Posted Wed Dec 10, 2003, 10:07pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
I have always thought that the McCafe concept was created down here in Australia. If that is so it caused me great delight to read that the concept has now found its way to the States, the home of fast-food culture. Everything that goes around....
EvilDan Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2003 Posts: 134 Location: Sydney Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Doesn't matter. Grinder: Good equipment won't Vac Pot: make up for Drip: poor skills.
Posted Wed Dec 10, 2003, 10:27pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
We've had McCafe in Australia for nearly 10 years. They're not that bad, about on a par with your average food court cafe's espresso. By coffeegeek standard, poor. By "man on the street" standard, not bad. If it gets the lemmings into coffee it has to be good. Often when roadtripping or late at night, McCafe is the only coffee you can find, and their average espresso is always better than a truck stop filter coffee. Remember though, that chains, like Starbucks, tend to have better coffee in Australia than in the USA, maybe due to the prevalence of Espresso in Australia - every little country town has at least one place which serves espresso. So McCafe here is likely to be far better than McCafe there. I have found them to grind immediately before pulling shots, unlike average cafes who use coffee ground into the doser an hour or more beforehand; they stores cant get any beans but what they're issued so they make do. Milk texturing is pretty average, but it's rare to get "airport" syndrome ie almost-boiled milk which takes 20 mins to cool down enough to drink.
PeterG Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 73 Location: Durham, North Carolina Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Faema E61 Grinder: Various Drip: Fetco Extractor Roaster: San Franciscan 1lb.
Posted Thu Dec 11, 2003, 6:37pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
Hey! Thanks you guys for reading and commenting on the article.
I didn't have any sweets, they looked good, actually. But, given the surroundings, I would have preferred some Hamburgular cookies and a fried pie.
Before I went, I was hoping that McCafe would have a touch of self-irony about the whole thing and at least bring the McDonaldland theme a little. You know, have a picture of grimace wearing a beret and drinking out of a demitasse or something. Oh well.
doppio, cool to know you are in San Diego...yeah, Moto is mysterious for many reasons. I'll drop a line to chat about the state of things in SD.
Benk Senior Member Joined: 17 Aug 2003 Posts: 46 Location: Bellingham Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: NS OSCAR Grinder: Rocky Vac Pot: Utopia (eSantos) Drip: Press Pot & Chemex Roaster: Whirley Pop
Posted Sat Dec 13, 2003, 10:07am Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
I stopped at the local McD's to ask if there was a McCafe in its future. While we're not in Seattle, we are in Coffee Country where there is a coffee shop every 500 feet, near enough to Seattle where one would think er, know that specialty coffee is a viable venture.
No immediate plans, was the reply. The master of the lowest common denominator has fingered specialty coffee for a reason. They're known for their innovative and substantive food and beverage exploits. So, we, the people are in for an interesting ride.
malzkaffee Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 43 Location: right above the center of the earth Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Gaggia coffee Grinder: Gaggia MDF, Rossi RR45 Vac Pot: neither... Drip: ...nor Roaster: I dont push it so far, yet
Posted Sun Dec 14, 2003, 5:37am Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
I havent had the "pleasure" to try a McCafe or Starbuck here in Germany, but I doubt it would make a difference. Espresso-based drinks are worse enough in the cafes/restaurants ahere. Lets face it, enjoying an espresso requires trained tastebuds, like enjoying a good, dry wine. And I learned very early that, whatever you sell, its nearly impossible to "train" customers.
Posted Sun Dec 14, 2003, 7:24pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
This article is hilarious! I love the objectivity coupled with the sarcasm pointed at McDonalds. Very nicely written. I'm glad you went - I won't. I have to agree with other commenters, if I've got to hang out at McDonald's with my kids, I'd bring from home or buy from Starbucks!
Posted Tue Dec 16, 2003, 6:53pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
Peter, it was nice meeting you at the recent C-member event in Raleigh... great to be able to associate a person with a post. I enjoyed your article and thought it accomplished what I hope you intended - to keep coffee lovers out of McCafe.
It does tend to amaze me how coffee lovers look with amazement at establishments like McCafe, or Starbucks, or my personal puzzler, the legions of fans of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee. By analogy, food lovers should be perplexed at the very existence of McDonald's or places like it. But exist they do, and thrive, too. So it should be quite obvious that there is a market for cheap swill, and a large one at that.
The silver lining, I think, is that without a low end there can be no high end. We should thank McCafe for assuming an anchor position.
NetJunkie Senior Member Joined: 7 Apr 2003 Posts: 14 Location: Morrisville, NC Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sun Dec 21, 2003, 9:25am Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
We went by this McCafe yesterday since we happened to be over that way. We were pleasantly surprised. Maybe the staff has had more time to get things right but the coffee wasn't too bad. My wife had a latte and I had a flat white. It wasn't GREAT but we both agreed it was better than what we normally get at Starbucks or Caribou.
I just wish it was bigger. It was small and therefore very close to the normal McDs. If they start building them on when a new McDs is built maybe they can increase the size. I wouldn't mind sitting in a nice spot with free Wifi and working some nights.
Posted Mon Dec 22, 2003, 12:37pm Subject: Re: McEspresso Comes to Town, Professionally Speaking
There has been what appears to be sort of prototype for this concept at the glitzy 42nd Street McDonalds in NYC. It's been there for nearly two years but doesn't have the seating or the full blown cafe concept. They have a one group super auto and appear to just be featuring nescafe coffee products (ummmm.... yummy!).
I didn't waste time trying the product but the industrial chic decor was kinda cool for a Mickey D's - lots of diamond plate steel, neon etc. and of course the huge and blinding marquee on the front. Needless to say.... it fits right in with the garish glow of Times Square.
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