McDonalds Mccafe and Tim Hortons

[CanadianBrian]

Hello everyone;
We have gotten the new Macdonalds mcafe's here in Canada a few months ago and was wondering what the response was from your customers. I am not sure how long they have been in the US. Has these affected your customer base at all? (neg or pos) Is it good that even more customers are being educated about espresso drinks? Or do you see this as taking one more part of the business away from you?
Tim Horton's here in Canada is huge and they have come out with their version of "Latte's" that are straight from a machine with no beans involved.
Brian

 

[wmark]

McCafe was tested as a concept in Colombia approximately 8 years agos.........at least that is when I first ran into them. They were a full cafe and not what you see here in North America. In Canada anyway, their coffee is what Tim Horton's used to be.

 

[tankin_tummy]

As a consumer I must say that the Tims esspresso drinks suck. Their coffee is mediocre.... but if I'm spending money on coffee I would rather pay an extra $0.50 and go to a coffee shop.... even starbucks is better than Tims

 

[CanadianBrian]

I agree but Tims has such a following here in Canada. We have most of the shops doing from 2,000 to 3,000 cups per day. All of their espresso drinks are premade unlike McDonalds that use the Superautomatics. The thing that got alot of people hooked on their regular coffee is that they were one of the first big companies to use 18% cream to give the mouthfeel that most regular people like.
Brian

 

[prairieguy]

All the Tim's I have had the misfortune of being in use a super automatic, push a button, get a coffee, push another button, get frothed milk(or a manufactured version of it anyways ). They taste terrible. We have had a tough time getting people here in Nipawin educated on quality coffee but it's coming.

 

[tankin_tummy]

All of the Tims I've been to still use coffee pots for regular coffee. I agree with you Prarieguy.... a lot of people in this area do not know quality coffee. Saskatoon isn't too bad, but that's because it's a big city. Sucks though, that most people either go for Tims or Starbucks... not too many really support the local roasters and coffee shops that have amazing coffee. Starbucks still works in a pinch since they actually have good espresso machines.

 

[prairieguy]

I was just referring to their espresso based drinks. I have heard good things about Museo in the Mendal art gallery, they roast their own now.

 

[eldub]

I just realized you fellas are up in one of my favorite areas of the world. As a kid we spent a lot of time west of Flin Flon trolling for lunker pike.

 

[prairieguy]

That's too funny, we have record winning walleye and northern pike here in Nipawin at Tobin lake. Lots of tourism, pro tournaments with big payouts. It is a beautiful place.

 

[eldub]

I peeped the Nipawin site and saw you guys have some big fish in your waters. Looks like it would be a shorter trip to your neck of the woods than Pelican Narrows.

I'd really like to come up for a visit sometime.

lw

 

[prairieguy]

Lots of large fish coming out of the river and lake, I'm not much of a fisherman but if you ever do come out let me know. Where are you located now? We are 1.5hrs east of Prince Albert and about 2hrs west of The Pas.

 

[eldub]

We're in Iowa.

The Pas was usually where we spent the night before our final day's drive up to Pelican Narrows.

 

[Storal]

Tims is so entrenched in Canadian identity (4 of every 10 coffee cups sold in the province are at Tims), that McDonalds may not really be a threat.

 

[eldub]

My step-father lives in Canada now. When he found out we are opening a coffee roasting shop he told my sister that we should look at carrying Tim Horton's coffee. hehe

 

[prairieguy]

5 years ago Tim's was all I drank. Then I discovered good taste. I'm a mechanic full time so someone is always bringing coffee and donuts. The coffee gives me a gut ache, and the donuts taste like plastic. I'm still trying to get everyone in the habit of going to my wife's coffee bar.