might bring higher-end coffee drinks to a segment of the market that wouldn't traditionally buy them, but it doesn't necessarily go straight to Starbucks' pocket.
  • rmxz, on 11/14/2007, -3/+2Should be interesting - both have a lot of power in central-american rain-forest deforestation (which is useful to them both for growing cheap meat and cheap coffee).
    http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0406-greenpeace.html
    http://www.organicconsumers.org/starbucks/043003_f ...
    If anyone can compete with starbucks, I think it's mcdonalds.

    To bad the rain forests lose.

  • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -11/+8I WORK AT MCDONALDS IN AUSTRALIA, and have been there 1.2 years, and to 5 different stores(one main store tho). We have had a "McCafe" for ages. WTF is this? Old news buddy. We use Arabica Beans, but all the coffe making is automated by big-ass machines to stupid proof them against some of my dumb-***** co-workers.

    By the way, don't touch the donuts, like all the cakes and nibbles, its all delivered once a week and FROZEN solid until the guy working the overnighter (often me) unpacks them at 4am. By the time you get there for your lunch break, the donuts are STALE.

    A better news article? We now have a KFC STYLE MENU!!! It started 2 days ago and is sweet. The meat is juicy and succulent, so our burgers, wraps and crispy strips taste FARKIN GOOD.

    McDonalds is copying everyone, but doing it well. We use Vegatable oil in our fryers, high fibre buns, fresh vegatables (tomato, cucumber, lettuce etc...) on many of our products and offer Nudie 100% fruit juices. the coffee out here rocks.

    BEFORE YOU FLAME ME, TRY IT. I WORK AT MACCAS SO I HAVE ***** CREDIT.
    • JenadaeXX, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5You seem rather proud about all of this...
      • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -3/+4I take pride in my work, if you got a problem with that, ask to be served by buy who hates his job at my store instead of me, Mcdonalds is like a favourite football team to me.
        • greenlight2001, on 11/14/2007, -4/+4"Mcdonalds is like a favourite football team to me"

          AAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!
        • JenadaeXX, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2Ok, ok, fine i respect your pride in your job... but you gotta realize there are better opportunities out there for you. And your right i went to McDonalds not only 3 days ago to run into the fact that only 1 staff member had anything close to a smile on there face and it turned the whole experience into a rather blah one as i walked away with my burger.
          • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Take another look at his original post and then reevaluate your comment that "there are better opportunities out there for you." It seems like he's perfect for the job (and nothing else).
    • CasualAffair, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1
      "BEFORE YOU FLAME ME, TRY IT. I WORK AT MACCAS SO I HAVE ***** CREDIT."



      BAM
    • Matt2k, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1> We use Arabica Beans

      Unless you're buying Folgers or other shelf roughage, all premium coffee is Arabica with few exceptions.
  • baalzebub, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4so this means McDonalds is going to sell off the shelf coffee with extra crap mixed in it for three times what it is worth?
  • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4McDonald's iced coffee is actually pretty good... When they make it right, which is about 20% of the time according to my estimates. Anyway, for all the people bitching about this: don't you realize that even if you hate McDonald's and only get Starbucks, this can only be good? Competition normally equates to lower prices eventually. Now you'll only have to pay $4.50 instead of $5 for that cup of dirty bean-filtered water.
  • rupric, on 11/14/2007, -0/+12Call me crazy but I'd rather get my coffee from a naked mermaid than a scary clown any day of the week.
    • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1Starbucks = copouts for getting rid of her hooters.
    • chapium, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Call me crazy, but I'd rather get my coffee from a local coffeehouse. Its better coffee, usually cheaper, and also has food.
  • dhVyse, on 11/14/2007, -0/+11Their coffee isn't that bad. And honestly, Starbucks coffee isn't that good. I still prefer Dunken Doughnuts coffee over all.
  • xjbri, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5I don't trust McDonald's employees making fancy coffee drinks. I'm lucky to get my regular order right.
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Thats why the machines do most of it. They grind the beans and pour the base of the drink. All i have to remember is to froth the milk and this chart:

      Latte = 1cm of fine froth
      Capacino = 2.5cm of froth with choc powder
      Flat white = no froth
      Long black/Short black = Nothing. Machine does it.
    • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1McDonald's employees don't even make the normal soft drinks, just about. They put a cup under the machine and hit a button for the size. Just about everything in that place is as automated as possible to prevent variation (and any moronic workers from messing ***** up). If anything, McDonald's coffee will undoubtedly be more consistent, and if the machines are decent enough, it might actually taste decent too.
      • ashura001, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Not necessarily true. I worked at McDonalds for a while and, while everything is clearly labeled and theoretically idiot proof, most of my co-workers still couldn't figure out how to work the milkshake machine. It was even worse when the chocolate milkshake vat ran out.
        It's depressing that nobody else thought to just use the chocolate syrup from the ice cream cones and blend it with the McFlurry machine.
  • SirJman, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Its called McCafé
    The concept was introduced in Australia in 1993 and has been successful in several other countries, including Germany, Ireland, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Chile, Panama, New Zealand, Colombia, Guatemala, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Hungary and most recently Canada, Ecuador, Russia and Peru. There are 22 McCafés in Hong Kong.
    • punkrockxtian, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3McCafe was an epic failure where I live in Southwestern Ontario (Burlington/Oakville).
  • bear^, on 11/14/2007, -3/+6For all of you Yahoos out there... sorry to break it to you, but it's the same ***** coffee. They have the same god damn supplier. www.kleenex.com for all your crying needs.
  • DangerStepp, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Next on the agenda: making their food taste like real food.
  • markforbrains, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4The only thing worse than ***** and heinously overpriced Starbucks coffee is slightly ***** and slightly less overpriced McDonalds coffee. I still can't understand how Starbucks is so popular.
  • CoolHandLuke, on 11/14/2007, -0/+12It's the beef tallow that makes the coffee taste so good.
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -3/+0we stopped using tallow years ago mate.
  • tymme, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4I wonder which racist stereotype will be used in the new coffee mini-commercials... linked in with the soccer mom feeding the whole family or the hip-hop ghetto idiots that can only afford stuff from the dollar menu....
    • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1You mean the concept of being a dollar menunaire is a farce? Hello suicide....
  • rotundo, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6I'm not a fan of McDonald's, but I have to admit I like their regular coffee better than Starbucks. It may be weak, but at least it's not burnt and bitter as hell. Starbucks' success just baffles me... it is really some of the worst tasting coffee around. Their espresso drinks aren't too bad, so maybe that makes up for it. And being absolutely everywhere. And the fact that people aren't terribly picky about coffee... they just want their damn caffeine.

    But I'd rather drink almost anything than Starbucks.
    • fayeumi, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Starbucks' regular coffee has a higher caffeine content than almost anything out there. Even the decaf has more caffeine than most other brands' caffeinated coffee. It's legal crack. No one cares what it tastes like. The other side is the espresso drinks, which have much less caffeine a week's worth of fat and sugar. And Starbucks has an amazing marketing and PR wing.
      • gerbco, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Source? Starbucks overcooks the beans. Overcooking actually reduces caffeine concentration.
    • meririm, on 11/14/2007, -1/+1They are not absolutely everywhere. No starbucks in Belgium yet, as far as I know. Though I know people hoping to see some...
  • phoenixsong44, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I tried one of their frappuccinos a few months ago, excited at the possibility that there would be a cheaper place to get them then Starbucks or the local campus coffee shops. I was sorely disappointed... the first sip was great, but then there was a terrible aftertaste of burnt, bitter coffee. I've tried them several times since then at several different locations and had the same result. They need to train their employees to properly make coffee first before I'll buy one again. Dunkin Donuts is still the only place to get cheap, decent coffee.
  • kmlixey87, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3"I think i just choked back some McVomit..."

    At least you can feel better about yourself when you get to order your "hangover special" and get a triple soy mocha latte with foam.
  • thephosphorbox, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4I'm sorry.. I know this is an f*cked up thing to say, but the kids that work at my local McDonald's can't even get my sandwich order right. How the hell do they plan on keeping up with the insanity that is the latte business at Starbucks? The first time some pretentious old twit comes in and orders a "non-fat-soy no-whip carmel macchiato extra froth served at 106 degrees", they'll have to call the manager over to show them where the buttons are on the register... nevermind actually MAKING it.

    Or, wait a minute, McDonald's will probably just have pre-packaged powder mix so all the kid has to do is press the brightly-colored small, medium, or large cup icon/button on the front of the machine.
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2Your actually half way right.

      We have a different crew for cafe, they begin with no affiliation to the burger section and are taught properly. Many actually come from other cafe's. Our registers are computers so all the shiny buttons are there and much of the process is automated. The chai lattes, and chocolate drinks are all powders.

      Are you using Farrenheight for temperature? cause milk burns and tastes like cheese above about 80 celsius.
      • DncrLgz, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Haha. Good to know that McDonald's is 10 steps ahead of their inefficient burger crew. That's awesome.
  • adcmarti, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4Maybe someone can put Starbucks in check. I am not a coffee drinker but $5 bucks for a cup of coffee is crazy!
    • hmmmok, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3$5? I usually pay less then 2.
    • rufo, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1$5 isn't coffee, that's two shots of espresso with some high-sugar syrups and steamed milk. If you want a coffee from Starbucks, you'll pay under $2.
  • colinjay, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Don't buy either of their coffee. Make your own! For what you pay to McStarbucks you can save up for a fancy schmancy coffeemaker/grinder and buy fresh beans or roast them yourself. Do yourself and your wallet a favor and brew your own. A $15 french press and 5 min in the morning will absolutely whip anything regular coffee you find as staryucks!
    • MuletTheGreat, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Yes, but lets see you take that rig to work on your lunch break or on the way home. Hmm, ask a girl out for coffee and then just take her home. Creepy? Yes.
      • betobeto, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Some workmates here have french presses next to their desks. Now, it just happens they are all married. Coincidence? Who knows.
    • itsthebrod, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Making coffee at home for a potential girl also makes the roofies much easier to slip into the drink.
  • FiftiesMike, on 11/14/2007, -7/+1I'll take Starbucks over McDonald's any day. As long as McDonald's keeps hiring illegal aliens (Google Reno ICE raid), I wouldn't set foot in one of those dives for anything!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmpnWO2pjhY
  • dblespresso, on 11/14/2007, -2/+2Because most every Starbucks uses super-automatic class espresso machines, the quality of espresso is not determined by the operator. McDonalds could hit the same button on the machine and produce the same product. The presentation is where the skill comes in, ordered to go it is all the same. Plus maybe McDonalds wont use the burnt roast that Starbucks uses.
  • ZenFountain, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Seeing people spend $4+ on a cup of coffee from anywhere just reminds me how poor I am. It's ironic that McD's is rolling out a beverage that probably cost more than any food item then sell. How can a cup of roasted beans and water cost more than a sandwich with a half a pound of beef, bun, cheese and condiments? The food industry scares me.
  • wobblebottom, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2It's called McCafé, it's been in Australia for some time.

    http://www.mcdonalds.com.au/HTML/ourFood/mccafe.as ...
  • Zippo, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4So, I get to have overworked minimum wage teens make me a half-assed, chemical-filled latte in between slapping together big macs?
    Oh yeah, that's appealing.
  • mashedpotatoes, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8***** cheap coffee vs. ***** expensive coffee = no one wins.
  • MV559er, on 11/14/2007, -1/+8I prefer Dunkin' Donuts coffee to both Starbucks and McDonalds, especially since Dunkin' Donuts has the re-closable sipping hole cover (is there a name for that??) However, I do appreciate that Starbucks uses recycled paper cups instead of the harmful styrofoam cups that almost everyone else uses. Furthermore, I'd much prefer a local coffee shop to any of the above.
    • lagrange, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2DD coffee is awesome, not too dark, not too light and a ***** load of caffeine.
  • ploop, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4I've always found McDonald's coffee to be quite good. There aren't many good things at McDonald's, but I like their coffee. And their milkshakes and the hot apple pie.

    Dunkin' Donuts coffee is good too.
    • FarisMadi, on 11/14/2007, -1/+0ya, but you can't compare it with what starbuck has ...
      • ploop, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Sure you can. At least on some level. I don't particularly care for Starbucks regular coffees, but I'll have one of their espresso drinks once in a while.
    • astrotrain, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1Is that you Ronald you silly Clown?

  • fejwuzhere, on 11/14/2007, -2/+4Let me get this straight, they can't make my double cheeseburger plain, correctly....so now I get the chance to have them make something 10 times more complicated?
  • maineman99, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5McDonald's coffee (in the US) was dreadful for years. A friend convinced me to try it again recently, and it's now very good. I drink my coffee on the go, so restaurant atmosphere doesn't matter, and I'm not trying to impress anyone with the logo on my cup. There's lots of customers who just want a quality product at a fair price, and the other BS doesn't matter. I just wish the rest of the menu was half as good as the coffee.
    • astrotrain, on 11/14/2007, -2/+1McCoffee and McDonalds Food... yeah you'll be on the go alright... right to the john.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 83 of 83 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.