Would you swap a Starbucks coffee for a McDonald's coffee?

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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The McDonald's rebrand is in full swing. After revealing new plans to completely revamp its McCafé brand, the company appears to have set its sights on challenging popular high street coffee chains such as Starbucks. The McCafé brand, which was first introduced in the UK in 2012, will be getting a $4 billion rebrand to ensure all coffee will be made from sustainably sourced beans by 2020. That's right: McDonald's coffee, known across the high street for its cheap and cheerful nature, is going posh.

The current plans to upgrade the McCafé brand is focused on chains in the US, but coffee from McDonald's has already been proven to be extremely popular in the UK and the rest of Europe. Earlier this year McDonald's opened its first standalone McCafé store in France selling club sandwiches, raisin bread, soup, tiramisu and other items you wouldn't expect to find on a McDonald's menu.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/mcdonalds-challenge-starbucks-posh-coffee/
 
Can't see the point. Such places are what they are a reasonable place to get a quick drink. If I want a good coffee [I like cappuccino but each to their own] I'll go to a genuine coffee emporium - do what you're good at
 
I eat McDonalds maybe two or three times a year, and generally as a result of running out of time, really late on an evening, to cook for the family - so it's a quick-fix rather than something we particularly enjoy.

I eat and drink at Starbucks a little more often due to location; they have one in our main shopping centre in town and as a reward for driving the wife and daughter into town for their shopping trips, I end up with a sandwich and coffee, or shake. The quality is higher, but then so are the prices!

I think McDonalds will struggle to compete with the Starbucks and Costa Coffee establishments - it would have to be fantastic coffee to draw me from either other those "known" brands - but in areas where you have workers passing a McDonalds to get to one of the others, they might be able to steal some of that passing trade.

Maybe they'll surprise us, but I still see McDonalds as a kids and teenage fast-food brand, and posh coffee from them won't do much to change that impression for me. :okay:
 
I have had a plain Starbucks Coffee once. I was not impressed. It just tasted like coffee that had been sitting a while. Of course, that may have been because we had a coupon and the barrista didn't want to put in any effort as we were taking away from her gossip time.

I have had McDonalds coffee (just their regular stuff) twice. It was freshly made and pretty good.
 
When I worked for a living I drank a lot of coffee whether it be from the office "machine" or instant. Since ceasing work I now drink one mug/day first thing on a morning and that's instant. The only time I've had Starbucks was in Singapore and that was because their outlet was next to the foodcourt that we used for lunch. I wasn't really impressed. I've never had a coffee in McDonalds.
 
I'm not really comfortable with the large multinational outlets with their huge profit margins (in excess of 90% on coffee) and dubious tax arrangements. I also find their bogus terminology really irritating - "I'd like a small black coffee please", "you mean you want a tall Americano?", "no, I want a small black coffee please. What's tall or American about that?" If I'm out and about and in need of coffee I try and find an independent.
 
I'm not really comfortable with the large multinational outlets with their huge profit margins (in excess of 90% on coffee) and dubious tax arrangements. I also find their bogus terminology really irritating - "I'd like a small black coffee please", "you mean you want a tall Americano?", "no, I want a small black coffee please. What's tall or American about that?" If I'm out and about and in need of coffee I try and find an independent.
Why are they asking if you want my cousins?
The tallest one is a little over 2 meters or 6 foot 9 inches.
 
Why are they asking if you want my cousins?
The tallest one is a little over 2 meters or 6 foot 9 inches.
Wow you have tall cousins ☺ Do Starbucks not use similar terminology over there? I guess a "tall Americano" would be a strange thing for an American to order!
 
Wow you have tall cousins ☺ Do Starbucks not use similar terminology over there? I guess a "tall Americano" would be a strange thing for an American to order!
I have no clue on Starbucks measurements. I don't go to starbucks.
I do have starbuck's ground coffee beans that I bought very cheap at our local grocery store.
 
I had a similar exchange with a Starbucks employee when trying to order a simple white coffee:

---Me: "Hello. I'd like a medium white coffee please."
Them: "We don't do a white coffee. Do you mean a latte?"
---Me: "No, just a white coffee please." <smile>
Them: "Oh, you mean a 'Flat White'. Okay. No problem."
---Me: "No, I don't want a 'Flat White'. I just want a white coffee please."
Them: "Well, I'm sorry, we don't have a white coffee."
---Me: "It's coffee with a bit of milk in. Surely you can make a white coffee?"
Them: "Ohhhhhhh. I see. Yeah, we can do that. What you want is an Americano."
---Me: "Americano?"
Them: "Yes. A black coffee and you put your own milk in if you like. It's over there, behind you."
---Me: "Erm, okay, then yes - please can I have a medium one of those."
Them: "We don't have a 'medium'. Do you mean 'Tall'?"
---Me: <banging head on counter in exasperation> "YES. Yes. That will do. Thanks."
Them: "Okay. Great. No problem. Did you want decaf?"
---Me: <almost explodes!>
 
I had a similar exchange with a Starbucks employee when trying to order a simple white coffee:

---Me: "Hello. I'd like a medium white coffee please."
Them: "We don't do a white coffee. Do you mean a latte?"
---Me: "No, just a white coffee please." <smile>
Them: "Oh, you mean a 'Flat White'. Okay. No problem."
---Me: "No, I don't want a 'Flat White'. I just want a white coffee please."
Them: "Well, I'm sorry, we don't have a white coffee."
---Me: "It's coffee with a bit of milk in. Surely you can make a white coffee?"
Them: "Ohhhhhhh. I see. Yeah, we can do that. What you want is an Americano."
---Me: "Americano?"
Them: "Yes. A black coffee and you put your own milk in if you like. It's over there, behind you."
---Me: "Erm, okay, then yes - please can I have a medium one of those."
Them: "We don't have a 'medium'. Do you mean 'Tall'?"
---Me: <banging head on counter in exasperation> "YES. Yes. That will do. Thanks."
Them: "Okay. Great. No problem. Did you want decaf?"
---Me: <almost explodes!>
Reverse that and you have what happened at Leeds Railway Station, when they had a small counter outside the shop, just inside the doors.

Freebies to get you to go into the shop. And don't forget the local accent.
 
What accent?
Where's Leeds?
Yorkshire Flag.jpg
 
I had a similar exchange with a Starbucks employee when trying to order a simple white coffee:

---Me: "Hello. I'd like a medium white coffee please."
Them: "We don't do a white coffee. Do you mean a latte?"
---Me: "No, just a white coffee please." <smile>
Them: "Oh, you mean a 'Flat White'. Okay. No problem."
---Me: "No, I don't want a 'Flat White'. I just want a white coffee please."
Them: "Well, I'm sorry, we don't have a white coffee."
---Me: "It's coffee with a bit of milk in. Surely you can make a white coffee?"
Them: "Ohhhhhhh. I see. Yeah, we can do that. What you want is an Americano."
---Me: "Americano?"
Them: "Yes. A black coffee and you put your own milk in if you like. It's over there, behind you."
---Me: "Erm, okay, then yes - please can I have a medium one of those."
Them: "We don't have a 'medium'. Do you mean 'Tall'?"
---Me: <banging head on counter in exasperation> "YES. Yes. That will do. Thanks."
Them: "Okay. Great. No problem. Did you want decaf?"
---Me: <almost explodes!>
Can I be insulted for all the short not white Americans?
That is just awful.
Note to self: avoid Starbucks in the future.
 
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