Fast food chains, thirsty for new ways to grow, are amping up their beverage offerings.
McDonald鈥檚 said Tuesday it will launch six crafted beverages in U.S. restaurants on May 6. It鈥檚 joining other chains, like KFC, Wendy鈥檚 and Taco Bell, that have elevated their drinks in order to lure customers away from rivals like and .
McDonald鈥檚 will offer three refreshers, including a mango pineapple flavor with strawberry boba and a blackberry passion fruit flavor with freeze-dried dragon fruit. It will also offer three crafted sodas, including a dirty Dr Pepper with vanilla flavoring and a topping of cold foam.
McDonald’s said visual appeal 鈥� think bright colors and foams 鈥� and drinks as a form of self-expression are increasingly important to customers.
鈥淥ur fans have an obsession with beverages 鈥� to them, drinks are more than just drinks. And soon, our beverages won鈥檛 just be a reason you come to McDonald鈥檚, they鈥檒l be THE reason,鈥� Alyssa Buetikofer, the chief marketing officer for McDonald’s USA, said in a statement.
The drinks are also more profitable for fast food chains than the standard soda fountain drinks or plain coffees. A small Pineapple Citrus Sparkling Energy drink cost $3.29 on Tuesday at a Michigan Wendy’s, while a small drink from the restaurant’s Coca-Cola Freestyle machine cost $1 less.
McDonald’s said it’s also adding a 鈥渂everage specialist鈥� role at its 14,000 U.S. restaurants. Those employees will have dedicated spaces behind the counter where they can focus on drinks. Initially, high-performing employees will be selected for those roles, but eventually all employees will be encouraged to rotate through the beverage positions.
McDonald鈥檚 has been working on a beverage upgrade for years. In late 2023, the company announced it would called CosMc鈥檚 which would sell customizable drinks and treats to appeal to afternoon snackers. McDonald鈥檚 said its sales often slump in the afternoon between mealtimes, and it wants to change that.
鈥淭his is a $100 billion category that鈥檚 growing faster than the rest of (casual dining) and with superior margins. And it鈥檚 a space that we believe we have the right to win,鈥� McDonald鈥檚 Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said at the time.
McDonald鈥檚 got creative with the CosMc鈥檚 menu, which included a turmeric spiced latte and a prickly pear slushie with popping candy on top. But it wound up locations last spring. Kempczinski said many of the drinks were too complex for regular McDonald鈥檚 store operations, but he said the company would test some drinks at U.S. stores in the future.
Other chains are also jumping on the beverage bandwagon. KFC鈥檚 Kwench drink menu did so well in tests in Manchester, England, last year that it鈥檚 rolling out to 3,000 stores this year in the U.K., Australia and Canada. The menu includes shakes, like a Strawberry Shortcake Krunch, as well as boba refreshers and iced coffees.
Taco Bell, which is also owned by KFC parent Yum Brands, has a separate beverage brand called Live Mas Caf茅. At kiosks within U.S. Taco Bell stores, employees dubbed Bellristas blend drinks like Churro Chillers milkshakes, iced coffees and fizzy energy drinks. Taco Bell opened its first Live Mas Caf茅 at the end of 2024 and added 30 more locations last year.
In a November conference call with investors, Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner said that if sales perform well at those 30 locations, the Live Mas Caf茅 concept will likely be part of Taco Bell鈥檚 long-term growth plan.
鈥淭hrough Live Mas Caf茅, (we) add a new consumer use case, which is the destination beverage visit,鈥� he said.
Wendy鈥檚 added customizable cold foam iced coffees and two sparkling energy drinks to its U.S. menu last fall. Burger King has also upgraded its beverage options, starting with a Frozen Cotton Candy drink with an optional foam topping that debuted in 2024 and returned last summer.
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