McDonald's May Sell Bagged Coffee Soon

Looks like McDonald's wants a bite out of Dunkin' Donuts' and Starbucks' piece of the pie — new reports show that McDonald's filed a trademark for its own brand whole-bean and ground coffee, sparking new rumors that it will soon sell packaged coffee in stores. 

The claim was filed Sept. 18, reports NASDAQ, but so far, no one has confirmed what McDonald's plans to do with it. Said spokesman Danya Proud to NASDAQ, "As you know, we are always looking at new and exciting ways to remain relevant to our customers and be where they need us to be... [But] we register a lot of trademarks. That's nothing new for us." 

It may be no surprise that McDonald's wants in on the game, considering how well Dunkin' Donuts' line of coffee sells in stores and supermarkets. The packaged coffee industry is worth about $5.6 billion, and 56 percent of Americans reported that they bought coffee in the supermarket in 2011. (So much for all those coffee runs, guys.) However, NASDAQ notes that the company may have filed a claim simply to keep competitors from selling the same coffee in stores. Will we be seeing the Golden Arches next to our Dunkin' and Starbucks brands on shelves? Time will tell.