Latest news with #AlyssaBuetikofer
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
McDonald's will test 10 CosMc's-inspired drinks at restaurants
McDonald's plans to test 10 new drinks in hundreds of U.S. stores as the restaurant chain seeks to quench Gen Z customers' taste for bold drink combinations. "We're seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people — especially our Gen Z fans — turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat," Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald's chief customer experience and marketing officer, said in a statement. "It's a great opportunity for us to meet our U.S. customers' evolving tastes and show up in new moments, like afternoon refreshment or snack breaks." The new drink lineup is inspired by what the fast-food giant learned through its failed coffee and drinks chain, called CosMc's, that McDonald's launched in 2023. The company shuttered the chain in May. Instead of operating standalone stores, McDonald's will bring a lineup of at least five different CosMc's-branded beverages to 500 McDonald's restaurants across the U.S. The drinks, which McDonald's describes as "cold coffees, fruity refreshers, crafted sodas and energizing sips," will first be available at restaurants in Wisconsin, Colorado and the surrounding areas, according to the company. Tew drinks include: The venture aims to expand and capitalize on growing customer demand for flavorful drinks. "We're not just adding drinks to the menu – we're advancing our global beverage platform that fits naturally with how people already enjoy McDonald's," Charlie Newberger, McDonald's beverage category lead, said in a statement. "We've got the structure, the tools and the team to move fast and scale what works." The drinks will be available in stores starting Sept. 2, according to the company. McDonald's recently re-introduced its popular Snack Wrap and Spicy Egg McMuffin sandwich as it seeks to boost sales and lure inflation-weary customers back to its stores. Same-store sales dropped 3.6% in the first quarter, marking the company's largest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the the chain was forced to close stores nationwide.
CBS News
12 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
McDonald's will bring 10 CosMc's inspired drinks to restaurants
McDonald's said it is testing 10 new drinks to hundreds of U.S. stores as it enters the next stage of its "beverage journey." The burger chain said it's responding to Gen Z customers' preferences for bold drink combinations. "We're seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people — especially our Gen Z fans — turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat," Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald's chief customer experience and marketing officer, said in a statement. "It's a great opportunity for us to meet our U.S. customers' evolving tastes and show up in new moments, like afternoon refreshment or snack breaks." The new drink lineup is inspired by lessons the fast-food giant learned through its failed venture called CosMc's, a chain launched in 2023 that focused on coffee and other drinks, with offerings similar to Starbucks drinks. The company shuttered the chain in May. Instead of operating standalone stores, McDonald's will bring a lineup of at least five different CosMc's-branded beverages to 500 McDonald's restaurants across the U.S. The drinks, which McDonald's describes as "cold coffees, fruity refreshers, crafted sodas, and energizing sips," will first be available at restaurants in Wisconsin, Colorado and the surrounding areas, according to the company. Here are some of the new drink offerings: The venture aims to expand and capitalize on growing customer demand for flavorful drinks. "We're not just adding drinks to the menu – we're advancing our global beverage platform that fits naturally with how people already enjoy McDonald's," Charlie Newberger, McDonald's beverage category lead said in a statement Thursday. "We've got the structure, the tools and the team to move fast and scale what works. This first test in the U.S. market is a big step in our global direction." The drinks will be available in stores starting Sept. 2, according to the company. McDonald's recently re-introduced its popular Snack Wrap and Spicy Egg McMuffin sandwich as it seeks to boost sales and lure inflation-weary customers back to its stores. Same-store sales dropped 3.6% in the first quarter, marking the company's largest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the the chain was forced to close stores nationwide.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
McDonald's plans September beverage test at more than 500 locations
You can find original article here Nrn. Subscribe to our free daily Nrn newsletter. McDonald's on Thursday teased a test of new drinks that it plans to initiate at more than 500 locations starting Sept. 2. The test, based on learnings from CosMc's, a spinoff beverage-focused concept that McDonald's launched in late 2023 and then closed in June, will include iced coffee, fruit-flavored 'refreshers,' craft sodas, and energy drinks. McDonald's has been light on details so far, but it said the test would be mostly in Colorado and Wisconsin 'and the surrounding areas.' It released the name of five drinks, without providing further details: Creamy Vanilla Cold Brew, Toasted Vanilla Frappé, Strawberry Watermelon Refresher, Sprite Lunar Splash, and Popping Tropic Refresher. It said the September test would include additional items as well. The quick-service chain said feedback from franchisees and their employees would help it fine-tune aspects of any national rollout, from equipment to execution. McDonald's United States chief marketing and customer experience officer Alyssa Buetikofer said the test is based on learnings from CosMc's. 'This beverage test is rooted in what our U.S. customers have told us they want — bold, craveable flavors and exciting new drink experiences,' she said in a statement. 'These new drinks were developed specifically for the U.S. market, drawing on learnings from CosMc's and tailored to meet the evolving tastes of our fans, especially younger consumers. It's a strategic opportunity to explore menu innovation within the beverage space, while testing how we deliver these experiences operationally. As always, feedback from our customers, field teams, and owner/operators will be essential as we shape the future of beverages at McDonald's U.S.' She added that the timing of the test was not coincidental. 'We're seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people — especially our Gen Z fans — turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat,' she said. 'It's a great opportunity for us to meet our U.S. customers' evolving tastes and show up in new moments, like afternoon refreshment or snack breaks.' McDonald's said in its quarterly earnings call in May that it would test more beverages. At the time, CEO Chris Kempczinski said the chain has about 10% of coffee share and even more opportunity in other beverage categories, such as energy drinks. 'We think we can be doing better,' he said. To that end, in March McDonald's announced the creation of global category management teams, including one to focus specifically on beverages and desserts. McDonald's beverage category lead Charlie Newberger said in a statement that the September test was part of the company's broader global beverage strategy. 'We're not just adding drinks to the menu — we're advancing our global beverage platform that fits naturally with how people already enjoy McDonald's,' he said. 'We've got the structure, the tools, and the team to move fast and scale what works. This first test in the U.S. market is a big step in our global direction.' The effort comes as drinks specialists such as Dutch Bros and Swig vastly outperform the foodservice industry as a whole. Additionally, traffic declines at many chains have spurred innovation in snacks and drinks to boost the sales of those customers who are visiting restaurants. Contact Bret Thorn at Related Articles McDonald's will shutter its CosMc's concept Despite a tough Q1, McDonald's has plenty of reason to be confident
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
McDonald's launching ‘dirty sodas,' flavored cold brews in push to win over Gen Z
McDonald's is getting its hands dirty in the drinks business. The world's biggest fast-food chain is planning to introduce flavored cold brews and 'dirty sodas' – fizzy drinks topped with flavored syrups and fruit – to its menus. McDonald's will test-launch about 10 specialty drinks at roughly 500 restaurants mainly in Wisconsin and Colorado, the company said Thursday. 4 McDonald's will be adding some CosMc's drinks to its menus in a test launch later this summer. CosMc's Its Creamy Vanilla Cold Brew, Popping Tropic Refresher and other brightly-colored icy drinks will be added to menus in September. McDonald's is rushing to hop on the drinks craze – as rivals Taco Bell and Wendy's expand their own drink menus – and win over Gen Z customers eager for premium drink offerings. 'We're seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people – especially our Gen Z fans – turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat,' Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. Along with drawing in younger customers, the drinks also tend to rake in higher profits for businesses. Fast-food restaurants have struggled in the US, beaten down by the pandemic-era shutdown and now failing to grab customers fearful of inflation amid President Trump's tariffs. But growth in beverages has been hot, with sales at beverage- and snack-focused chains growing 9.6% last year – the largest increase of any restaurant category, according to market-research firm Technomic. 4 McDonald's launched its alien-themed CosMc's spinoff in December 2023. Joseph Hendrickson – While burgers generated higher sales last year, they grew only 1.4% over the same period. McDonald's has estimated beverages could represent a $100 billion consumer market in the US, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe. Vast market potential has left fast-food chains scrambling to compete with the massive drink menus at Starbucks, Dunkin' and Dutch Bros. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 'You can sense this urgency from us as an organization to get in [on drinks],' Charlie Newberger, head of McDonald's beverage and dessert offerings, told the Wall Street Journal. That's what pushed McDonald's to launch its alien-themed CosMc's spinoff in December 2023, opening eight locations in Illinois and Texas that sold snacks and specialty drinks. The goal of CosMc's was to test what beverages and snacks grabbed customers without gunking up the works at existing McDonald's locations, CEO Chris Kempczinski said at the time. 4 McDonald's in May announced it was shuttering the CosMc's locations. Joseph Hendrickson – McDonald's in May announced it was shuttering the CosMc's locations, where long lines of customers had tapered off over the months. Newberger said the CosMc's restaurants were a success, informing McDonald's of what offerings worked – and which didn't, like the Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwiches, which couldn't compete with McDonald's French Fries. 'The purpose of CosMc's was for us to push the fringes,' he told the Journal. 4 McDonald's will add fruity drinks, flavored cold brews and 'dirty sodas' to menus at some locations. TNS The company found that customers didn't customize their CosMc's drinks as much as anticipated – which made the expanded menu offerings more viable for McDonald's locations. Now McDonald's is looking to pull the same experiment off at its existing locations. 'It's a strategic opportunity to explore menu innovation within the beverage space, while testing how we deliver these experiences operationally,' Buetikofer said. Along with the test locations in Wisconsin, Colorado and the surrounding areas, McDonald's is looking to test premium beverages internationally with different flavors. Europeans, for example, tend to prefer lemon, orange and mint drinks, while Americans prefer berry flavors, Newberger said. Taco Bell has recently jumped on the trend with its line of fruity Refresca drinks, while KFC has launched a new 'dirty soda' collaboration with Mountain Dew and Burger King has introduced a Frozen Cotton Candy drink for the summer.
CNBC
19 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
McDonald's to test CosMc's-inspired drinks at more than 500 restaurants
Something Bold (and Delicious) is Brewing at McDonald's: A First Sip into the Future of Beverages McDonald's said Thursday it is planning to test new coffee drinks, refreshers and flavored sodas at more than 500 restaurants later this summer, hoping to cash in on younger consumers' love for fun, colorful drinks. "We're seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people – especially our Gen Z fans – turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat," Alyssa Buetikofer, chief customer experience and marketing officer of McDonald's USA, said in a statement. "It's a great opportunity for us to meet our US customers' evolving tastes and show up in new moments, like afternoon refreshment or snack breaks." The test lineup includes Creamy Vanilla Cold Brew, Strawberry Watermelon Refresher, Toasted Vanilla Frappe, Sprite Lunar Splash and Popping Tropic Refresher, as well as others not yet shared by McDonald's. The initial stage of the test will only include locations in Wisconsin, Colorado and the surrounding areas, according to McDonald's. The chain is hoping to learn more about what customers like best, plus how to make an expanded drink lineup work for its restaurants and franchisees. McDonald's announcement on Thursday comes after the chain began shuttering its standalone locations of its once-buzzy CosMc's brand last month. The spinoff, which focused on snacks and customizable drinks, initially inspired hours-long lines from customers eager to try something new. But after 18 months, McDonald's chose to wind down the brand and instead bring beverages influenced by CosMc's to its own restaurants. Expanding the burger chain's drinks lineup could help McDonald's compete better with fast-growing beverage chains like Dutch Bros. , 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee and Swig, which have all leaned into consumers' desire to customize their drinks. New drinks could also drive more customers to McDonald's restaurants. In recent quarters, the burger chain has reported lackluster sales as consumers spend less money on its French fries and Big Macs. McDonald's U.S. same-store sales fell 3.6% in the first three months of the year; the company is expected to report its second-quarter results on Aug. 6. Fast-food rivals have also recently been looking beyond the soda fountain for drink options that will appeal to diners. Earlier this month, Yum Brands' Taco Bell unveiled a new Refrescas lineup; the chain also plans to expand its in-restaurant drinks concept called the Live Mas Cafe later this year. Wendy's added three new sour Powerade options to its drinks lineup in June. And earlier this summer, KFC collaborated with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew on a "dirty" soda, made with sweet vanilla cream.
