虽然麦当劳继续靠着薯条和汉堡吸引顾客，然而现在他们的收入却主要依靠利润较高的咖啡和混合饮料。事实上，分析家们指出，许多顾客舍不得花钱去星巴克喝咖啡，于是选择了麦当劳，可是他们却没有意识到，他们在麦当劳花的钱并不比星巴克少。
快餐巨头麦当劳周一公布了第二季度的销售业绩，成绩不及预期，主要是由于美元进一步走强，中国和欧洲的经济增长放缓。在美国，同店销售增长3.6%，这主要得益于他们的新款饮料菜单——比如说今夏的新品“冰爽樱桃优果奶昔”——麦当劳公布成绩时这样透露。晨星评级公司分析师Jack Russo还说：“这类产品的边际贡献很大，所以这对于麦当劳来说是双赢的”
麦当劳2009年开始进军浓饮料和混喝果汁开始显现出了极大的成果。晨星评级公司分析师R.J. Hottovy估计，饮料收入能占到总收入的10%。他还表示，麦当劳并不把饮料销售区别开来，但是麦当劳咖啡却占到了总收入的4%，比五年前的水平翻了一倍。事实上，每家麦当劳餐厅的仅咖啡销售额就达到了12.5万美元，麦当劳发言人Becca Hary说。
专家表示，尽管巨无霸和麦乐鸡等常规食品仍然占据菜单主位，但如今麦当劳却更加关注能带来高额利润的饮料，以弥补其他环节的销售下降。麦当劳的新任CEO唐·汤普森（Don Thompson），是发动麦当劳进军高利润的风味饮料和咖啡市场的背后策划人，Hottovy透露。
这些价格昂贵、利润丰厚的麦当劳饮料大获成功，这可能会让投资者信心大增，然而却不一定对消费者有利。2012年的夏季，麦当劳推出了冰爽樱桃优果奶昔（一杯16盎司的售价约在2.89美元）和麦当劳雪顶冰咖啡（一杯16盎司的售价约在3.99美元）。相比之下，星巴克的星冰乐（一杯16盎司的售价约在5.45美元）确实是比麦当劳的类似产品更贵一些，但是有些人说这些冰镇混合饮料仍然是快餐店的很大一部分。“在麦当劳喝4美元一杯的饮料对我来说感觉有点贵，尤其是当其他的主食还要更便宜一些的情况下。”公众利益科学中心（总部位于华盛顿的非盈利智库）的执行董事迈克·雅各布森这样说道。
依照麦当劳的标准来看，新的饮料不仅昂贵，而且可能比巨无霸更加没有营养（垃圾食品），专家表示。麦当劳的菜单上也体现出了这种混杂着罪恶感的愉悦“一个放纵的组合，甜蜜的焦糖丰富的摩卡咖啡和少许的添加巧克力片。”一个巨无霸的热量高达550卡路里，相比之下，一杯16盎司的的饮料的热量竟然是超过巨无霸的630卡路里。（麦当劳说它提供了多种选择和份量，本月早些时候，推出了“喜好低于400卡路里”作为其奥运会赞助商品。）
这家快餐连锁店正在提醒着星巴克，是时候开始把麦当劳作为主要竞争对手了，分析师表示。麦当劳的冰咖啡和星巴克的星冰乐（1995年就问世）十分相似。星冰乐可能确实要稍微贵一些，然而它却只有400卡路里的热量。Hottovy说：“现在麦当劳的咖啡饮料和星巴克的并没有太大区别，麦当劳正杂权利扩大饮料市场，这占了公司发展计划的很大一部分。”
Though McDonald’s continues to draw in customers with hamburgers and fries, the chain’s revenue increasingly depends on its much higher-margin coffee and blended drinks. In fact, analysts say customers who think Starbucks is too expensive might not even realize they’re paying almost as much for similar drinks at McDonald’s.
The fast-food giant reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter sales Monday, citing a stronger dollar, and slower economic growth in China and Europe. In the U.S., same-store sales rose 3.6% during the period, helped by new additions to its beverage menu – like this summer’s “Cherry Berry Chiller” smoothie – McDonald’s said in a statement. “The margin contribution from these types of products is high, so it’s a win-win for McDonald’s,” says Jack Russo, analyst with Morningstar.
McDonald’s 2009 foray into espresso-based beverages and blended fruit drinks is starting to show big results, analysts say. The drinks now account for 10% of revenue, estimates R.J. Hottovy, an analyst with Morningstar analyst. McDonald’s doesn’t break out drinks from its sales, but coffee makes up around 4% of revenue, double the percentage five years ago, Hottovy estimates. In fact, drinks sold though the McCafé brand alone add over $125,000 in annual sales per restaurant, says McDonald’s spokeswoman Becca Hary.
And while regular items like Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets remain menu staples, McDonald’s is focusing more on these highly profitable beverages to make up for declining sales elsewhere, experts say. McDonald’s new CEO Don Thompson, was a driving force behind company’s move into high-margin specialty drinks in the McCafé, Hottovy says.
The success of these pricier drinks may be encouraging for investors but the deals aren’t necessarily good for customers. For Summer 2012, McDonald’s introduced the McCafé Cherry Berry Chiller ($2.89 for a 16-ounce cup) and McCafé Frappé Chocolate Chip ($3.99 for a 16-ounce). Starbucks’ Frappuccino is more expensive ($5.45 for a 16-ounce cup) than McDonald’s version, but some say these iced-blended drinks are still a lot for a fast-food restaurant. “A McDonald’s drink for $4 certainly seems expensive to me, especially with whole meals going for less,” says Mike Jacobsen, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based non-profit think-tank.
The new drinks are not only pricier by McDonald’s standards, they are often even less nutritious than a Big Mac, experts say. McDonald’s bills the Frappé as a guilty pleasure, calling it “an indulgent combination of rich mocha, sweet caramel and a hint of coffee with added chocolate chips.” It has 630 calories for a medium 16-ounce cup, compared to the Big Mac’s 550. (McDonald’s says it offers a variety of choices and portion sizes and, earlier this month, launched “Favorites Under 400 Calories” as part of its Olympic Games sponsorship.)
The fast-food chain is taking tips from Starbucks, which should start to see McDonald’s as a major rival, analysts say. For example, the McDonalds’s Frappe is nearly identical to Starbucks’ Frappuccino – the line of drinks born in 1995. Starbucks’ version may be more expensive, but it only has 400 calories. “What’s happening at McDonald’s is no different from Starbucks,” Hottovy says. “McDonald’s is expanding its beverages. It’s a big part of the growth story going forward.”
