Look out, Starbucks: McDonald’s is now taking aim at the coffee giant’s bottled coffee beverage business, with plans to launch its own line of ready-to-drink McCafe products in 2018, the Chicago Tribune reports. Looking awfully reminiscent of Starbucks’ omnipresent line of bottled Frappuccino drinks, the McCafe Frappé drinks will come in vanilla, caramel, and mocha flavors and will be sold at retail stores nationwide.
The retail launch is “part of a plan to increase awareness of its McCafe line of frappes, lattes and other espresso-based drinks,” the Tribune says. McDonald’s has long fought to compete with Starbucks in the coffee arena, last year announcing plans to upgrade its McCafe offerings by rolling out fancy espresso machines and sustainably-sourced coffee beans to stores. The chain also plans to expand its menu of espresso-based drinks later this year, adding a caramel macchiato and an Americano to the lineup that already includes lattes and mochas.
The McCafe line certainly faces plenty of competition in the bottled coffee universe: Beyond Starbucks, other big coffee brands like Caribou and Dunkin’ Donuts have also launched their own ready-to-drink beverages recently, crowding shelves that also share space with more niche brands like Blue Bottle and High Brew.
