McDonalds is Taking on Starbucks

[Queen Mother]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22536076/


NEW YORK - McDonald’s Corp is set to launch coffee bars with “baristas” serving cappuccinos and lattes, moving into direct competition with global coffee chain Starbucks Corp., The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
McDonald’s will install coffee bars at its 14,000 U.S. stores, incorporating theatrics similar to Starbucks’ counters, displaying espresso machines and having baristas prepare drinks, the report said.

The report, citing internal documents from 2007, said the move will add $1 billion to McDonald’s annual sales of $21.6 billion. McDonald’s will also sell smoothies and bottled beverages, it said.

[Demetri]

Starbucks is the McDonald's of coffee.

Seeing the caliber of people at some Starbucks locations vs. the caliber of people at McDonald's, they're really not that far off. Starbucks will have to rely on it's image of hoityness in order to stay afloat.

Of course, is the McFlurry really any competition for a Blizzard?

[Goobersmooch]

the constant shareholder pressure for increasing profits and sales is teh reason for this insane diversification

theres nothing i hate worse than when a company wants more money so badly that they let go of their core business in an effort to grab marketshare from other slightly related businesses

the net result is usually that their core business suffers and at the end of the day, they cant do anything particularly well

[BassCatter]

Reckon they'll have the Moccachino marketed like the happy meals to hook em early?

[threekidspa]

Burger King has tried this. I wonder what happened with that experiment?

[Goobersmooch]

i thought burger king just marketed the crap out of their regular coffee as JOE

[threekidspa]

Naw, this was different...you could get a mocha latte, or a latte, or an espresso if you wanted one. I'm not sure the experiment ever made it out of the pacific northwest where I was living at the time...

[Demetri]

Well, WalMart ventured into the grocery game, and succeeded.

Who else...

[Nana]

Well, WalMart ventured into the grocery game, and succeeded.

Who else...

They may have succeeded in cornering the market and driving other places out of business but they suck at providing and keeping things on their shelves. Just as soon as they figure out you like a product, it can no longer be found at Walmart. I've seen this too many times and I am ready to go out of the way to shop elsewhere.:banghead:

[Queen Mother]

I'm wondering who'll be suing if they serve the lattes TOO HOT!! And, will you be able to order these through the drive-thru or will you have to go in for the barista to prepare it for you?

And, is that a job title - barista?

[Demetri]

And, is that a job title - barista?

Yep. I've seen it on applications from several different coffee houses. That's what they call them. I guess it sounded better than Coffee Jerk.

[threekidspa]

I like 'coffee knave' ;) (sp?)

[Augustus MCcrae]

When is Donanelle's gonna get a barista?

[Fotno]

I'll let Hawk brew it and I'll pour it into the cups.

[Fish-Bait]

They may have succeeded in cornering the market and driving other places out of business but they suck at providing and keeping things on their shelves. Just as soon as they figure out you like a product, it can no longer be found at Walmart. I've seen this too many times and I am ready to go out of the way to shop elsewhere.:banghead:

Somehow someway we are bound to be kin....I do NOT TRADE at WAL_MART!!!!!!!!!

[bpitt]

Donanelle's has a barista, it's called the Beirgarten!!!

[Fish-Bait]

Beer coffee lol..

[Demetri]

Doesn't budwiser make some caffeine coffee? Ugh.

[Augustus MCcrae]

One of my all-time favorite Amos and Andy episodes was about George "Kingfish" Stevens and Andrew H. "Andy" Brown opening a diner together. They dressed in their Mystic Knights of the Sea regalia for their grand opening. Amos Jones, the Fresh Air Taxi driver, came in. Andy brought the coffee pot over. Amos asked, "What's your job here, Andy?" Andy proudly responded, " I am the Punjab of Javapo....I po' the java!"

Foto can be the "Punjab of Javapo" for the beirgarten!

[pooker]

Starbucks has a really nice setting that I think is the reason it attracts so many people. Lets see if mcdonalds can bring that

[Goobersmooch]

speaking of starbucks, there was an article i read a few weeks ago that i thought would be relevant to the discussion at hand only slightly

but its interesting nonetheless

it basically tells why starbucks HELPS the mom and pop coffee houses much more than it hurts them

http://www.slate.com/id/2180301/pagenum/all/