Starbucks vs. McDonald's: This Time It's Caffeinated
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If ever there was a chain that could belt Starbucks from its coffee-king pedestal, it's McDonald's. The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that the fast-food iconn plans to start serving cappuccinos, lattes and the like from coffee bars in its 14,000 U.S. locations.
The program attempts to replicate the Starbucks experience in many ways -- starting with borrowing the barista moniker. Espresso machines will be displayed at the front counters, a big shift for a company that has always hidden its food assembly from customers. McDonald's says it wants customers to see the coffee beans being ground and baristas topping the mochas and Frappes with whipped cream.
