Coffee clash: McDonald's vs. Starbucks - Food Inc.- msnbc.comI'll stop at McD's for one of their iced coffees. 20 oz. for $2? I'll pay that. But they're also fast, and everywhere. Starbucks - more expensive, slower, and less availability - they're going to have a heck of a stretch to fight McDs. Unless they speed up, and start serving burgers...CHICAGO - McDonald’s executives came out swinging when they announced their assault on the comfy world of coffee shops.
After the success of its upgraded drip coffee — which even managed to snag a thumbs-up from testers at Consumer Reports earlier this year — the fast food chain known for super-size meals is gearing up for a massive expansion into the world of lattes.“We want to move from beverages as an accompaniment to being a beverage destination,” Don Thompson, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a meeting with analysts Tuesday. “Our speed, our convenience, the value that we can afford to customers without quality comprise will make us a formidable player.”
J.
Comments (5)
(I know this is putting in the class of people who figure every discussion of airlines is the cue to recount how they were mistreated by a gate agent back in 1989, but --)
I have never understood the allure of Starbucks. I haven’t tried ‘em often -- maybe three times -- but every time the coffee was awful. Burnt-tasting. Maybe that’s just me.
(Hmmm... ‘Starbucks’ is in my spellchecker. Oh, well -- that’s Microsoft for ya’.)
Posted by RNB | November 19, 2007 12:09 PM
Posted on November 19, 2007 12:09
Starbucks...y'know, for a coffee, they make a great pain stripper. :-P
Posted by clairk | November 19, 2007 3:07 PM
Posted on November 19, 2007 15:07
*the typo in the previous comment was brought to you by PIMF. Use PIMF to avoid those embarrassing little slipups!
("Pain stripper" sounds like a sadist who works at the Pink Pony.)
Posted by clairk | November 19, 2007 3:20 PM
Posted on November 19, 2007 15:20
Worst coffee I ever had was on a Reserve weekend in the chow hall - I think it must have been left in the urn from the month before and reheated. Compared to that, Starbucks is nectar of the Caffeinated Gods. Second worst in recent (IE ten years or so) memory was a cup of something remotely resembling coffee I got from Krystal's one morning on the way to work.
I like all kinds of coffees, barring the occasional undrinkable mistake. Trader Joe's has a very dark roast coffee that's great on camping trips. On the other hand, I use Folgers in the coffee maker for the morning dose.
Ah, coffee. There's times I think that coffee and tobacco, nicotine and caffeine, were the real fuel of the industrial revolution...
J.
Posted by JLawson | November 19, 2007 9:49 PM
Posted on November 19, 2007 21:49
I like coffee - with cream. The bad heavy cream kind. I also like coffee ice cream. TraderJoe's has a coffee ice Cream made by Rainbow company, and it is absolutely the superest coffee ice cream I've ever had. A little pricey, but the flavor is so intense that a serving half the size of the "slow-churned" we usually have on hand is equally satisfying. Just as well - it's probably twice the calories!
I ran across this article some time ago and found it interesting - so much stuff we just take for granted! - and thought you might enjoy it as well..
http://eaglespeak.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-ship-history-navy-coffee.html
Posted by suek | November 20, 2007 11:04 AM
Posted on November 20, 2007 11:04