Comments on: McDonaldâ€™s beats Starbucks in coffee smackdown

By: Mia Tyler

Mia Tyler — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 02:19:46 +0000

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By: Dennis Howlett

Dennis Howlett — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:54:35 +0000

I’m gald I live in Spain where coffee is a very simple yet delicious affair and better than the Parisian versions but not quite (a whisker) on a par with those in Florence or Milan.

Note: The Starbucks near the Apple store in downtown SF is a dump. The one on Market Street is cramped. Free wifi in MacDonalds? I’m sold.

By: Martin Edic

Martin Edic — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:49:35 +0000

I think the Consumer comparison has been discredited because they only used two testers which seems odd for a research publication. Coffee preferences are so subjective…
And I agree- I stand in line at Starbucks for regular coffee and listen to virtually every other customer ordering hot milk drinks with a little coffee flavor.
If I could get a real cafe creme like you get in the morning in Paris, I’d order that every time.

By: vinnie mirchandani

vinnie mirchandani — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:26:59 +0000

we asked a bunch of teenagers what they wanted for Christmas and most wanted cash…they lost many of the stored value cards from last year…

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:51:29 +0000

Interesting to consider what actually drives the purchase decision. I read the Consumer Report review this week and actually tried McDonald’s today instead of Dunkin Donuts (being in Boston, the place to go).

I thought the coffee was a bit better, but they cups are horrible. It’s the type where you have to push down the top and then it’s hard to drink from when hot. So, end of day, it’s not the coffee that will keep me loyal to Dunkin, it’s the cups they use.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 19:54:20 +0000

Vinnie,
I’m always surprised by how many people step up to the register at starbucks and order just coffee (especially in major urban centers where starbucks as displaced other coffee outlets).

Quite honestly I would look at the core competency of making a good cup of coffee, or Coffee Americano as the naming trend would suggest) to be the highest order competency for a company in the coffee business (at least in the U.S.).

Starbucks gets credit for the wifi move but to be objective about it you would have to argue that T-Mobile was taking the bigger risk and therefore should get more of the credit. The fact that it’s still a pay-as-you-go model is somewhat disappointing, considering that McD is doing it for free.

The “stored value card” adoption is a real innovation although I would have to wonder if their retail employees are so happy with it considering that I’m less inclined to throw 95 cents in change in the tip jar when I am paying $3.05 for a grande latte with my prepaid card. I would also wonder what the financial implications are to the float that Starbucks is enjoying as a result of all those prepaid cards, and how much is gained through cards not being redeemed for the full value. I read somewhere recently that Target books a $40 million gain for gift cards that are not redeemed… imagine that, giving Target $40m for absolutely nothing in return. Amazing.

By: vinnie mirchandani

vinnie mirchandani — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:04:56 +0000

I read my copy of Consumer Reprots this morning, and to be fair they compared black to black coffee. I go to Starbucks to get my fix of Pumpkin spice latte (which unfortunatley for me is not seasonal any more – have had in October and April). I hear the Starbucks configruator can handle up to 9 extensions – double this, no-fat that, size, hold the whipped cream etc

Yes, it is good to see McD upgrade, You should see the concept store near HQ
http://dealarchitect.typepad.com/deal_architect/2006/05/the_future_and_.html

but Starbucks has that industry in tech innvoation…see

http://florence20.typepad.com/renaissance/2005/07/technology_inno_1.html