McDonald's Is The "New Starbucks?"
Or at least they are hoping to be!
The other night, The Husband and I got to chatting about Starbucks...
"You using that Starbucks gift card I got you for Christmas?" he inquired, as I walked through our apartment door with a fresh cup in my hands.
"Um, yeah" I kinda confirmed.
"I'm glad you're getting use out of your gift!" he exclaimed, verbally "patting himself on the back" for thinking of getting me one.
"Well," I decided to confess, "I actually used up the card you got me. I've reloaded it in the past day."
"What?" He inquired. "There was $40 on that card and you burned through it already?"
"Actually, " I informed him, "There was $50 on it. And yes, I did go through it already. How much do you think Starbucks Skinny Lattes cost?"
That segued us to two topics related to Starbucks and the cost of it's coffee.
The first one was that while at Starbucks (funnily enough, when I was reloading my card), the two baristas behind the counter commented how business was slow in part of December... But that it had picked up in the past few days. (I am starting think I AM responsible for this alleged recession!)
And the second one was about how he (The Husband) had read a report recently that McDonald's was going to be go head-to-head with Starbucks for that "coffee bar market."
Apparently, McDonald's wants customers to start thinking of them as THE place to visit for that cappuccino fix. They're going to be adding baristas and coffee bar equipment to get the competition rolling.
However, I don't know if I would be a consumer of McDonald's coffee... Even if they were to expand their variety and offer for a cheaper price.
I know that when I buy a cup fro Starbucks, I am buying (from what I understand) from a business that legitimately tries to take good care of its employees. And to be honest, a lot of the baristas I have encountered since moving to Boston nearly five years ago have stayed at their same Starbucks locations. (Seriously!) Especially in Downtown and in the South End... The faces are the same. So that (to me) means they actually like where they work.
Would you buy coffee drinks from McDonald's if they were to offer a wider variety at cheaper price? (Me thinks this will make a good poll for this week.)
The other night, The Husband and I got to chatting about Starbucks...
"You using that Starbucks gift card I got you for Christmas?" he inquired, as I walked through our apartment door with a fresh cup in my hands.
"Um, yeah" I kinda confirmed.
"I'm glad you're getting use out of your gift!" he exclaimed, verbally "patting himself on the back" for thinking of getting me one.
"Well," I decided to confess, "I actually used up the card you got me. I've reloaded it in the past day."
"What?" He inquired. "There was $40 on that card and you burned through it already?"
"Actually, " I informed him, "There was $50 on it. And yes, I did go through it already. How much do you think Starbucks Skinny Lattes cost?"
That segued us to two topics related to Starbucks and the cost of it's coffee.
The first one was that while at Starbucks (funnily enough, when I was reloading my card), the two baristas behind the counter commented how business was slow in part of December... But that it had picked up in the past few days. (I am starting think I AM responsible for this alleged recession!)
And the second one was about how he (The Husband) had read a report recently that McDonald's was going to be go head-to-head with Starbucks for that "coffee bar market."
Apparently, McDonald's wants customers to start thinking of them as THE place to visit for that cappuccino fix. They're going to be adding baristas and coffee bar equipment to get the competition rolling.
However, I don't know if I would be a consumer of McDonald's coffee... Even if they were to expand their variety and offer for a cheaper price.
I know that when I buy a cup fro Starbucks, I am buying (from what I understand) from a business that legitimately tries to take good care of its employees. And to be honest, a lot of the baristas I have encountered since moving to Boston nearly five years ago have stayed at their same Starbucks locations. (Seriously!) Especially in Downtown and in the South End... The faces are the same. So that (to me) means they actually like where they work.
Would you buy coffee drinks from McDonald's if they were to offer a wider variety at cheaper price? (Me thinks this will make a good poll for this week.)
Comments
* Their non-coffee drinks are amazing - especially the yummy Chai Latte!
* They are - in my opinion - the perfect example of how a company can be financially successful while still be socially responsible. They try to be environmentally conscious, use fair-trade coffee, and donate significantly to various causes. Plus, they give benefits (like health insurance and tuition reimbursement) to PART-TIME employees!
McDonald's, on the other hand, sucks.
I'm with you - I'll be sticking with Starbucks!
I can't even stand the smell of McDonald's if I'm near one of their parking lots. There is NO WAY I'd buy a hot drink from them. Ew.