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Fast Food Maven ~ Restaurant news, trends and culture by Nancy Luna.

7-Eleven enters iced coffee wars

June 2nd, 2009, 3:45 pm · 21 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Updated 9:45 p.m. 6/2 with more pricing info
711_iced-coffeeweb7-Eleven is taking on McDonald’s and Starbucks with the introduction of  a deeply discounted iced coffee drink.

Starting today, 7-Elevens will sell a 99-cent iced coffee in two flavors: French vanilla or Mocha.

The move comes as McDonald’s takes on Starbucks with its  McCafe program, launched nationally May 1. At that time, Starbucks announced plans to drop the price of its iced coffee to $1.95.

Enter 7-Eleven.

The chain has equipped 4,500 convenience shops in the United States with self-serve iced coffee machines.

Customers  help themselves, dispensing the coffee drink over ice in new clear cups located near the Slurpee machine, 7-Eleven said Tuesday. The introductory price is 99 cents for a medium 16 oz.  drink. In July, the price will jump to $1.99  for a medium, and $2.49 for a large.

The drink has done well in test markets, the chain said.

“If taste tests are any indication, this is one of the best beverages we’ve ever introduced,” said Jay Wilkins, a 7-Eleven brand manager. “It has become an instant hit.”

My take: Over the years, 7-Eleven has worked hard to improve its image as something more than a place to grab liquor, a Lottery ticket and a package of Twinkies.  It now offers premium coffee and freshly made sandwiches and salads in stores.

The iced coffee is just the latest twist.

Tell us: Are you noticing the changes at 7-Eleven ? Do you like that they are trying to compete in the same arena as Fresh & Easy, Famima, Starbucks and McDonald’s? Write-in and let us know.

(Thanks to reader Wade for the tip.)

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21 Comments

21 Comments

  • ashley says:

    do you know if it contains milk?

    • hunterr83 says:

      If their iced coffee is anything like theire regular coffee, I’m expecting this to taste good.

      • OCLadyHawk says:

        Wholeheartedly AGREED! 7/11 coffee is the BEST! I go out of my way for it on the weekends and you absolutely can’t BEAT the price for the quality of coffee that you get there! I can’t wait to go across the street and try this for myself…

    • don jamieson says:

      The product at 7/11 is very low end and is not a fresh product like MCd or Starbucks. It does taste good but it is very hign in fat and artificial flavor. It has has a weird after taste

  • JEF JONES says:

    ANYONE WHO DRINKS COFFEE IS A MORON

  • Josh says:

    Yes! Whatever helps to kick Starbucks and Coffee Bean in the rear. Charging $4-5 for coffee is criminal.

  • Chicken Little says:

    Let’s hope it means lower prices! We’ve got one on this side of the street across from McDs. It would be easier!

  • benzfun says:

    I miss the old Ice blended coffee machines at 7-11. Like a coffee slurpee machine.

  • I love food says:

    Thanks to this article I went out to try the new 7eleven mocha drink. It was so good that I kept topping it off,lol! It was waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than that nasty crap McDonalds pumps out,and Starbucks pleeze!! Good job 7 eleven! And to McDonalds: I bought the iced mocha drink like 2 weeks ago and first it didn’t look the way it was depicted in the ads. Second, it tasted bitter! Just awful all around!

  • Loretta says:

    Way to go 7-11 I am a coffee junkie!!!!! When are you going to have a coffee slurpee?????/ Let me know.

  • OCLadyHawk says:

    Tried the Mocha, topped of with a little French Vanilla this morning. 7/11 hit this one outta the PARK!!!! This iced coffee is hands down better than MickeyD’s, which I got around to trying not too long ago. Not overly sweet or bitter. It was a really good balance. To answer an earlier question, it DOES contain MILK and it is clearly stated on the machine. The only problem I had was that the machine seemed to “go dry” and run out of the coffee so I didn’t quite get a full large serving, which is why I had some of both. I will go back for this iced coffee again and again.

  • anjolie says:

    AMPM has great iced coffee!

  • L says:

    I thought the 7-11 coffee was way too sweet (though I love their regular coffee - get 2/3 vanilla cappuccino and 1/3 normal coffee, yum). The best fast-food iced coffee I’ve had so far is Jack in the Box. And it’s not overly gigantic like McDonald’s is. Their small is ridiculously huge! I don’t need that much caffeine.

  • Josh says:

    I tried it this morning. I would agree the flavor is better than McD’s but I didn’t really notice any KICK. Not sure if there was coffee in there or just milk, sugar and flavoring. I’ll try it again but I’m not just drinking it because it tastes good.

  • Josh says:

    Oh, and while the medium is .99, the large is also on sale for 1.49. My 7-11 machine ran out of the French Vanilla so I had the reverse problem of LadyHawk

  • Elle Kay says:

    It’s pre-mixed and very sweet. I order my iced coffees at McDs and Starbucks unsweetened, but this is not possible at 7-11 because it comes out of a machine. I adore their hot coffee, though!

  • Janie Wolicki says:

    Well, I tried the 7 Eleven Vanilla Iced Coffee. I was hoping it would be great, because I am up to $5 a day at McDonalds. In a word: YUCK! Sickeningly sweet and very little coffee flavor. Looks like I am staying with McD’s iced coffee!

  • don jamieson says:

    Product has no coffee in it. It is like a sugary chemical filled drink for little kids. McDonalds is simply using real brewed coffee, as is Starbucks. This is a truly ghetto product.

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