McDonald’s launches six craft drinks to boost sales at snack time

Fast food chain McDonald’s announced on Tuesday the launch of six craft drinks in its U.S. restaurants starting May 6. The measure is part of the company’s strategy to reverse the drop in sales during the afternoon, between main meals, a segment that generates around 100 billion dollars globally. The move puts the chain in direct competition with competitors like Starbucks, Dutch Bros and other chains that have expanded their beverage offerings in recent years.

The menu includes three soft drinks with sophisticated flavors and three craft soft drinks. Entre new features include a mango and pineapple soft drink with strawberry boba, a blackberry and passion fruit flavor with freeze-dried pitaya, as well as an Dr Pepper with vanilla flavor and iced foam topping. The company highlights that visual appeal — vibrant colors, foam and design — and drinks as a form of self-expression have become increasingly important to modern customers.

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Craft beverages represent a significantly greater financial opportunity than traditional soft drinks or plain coffee. A small carbonated pineapple and citrus energy drink from Wendy’s costs $3.29, while a small drink from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine costs $1 less. The superior margin structure of premium beverages allows chains to offer differentiated products while maintaining high profitability, a crucial factor in boosting financial results.

McDonald’s even created the position of “beverage specialist” in its 14,000 restaurants in the US. Esses employees will occupy dedicated spaces behind the counter, where they will focus exclusively on preparing drinks. Inicialmente, the best performing employees will be selected for these roles, but eventually all employees will be encouraged to move up to specialist positions.

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Network Beverage Innovation Histórico

McDonald’s trajectory in beverages dates back to the end of 2023, when the company announced the opening of small stores called CosMc’s. Esses establishments focused exclusively on customizable drinks and desserts, designed to appeal to customers seeking mid-afternoon snacks. CosMc’s menu included innovative products like a turmeric latte and a prickly pear slushie with fizzy candies on top. Contudo, the operation faced challenges. The eight locations were closed in the spring of 2025 after many of the beverages were found to be too complex for regular operations. Chris Kempczinski, president and CEO of McDonald’s, announced that the company would test some of those formulas in stores in the US in the future, a commitment that has now come to fruition with the launch of the six new options.

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“Our fans are obsessed with drinks. Para them, drinks are more than just drinks,” said Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing officer, McDonald’s USA. “Soon, our drinks won’t just be a reason to come to McDonald’s, they’ll be THE reason.”

Competição fierce in the premium beverage segment

McDonald’s isn’t the only chain expanding its beverage portfolios. Outras fast food chains have also stepped up their efforts in this growing market. KFC launched the Kwench menu with huge success in trials on Manchester, Inglaterra, last year. The program will expand to 3,000 stores this year at Reino Unido, Austrália and Canadá, including milkshakes like the Strawberry Shortcake Krunch, boba drinks and iced coffees. Taco Bell, which also belongs to Yum Brands (parent company of KFC), created its own brand of drinks called Live Mas Café.

At kiosks inside Taco Bell stores across the US, employees nicknamed Bellristas prepare drinks such as Churro Chillers milkshakes, iced coffees and carbonated energy drinks. The first Live Mas Café opened in late 2024, and 30 more units were added in 2025. Chris Turner, CEO of Yum Brands, said in a conference call with investors that if sales continue to perform well at these 30 locations, the concept will likely be part of Taco Bell’s long-term growth plan. Ele added: “Through Live Mas Café, we have added a new consumer use case of visiting a specific location for a drink.”

Industry General Ofensiva

Wendy’s and Burger King have also beefed up their beverage offerings in recent months. Last fall, Wendy’s added iced coffees with customizable foam and two carbonated energy drinks to its menu in the US. Burger King enhanced its offerings with a frozen cotton candy drink with optional foam topping, which debuted in 2024 and returned last summer. Esse’s coordinated movement from major chains reflects a clear trend: craft and customizable beverages are the next frontier of growth in fast food, especially to capture sales in traditional low-demand periods like mid-afternoon.