Food Branding: Can Wendys Sell Pricey Coffee Drinks?
Published by Karyn Zoldan October 23rd, 2007 in Coffee, Opinions.These days it seems that everyone wants to mirror the success of Starbucks. Even 7-11 and McDonald’s has added a bold (dark roast) coffee to their menus.
Wendy’s has taken it a step further to create a coffee bar called Javacino with plasma TVs, free wi-fi, and flowers on the table. Do you think the fast food customer will be impressed? I guess they’re taking a gamble that they are.
Copying the Frappucino, the Frosty-cino costs $3.69, hot chocolate $2.69, and flavored iced green teas, $1.99.
For now, Wendy’s Javacino has only one location but I bet the other franchises are watching closely. Wendy’s needs a shot in the fast food arm and maybe this will be the booster that it needs.
Do you think this high end coffee drinking fits the Wendy’s image?
Wendy’s usually is my fast-food preference because their chili is only 5 Weight Watcher’s points and I feel that I am getting some vegetables with the tomato base.
But I hate their decor. They haven’t changed since the beginning.
If they update their decore to match the new coffee drinks, I think that is a positive step. They could get my coffee business.
Why do I say this? Because I don’t regularly go to McDonald’s because I equate their food with high calories and high fat, but I do drink their coffee drinks. In fact, that is the only place I go for flavored ice coffee because the prices are right.
Although offering a diverse product line can allow a fast food company to become a full service provider, there is a very real chance that consumers will not want to buy a higher price coffee product from them, preferring to get their coffee from a shop that “specializes” in coffee than a “fast food place.”
I had the frosty-cino in McComb Miss. I loved the vanilla flavored one. I hope that wendy’s in New Orleans La will start the trend. People drink a lot of coffee down south and they would make a big profit off of the frosty cino it has a rich creamy taste and I really enjoyed it a whole lot. I am about to drive back to Mccomb to try it again. I hope it makes it’s way to New Orleans soon.