McCafes are beginning to roll out in McDonald's restaurants in O.C.
** 1/2009 update: Irvine McDonald’s now serving espresso
Four McDonald’s restaurants in Orange County have installed “McCafe” espresso machines, making them the first local burger eateries to challenge Starbucks with their fast-food lattes, mochas and cappuccinos.
The following McDonald’s in Orange County are now selling espresso beverages:
- McDonald’s at 10115 Valley View Rd., Cypress.
- McDonald’s (inside a Walmart) at 2595 East Imperial Hwy., Brea.
- McDonald’s (inside a Walmart) at 3600 W. McFadden Ave. in Santa Ana.
A McDonald’s in Anaheim, near the train depot and Anaheim Stadium, is also expected to start selling lattes soon.
The restaurant, located at 1810 S. State College Blvd., was testing its espresso machine Tuesday when I stopped by. Employees said the fast-food joint could start selling java as early as today (Wednesday). A sign in the restaurant said free samples will be handed out from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday.
Starbucks vs. McDonald: A large, 20-ounce latte at McDonald's is 26 cents less compared to Starbucks.
I jotted down prices from the new McCafe menu board in Anaheim, and compared them to the same drinks served at a Starbucks located across the street on Katella Avenue.
As expected, every McDonald’s drink was cheaper than Starbucks. Depending on the drink and size, the prices at McDonald’s were lower by as much as 66 cents. (See chart here.)
Another huge plus: the milk options are whole or non-fat milk, according to the menu board. That’s a big bonus for those who like skim milk.
Even though I didn’t get a drink in Anahiem, I have tested the McDonald’s latte at a store in Los Angeles. And I have to say — it was pretty good. A great value compared to Starbucks. If you make your own comparison, let us know by commenting here.
Related stories:
- Starbucks thanks oatmeal for soaring sales
- McDonald’s delays national rollout of Angus burger
- McDonald’s restaurants in SoCal to raise price Monday on $1 Double Cheeseburger
- McDonald’s: Why no McRib in Southern California?
- Fast food at Denny’s? Get ready for Grand Slamwich
- Starbucks takes the stink out of hot breakfast sandwiches
- Fast food joints increase breakfast offerings
- Panera Bread debuts breakfast sandwiches
- McDonald’s introduced McSkillet breakfast burrito
(Click on all photos to enlarge.)
If it tastes the same as the McCafe in Florence, Italy, I’ll be there every day!!!!!!
Slightly off topic, but in Europe and South America McDonald’s has been opening “McCafe” coffee places inside existing McDonald’s stores. The McCafe areas have nice leather seating, subtle lighting, and offer a full range of coffee drinks. In Buenos Aires I visited both a Starbucks and a McCafe and found the McCafe had lower prices, better service, and more comfortable seating than the Starbucks. An added plus - some of the McCafes (there are several of them) offer high speed internet terminals. If you spent a minimum of about $2.00 (US) you get 30 minutes of internet time.
Prices at Starbucks in Buenos Aires were slightly HIGHER (in US Dollars) than they are for the same drink the the U.S.! This in a country where per capita incomes are about 1/3 of what they are in the U.S.!
Just for clarification — these McDonald’s don’t have a special sit down cafe area for ordering drinks. You order the same way — front the front cash register. The cups come with a “McCafe” logo, and there’s a separate menu board. I actually found it interesting that the first two in O.C. were actually inside a Walmart.
Nothing against Walmart, but I really avoid going in there especially this time of year with the crowds so I’ll hold back from trying the new espresso drink. Hopefully they will be in more McDonald’s soon…
Keep us updated…Thanks!
This is so great. I hardly drink lattes because of the price. Looks like I will be getting them from Mcdonalds. A real Starbucks killer would be an blended ice mocha, Nancy do they serve this drink?
I don’t know if this qualifies me as a snob or what, but I don’t really care that McDonalds offers the drinks cheaper. I mean come on! What, I can save 36 cents going to McDonalds vs. Starbucks for a latte? What silliness. Starbucks offers a better experience and a better ambiance than McDonalds ever could and so I can’t believe we’re even discussing 36 cents. Lets say you religiously get a latte everyday, that’s a difference of $11 a month. I guess I must be doing pretty well in this economy that $11 over the course of a month is nothing. Call me a snob I guess, but I prefer the atmosphere at Starbucks and I even like Peet’s better than Starbucks.
To me it makes perfect sense why they’d open these cafes in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is for penny pinchers and anyone who is worried about .30 cents difference aren’t worried about the ambiance or the experience of Starbucks vs. McDonalds. Penny pinchers want fancy coffee too, they just will feel better about paying a few cents less for it at McDonalds and since they tend to shop at Wal-Mart too … and there’s McDonalds in Wal-Mart, well, voila…
Some people have kids and don’t have time to enjoy the so called ambiance at Starbucks. If the Lattes taste similar you better believe i will take the savings. The $11 in savings per month could at least buy some extra fruit and veggies.
Nick,
You better count your blessings and pennies. People that shop at Wal-Mart are smart….why would you pay extra for something that you can get cheaper? Then again, we need people like you to show off in OC.
Let’s see how you re-act to penny pinching when you get laid off or the economy starts affecting you.
i’ve been a pretty loyal starbucks customer. i think starbucks has given me more free stuff than any other food/beverage chain i can think of. they also have much more civilized business practices, at least wrt employee pay and benefits. i’d much rather support starbucks over mickey d’s. isn’t it fitting that the mcdonald’s lattes launch inside the temple of the downward spiral, the race to the bottom, wal-mart?
Don’t kid yourself that items at Wal-Mart are somehow the same quality as things at other stores. They really carry the bottom of the barrel stuff there. Even a pair of scissors is some off brand no one has heard of and will dull in a few uses or the pin holding the blades together will break. It’s throwaway merchandise.
Call me a snob and a show off all you want, but my parents actually taught me to be much more frugal. I don’t buy a lot of things, but when I do buy them I buy the highest quality I can afford. Which usually means I save up for something of quality before I just frivolously buy it at Wal-Mart just because it’s cheaper. What I buy lasts.
And the example I gave of $11 per month was very extreme. It was assuming you bought one medium latte everyday, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. And if so, that works out to $11 per month. That’s the extreme. Obviously buying at McDonald’s vs. Starbucks would save you a MAXIMUM of $11 per month. If you’re that tight for money you probably shouldn’t be buying lattes anyway; neither at Starbucks or McDonald’s.
Oh and by the way, I do have kids, a 3 1/2 year old energetic boy. We go to Starbucks about once a week and enjoy ourselves just fine. We sit and he has a juice or chocolate milk and I have a coffee. We look at the newspaper and read some books I bring along. We sit there for about 30-45 minutes. Life is about slowing down, with or without kids. Try it sometime.
That must be fun for your 3 1/2 year old. Next time I will go to Starbucks instead of the park.
let’s see, 26c x 365… not bad!
definitely worth a try, Starbuck’s is pretentious, overpriced, and their coffee’s really not that good.
Hmmm.. just an example there, Nick, Soup at the Grocery store is about 3 bucks, at WalMart it’s about 1.50..
Toiletries, paper goods, groceries. basic office supplies, car care products, movies, music, on and on.. all top of the line, all priced less than anywhere except in some cases, Costco, in bulk.
And now a delicious Latte to drink while I shop. Excellent.
Also, mayby your young un’ would enjoy the play area at a stand alone McDonalds after you two have a Latte.
Anyway. Enjoy Life, wherever you enjoy it.
make that 66 cents….. wow not bad
I really like their iced sugar-free vanilla coffee … if their hot coffee is that good, I’m hooked.
I live by the State College McDonald’s (and 3 starbucks!!) so I’ll be sure to bypass the overpriced coffee and go try the McDeals over there instead……
“Carnivore Says:
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I really like their iced sugar-free vanilla coffee”
I agree with you but they typically put way too much milk… the last 2 times I ordered it (2 different mcdonald locations), it was completely white! I guess they didn’t think I’d want any coffee with my milk. thanks but no thanks
McCafe is also very popular in new zealand and australia. They did serve ice blended drinks as well. I hope it takes off! I will def be trying it out here!
They have had the McCafe in the Seattle area since summer. I actually prefer the McCafe over Starbucks. Just a warning, when it first started here, it took the staff awhile to get used to the machines and they were alot slower than waiting at Starbucks but now McD’s is up to speed.
Nick-
It seems you have a lot of time on your hands with all your posts on here all day long.
Couple points to respond to all your posts:
1) A lot of coffee drinkers are more interested in taste, so if McDonalds makes a better coffee then so be it.
2) Walmart has a lot of the same items as Target (which I am sure most people seem to shop at either or both) and that’s why we go to those stores to purchase toothpaste, candy, oil for the car, hair products, paper towels,pet treats…etc. Sure, there are some items that you won’t find at Nordstroms, but we all go Wal Mart or target to get those kind of items on one trip. I would love to know where you go to get those items all on the same trip. I bet it’s either Wal Mart or Target.
3) You preach to the readers to “slow down” yet you go to Starbucks once a week for your caffeine kick? And while you read your books I bet your 3 1/2 year old “engergetic” boy disturbs the others trying to enjoy their coffee and relax time.
4) There are a lot of people who have lost their jobs recently and have to watch every penny they spend so why don’t you take a chill pill and keep your snide comments to yourself and RELAX.
Merry Christmas!
Nick, such silliness you induge in.
You love to say that other might think you’re a snob. No, you sound like an opinionated snot - I wish you much seriouslness to occupy your mind in the New Year. I think that is equivalent to the Chinese saying “May you live in interesting times.
Rob - you said it so much better!
@ Nick - I’m right there with you. Although I make the majority of my lattes and espresso drinks at home, if I’m going to buy one, it won’t be a McDonalds. And my 5 year old daughter would rather read or color at a Starbucks or other coffeeshop than go to a McDonalds.
Maybe the people feeding their kids happy meals need to have their kids run in circles on the germ-infested play equipment to burn off the extra empty calories their kids just ate. Imagine, a kid not eating crap can actually focus on something and not be a spaz!
Nick drives his Maserati to overpriced salons for his hair products, buys his napkins/toilet paper/floss from overseas, eats only at high-end places like Starbucks for their “ambiance”, shops at Nordstrom, and lives in a glass house.
Congratulations Ross, your 5 year old is so much better than everyone else’s because she likes Starbucks, and doesn’t need to work off the calories from her chesseburger like all the other overweight children who eat at McDonalds. You must be a wonderful parent. I should take some notes. Last time I checked though, eating McDonalds doesn’t produce spasms in children.
Ross-
Who are you responding to about feeding children happy meals and letting them play on “germ infested play equipment”???! This article Nancy wrote was about McDonalds now serving an Expresso Coffee drink. No where in the article or other postings are about happy meals, fast food and germs. It’s about McDonalds competing with Starbucks. People have their own choices as to which coffee to drink but when the reviews came out last year on the new coffee drinks at McDonalds they won several blind taste tests vs Starbucks. You say you make your drinks at home and you say if you buy one it won’t be at McDonalds. Why? If you want to avoid the fast food and germs have you heard of a drive-thru?
Also, I have news for you. There are germs at Starbucks where your 5 year old is coloring.
I think you and Nick should go on a coffee date with your children.
And if you do go, try the Holiday Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks. Sooo good!
Merry Christmas!
Daddy Daddy, lets go to starbucks again pleazeeeee. ???? Maybe starbucks should add the play equipment like they have at Mcdonalds, now that would be competition.
I suggest you get your coffee anywhere you like, then take your kids to the playground. Enjoy your coffee while watching your kids play.
I just can’t imagine getting my latte at a place that smells like burgers, fries, and brats.
Sorry Nick, I must disagree. As Rob pointed out, Wal-Mart does sell some no-name brands, but they have plenty of the same brands you’ll see anywhere else. People generally don’t shop at Wal-Mart so they can save money on no-name, low-quality items. They shop at Wal-Mart so they can save money on items they normally purchase elsewhere because Wal-Mart buys in huge quantities and passes the savings to the consumer. Personally, I can tell ya that the prices are Wal-Mart are on average lower than what I’d find at other stores.
You’re also tell us that you’re not a snob, but telling people who make decisions based on $11 a month shouldn’t be buying coffee to begin wtih because that’s probably the least of their problems is something a snob would say. $11 is not a lot, but in the end, isn’t it the small things that count? People don’t go broke because they buy big ticket items; they go broke because they buy small ticket items on a regular basis, like eating out everyday or going to the movies every week or buying coffee twice a day with a bagel to go with it.
I think the advantage McD’s has is that most people go there for lunch or for food rather than stop by Starbucks to get their grub on. While they’re already there, most will rather buy the coffee there than have to make another stop by a nearby Starbucks to get coffee. Starbucks might have some serious competition coming…
Thisisnotanexit: I suppose if you order your latte through the drive-through, it will still smell like burgers, fries, and “brats.” Oh, and did anyone ever say you had to enjoy your latte in McDonalds? Nope.
And “brats?” Are you kidding me? A child-hater if I ever met one…
Man, the internet really is just a giant cesspool. I say one thing, just a different perspective to consider, reveal a little about my discretionary spending, and out come the attack dogs.
This is why the government is cracking down on so called free speech on the internet. No one can even have a civil discussion. Do you all talk to people face to face like this?
ktstar, did you consider that maybe Thisisnotanexit was talking about food? As in bratwursts? This internet site is worldwide and I’ve seen plenty of posts on here from out of towners and so it’s entirely possible that some place out side of Orange County McDonald’s sells bratwursts. It’s key to keep an open mind when reading the internet.
Nick, why are you amazed the attack dogs were released? You insulted all the Walmart shoppers first by calling them penny pinchers You also assumed everyone is cheap for shopping at Walmart and Mcdonalds. Maybe your just upset that everyone doesn’t agree with you.
Nick-
Mike is correct. If you didn’t whine to the world on here we would all be thanking Nancy about the nice info she shared with us…but nooooooo, you had to open your mouth and complain. Always one of those………
Tried the cappucino at McCafe. While the quality and value is pretty good for something coming out of an automatic machine, the service and atmoshere are still decidedly McDs! Putting an expresso bar there seems a little out of place. So, it’s not a credibile alternative to Starbucks for me. I’ll continue to pay a little more for the total experience I get at SB. I also notice the McCafe’s product is way too hot. Burns your tongue. With the Styrofoam cups, it doesn’t get drinkable until 15 min. later.
I’m a McDonald’s fan and their cappuccino wasn’t bad! a bit pricey for McD but still cheaper than Starbuck’s, and one less stop.
I don’t care for the State College location so I’ll be waiting for other ones to get it in their stores before I go back again and try the other choices…
I do like how the cups keep it warm for a really long time. I took mine home and drank it 20 minutes later, still hot! 45 mins, still warm! Starbucks paper cups burn your hand while trying to add cream & sugar, but then your hot drinks are cold after 5-10 minutes. awful
I guess Nick is just one of those people that would rather pay 8.00 for shampoo at Ralphs than 4.00, just because he doesn’t want to support WALMART! He probably works for Target!
1 word. yuck!
I’ve been a Mc Café loyal customer here in Buenos Aires for years until Starbuck arrived last May. I love Starbucks because the service is good, the products are excellent and their “baristas” are really cool people. Mc Café is so, so far from bringing that experience. I know Mc Café is cheapper in comparison to Starbucks, but I preffer to pay extra to get a quality product. A month ago, the baristas gave me a free latte which they taught me how to prepare it.
There are 5 Starbucks the city and there are many more to come…. What I don’t like from the Mc Cafés is that they are noisy places, u can’t go for an “experience” in there….