[baxtr]

When I lived in the states a friend of mine always used to say: “Starbucks sells fat and sugar to people, so their mainly competing against McDonalds”

That made a lot of sense to me, and I could understand much better why they would introduce McCafes. Thus I think that this is probably a smart move although a bit late...

[chrisseaton]

I think Costa does more normal teas and coffees rather than milkshakes or whatever you're referring to.

[cs02rm0]

Costa were in the news for selling a coffee with more calories in it than a double cheeseburger.

But then McDonalds, I think, already sell more coffee than anyone else in the UK, so I guess they're converging from both directions.

[yomly]

I always struggle with the doublethink that a "coffee" (that is, a black coffee) has nearly 0 calories. But a "coffee" (that is a drink that is really fat and sugar with some coffee added there) could have x calories where x is a stupidly large number...

[mgkimsal]

yeah, even 'coffee' with milk is... the calories of milk. and I like a lot of milk in my coffee. or... I like a bit of coffee with my milk, to be more precise. so i've needed to watch how many I have. can't really deal with plain black coffee.

[yomly]

you should really have a go at persisting with black coffee - it's definitely acquired, but I really can't imagine coffee any other way.

[stephenhuey]

Yes, I didn’t get into coffee till college and sugary stuff was my gateway, but I knew people enjoyed black coffee and made a concerted effort to develop a taste for it, and now I really can detect subtleties in single origin beans similar to what wine enthusiasts experience. Occasionally I have coffee with milk, especially if it’s bad coffee, but my taste buds thinks of that as something else entirely. Find a coffee shop with some helpful but OCD baristas who will take the time with you to give you good samples of pour over or French press or chemex, etc to see if they can win you over to “black” coffee. The benefits in the end outweigh any effort you might have to put in!

[tomatotomato37]

Black coffee is nice... when the actual coffee is nice. It doesn't take too long after the switch to realize the random kuerig selection offered at your office does not fit that category.

[nailer]

Starbucks in Australia (when they were around) was viewed as being a milkshake shop.

[chosenbreed]

How did you get rid of them? :-)

[nailer]

Australians and Kiwis are to coffee what New Yorkers are to pizza: we didn't invent it, but we damn well perfected it.

So when Starbucks came with a poor product the only people who went were curious locals (who didn't return) and Asian students who liked the brand:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-07/32188

[chewz]

My friend - concerned that her daughter could put up weight from spending too much time in Starbucks - remarked that Starbucks basicaly serve coffee deserts rather then coffee.

[slumberlust]

What does this have to do with Starbucks? Any place that serves coffee offers additives that increase calorie count. How is this brand any different? Black coffee is the same calorie count everywhere.

[Steve44]

I don't have sales figures but a lot of people I know who travel a lot say that, in the UK at least, the McDonalds is pretty good. It's certainly their favourite balance with price and quality, these are proper black coffee drinkers too, not the bucket of sugar & cream types.

[mgkimsal]

some of my "just black coffee" friends tell me the same thing - mcdonalds coffee is a good combination of taste and value. they all prefer something else, but mcd ends up being the 'go to' because it's known, it's not bad, and doesn't cost too much (which, typing that out, is probably the same for many of their menu items - not 'best in class', but a decent enough product).

[bena]

I'll vouch. It's cheap, black, and hot. All a proper coffee really needs to be. McDonalds is also focused on churn. Get up, say what you want, get out. None of the half-pump soy chai latte no whip cinnamon dust in the freezer for 1.5 seconds kind of wackiness. Just a blearily slurred "small coffee" will get you what you want.

[matwood]

My coffee drink of choice is a plain hot latte (good black coffee is also fine). McDonalds coffee is fine, but not as consistent as a Starbucks. With McDonalds you're a bit at the whim of the machine and if the person operating it has done all the right steps. McDonalds is also a $1 or more less expensive.

[chosenbreed]

Yeah...I think the McDonald's double expresso is great value for money.

[rexpress]

McDonald's double espresso poured over a 99p sundae (plain, just ice cream) makes for a decent cut-price affogato.

[tyu100]

McDonalds (brewed) coffee always wins the blind taste tests that Canadian newspapers put on between the big chains.

[jfaioif3]

https://i.imgur.com/iRUP48j.png

[tedeh]

2600 calories man ... that number really blows my mind!

[jfaioif3]

That + a multivitamin = enough of everything for a day. Screw Soylent :P

[znpy]

Ironically good for an inadvertent diet.

(Omad = one meal a day)

[sarreph]

They sell calorie-free black coffee or tea, the same way McDonald's does.

Similarly, they also sell very-high-sugar cakes and drinks.

[yomly]

Before McCafes McDonalds had a stake in Pret iirc

Think you're right about Coca Cola re Starbucks, though perhaps they've stalled because their business has typically revolved around logistics / volume rather than brick and mortars...?

[jacquesm]

McDonalds really is a real estate company, the food is more or less a by-product of that nowadays.