I will be going on a cruise soon which requires more clothing changes in a few days than you normally make in a month. So I headed to my local mall for a marathon shopping spree. All I can say is--Exhausting! When I decided to take a coffee break (my favorite) I somehow ended up in McDonald's. I think it was the apple pie that lured me, but I stayed for the coffee.

Now, I have had coffee in fast food restaurants before and it’s usually something you drink because you are trying to stay awake or get warm, not something you drink for the taste. This was my first try of McDonald’s Premium Coffee and I was really surprised. At first I thought it was the apple pie, but I had a good-sized cup so I cleared my palate and started drinking again. To my surprise, it was really good and McDonald’s knows it.

Some time ago, McDonald's eyed the premium coffee market and planned to take it by storm. According to an article on ABCNews.com called From McMuffins to McLattes, “Americans spend big money on beverages every year, says Jan Fields, chief operating officer for all 14,000 McDonald's restaurants nationwide.”

Now offering premium coffee is one thing, but McDonald’s doesn’t plan to just stop there. The plan to roll out the McCafe, a specialty coffee component to the golden arches, has been in the works for some time with the first in Oakbrook, Illinois and a number of them not only in the US, but around the globe as well. Evidently McDonald’s feels confident with the result. The Green Bay Press Gazette says “Over the next two years, most of McDonald’s 14,000 domestic locations will add near the cash registers McCafe coffee bars that create coffee beverages such as cappuccino, lattes and mochas.” These coffees are also being priced below the cost of Starbucks. They will not have as much of a variety, but you will not need to take a course to decipher the menu before you order your coffee either.

I don’t know about you, but my mouth doesn’t really water for McDonald’s foods. What I get from McDonald’s is a feeling of security. McDonald’s is king of the system. What you get there is never hit or miss. Whenever I am in any part of the US or the world, I know I can count on getting a consistently decent meal at McDonald’s for a reasonable price. With the advent of the McCafe, I am sure I’ll be able to say that about coffee as well.

Coming to McDonald's: McCafe Coffee Bars http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/GPG03/80108098/1247

Mccafe: Just Like Your Barista Used To Make
http://www.wakeuptowhatsnew.com/

From McMuffins to McLattes
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4559623&page=1