McDonald’s Six New Drinks Hit Menus This Week as the Beverage War Heats Up
Starting Wednesday, McDonald’s is adding six specialty drinks to its U.S. lineup, betting that items like fruit refreshers, cold foam sodas, and boba can draw in customers during non-meal hours. Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s USA, put it plainly: the company wants drinks to be “the reason” guests come in. The timing is key: McDonald’s is betting that drinks can pull in customers on their own, following trials in over 500 U.S. locations. Jill McDonald, who heads global restaurant experience, pointed to “incremental occasions” and fatter average checks during those tests. BTIG’s Peter Saleh added that if franchisees put money into new equipment and the rollout gets traction, comparable sales could see a mid-single-digit boost.