McDonald’s is dealing with broken machines again — but this time, it’s not ice cream
Some McDonald’s locations in the US are not serving espresso drinks because the machines have been disabled over safety concerns, CNN reported on Wednesday.
The manufacturer, Melitta, told its customers there was a safety issue with the $3,000 espresso makers.
McDonald’s told The Post it quickly decommissioned the machines after Melitta flagged the issue. The exact safety issue plaguing the machines is unclear.
Customers will have to go without their beloved espresso drinks – including lattes, cappuccinos, caramel macchiatos and Americanos – at affected restaurants. In the meantime, McDonald’s customers can continue to order hot and iced coffee drinks.
McDonald’s said it does not yet know the scope of the broken machines’ impact across its US locations. But the issue appears to be widespread across locations in cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, New York and Tampa, Florida, according to CNN.
The manufacturer said it is currently investigating the cause of the problem in its Melitta CT8 Espresso Machines.
The broken espresso machines have surfaced after McDonald’s recently won a victory that will help fix its broken ice cream machines quicker. The chain’s glitchy soft serve systems were so notorious that there is even a dedicated website, McBroken, that tracks which locations have a working machine.
The temporary espresso shutdown is a hit to McDonald’s business as it gears up for “another challenging year” ahead, CEO Chris Kempczinski said last month.
In July, the company reported its first quarterly same-store sales drop in four years as cash-strapped customers have cut back on discretionary spending after years of stubborn inflation.
And coffee is a significant part of McDonald’s earnings, with the fast-food chain selling almost 8 million cups of joe a day.
In December 2023, the burger joint announced it was piloting CosMc’s, a spinoff specialty chain with an extended coffee menu.
“One area of focus has been identifying ways for McDonald’s to participate in attractive and fast-growing categories…we’ve honed in on specialty beverages and coffee,” Kempczinski said at the time.
The espresso disaster comes as McDonald’s is dealing with a reputation crisis after an E. coli outbreak that crushed store visits and sales.
At least one person died and more than 100 fell ill in connection to the outbreak, which was linked to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The company recently said it is spending $100 million on its hardest-hit franchisees and marketing efforts to win back customers.
