McDonald’s To Temporarily Stop Selling Espresso Drinks

McDonald’s will temporarily stop selling espresso drinks at some U.S. locations.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 19 that Melitta, the manufacturer behind many of McDonald’s espresso makers, said it was looking into a faulty machine component that could cause steam to forcefully escape and the component to break. Thus, the company has asked McDonald’s and other restaurant operators that use its machines to temporarily stop selling drinks like hot and cold lattes to customers until it can fix the problem.

In a letter to restaurant owners, a Melitta spokesman said the company detected problems in two machines. “Our intent is to determine the root cause and provide a remediation plan and remedies,” he said.

Some McDonald’s espresso machines are out of commission. The chain is still determining the scope of restaurants impacted. Espresso-based items may not be available until the issue is resolved https://t.co/uK1XAZFdCh pic.twitter.com/umViNlpdVa

— Restaurant News (@NRNonline) November 19, 2024

McDonald’s addressed the problem, which has temporarily stopped the sale of its popular caffeinated drinks in affected restaurants, in a statement: “We have moved quickly to decommission these machines in McDonald’s restaurants and are staying in contact with our supplier to safely resolve the issue.”

The fast-food chain added that it was “assessing the scope of the issue,” according to the WSJ, though hot and iced brewed coffee were still available.

McDonald’s Espresso Machine Problem Comes on the Heels of an E. Coli Outbreak

Less than one month before the problems with its espresso machines, McDonald’s weathered a brutal sales storm. In an investigation that began in October, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that McDonald’s onions were contaminated with E. coli. This outbreak caused the fast-food giant to pull the popular Quarter Pounder sandwich from its menu temporarily.

“Epidemiologic and traceback information show that fresh, slivered onions are the likely source of illness in this outbreak. Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions to the affected McDonald’s locations also recalled onions. Food service businesses were contacted directly by Taylor Farms. These onions are past their shelf life and are not available for sale. The likelihood of contaminated onions still being available for sale is low,” the CDC reported in a statement.

The E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders sold across the United States has sickened at least 104 people, caused 34 hospitalizations, and one death. Cases have been reported in 14 states so far, with the most illnesses in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico, according to the CDC.