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McDonald's to take on Starbucks
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by Rob Peters | January 7, 2008 at 01:28 pm
1536 views | 5 Recommendations | 8 comments
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First Starbucks takes a page out of the McDonald's playbook by selling Starbuckian breakfast sandwiches, and now McDonald's wants to return the favour.
No matter where you stand on fast food, Goliath versus Goliath should make for an interesting fight.
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.
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.
The documents forecast that the "barista" move could add $1 billion US to McDonald's annual sales of $21.6 billion US, the paper said.
A McDonald's Canada spokesman could not say if Canadian stores were also going to get coffee bars.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 14:09 on January 7th, 2008
Anywhere that sells both greasy fast food and specialty coffee drinks can only fail spectacularly at one, the other, or both. I doubt every McDonald's is going to have a La Marzocco machine and training for their "McBaristas" so my guess is the steamed/foam milk is going to come out of a machine. That means it'll be gross. Just like...well, McDonald's food. Good luck,McDicks!
at 16:38 on January 7th, 2008
Like Kaitlin adequately out it, but more like Walmart trying to get Holt Renfrew's Clientele to cross over the to dark (Full Bodied Aroma) side, aint gonna happen. Though I like Kaitlins response better, it is just that she beat me to it (Her Witty Response)
at 15:57 on January 7th, 2008
But don't the Starbucks "baristas" now prepare fancy drinks with just the touch of a button? It's hard to think of automated five dollar lattes as anything approximating artisanal. They should just get it over with and consolidate product lines to become the most ubiquitous fast food & beverage store in the history of humankind.
at 16:34 on January 7th, 2008
ugh... that's right, I said it. (insert image of dispassionate stick figure arms thrust into the air in frustration)
at 17:36 on January 7th, 2008
The coffee at MCD tastes better than Starbucks. imho
at 18:01 on January 7th, 2008
thank you for the story Rob. I guess if McD is going to get coffee bars, no matter it is delicious or not, people who get used to eat McD burger in the morning will be stronger customers that before because they don't have to go starbucks to get a cup of coffee after having burger in McD. I mean.. people who love to eat McD burger will get coffee from McD to save time especially on the way to go to work in the morning time. It will be really interesting fight!
at 20:58 on January 7th, 2008
I never really had any problems with McDonald's coffee but can they really make a claim like this on their sign? (Photo taken in Huntington, NY http://maps.google.com/maps?q=160+Walt+Whitman+Rd,+Huntington+Station,+NY+11746,+USA&ie=UTF8&ll=40.817837,-73.394766&spn=0.031634,0.069351&z=14&om=1 )
keithhopkin has contributed a photo to this story.
at 03:52 on January 8th, 2008
sol has contributed a photo to this story.