A machine is giving McDonald’s a headache, and this time it’s not the one that makes ice cream.
Customers wanting to order an iced latte or a cappuccino are out of luck at some McDonald’s US locations because the espresso machine that makes its fancy McCafé drinks are temporarily disabled due to a safety issue.
Melitta, the manufacturer of the $3,000 espresso machine, informed customers of a problem with the equipment, forcing McDonald’s to temporarily decommission them while the issue is resolved. The exact nature of the safety issue was not disclosed.
In a statement to CNN, Melitta said it has “recommended a temporary stop use for the affected customers” while it conducts an investigation. “Our intent is to determine the root cause and provide a remediation plan that allows us to move forward,” a spokesperson said.
As a result, McDonald’s customers can’t order its espresso-based drinks, including macchiatos and Americanos. However, iced and hot brewed coffee aren’t affected and remain for sale, the fast food chain confirmed to CNN.
McDonald’s said it’s still “determining the scope” of the issue, but it appears widespread. CNN selected random cities in the McDonald’s app and found the espresso-based drinks unavailable to order in several cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, New York and Tampa, Florida.
Coffee is a large part of McDonald’s business, with the chain selling nearly 8 million cups a day. The chain recently launched a spinoff restaurant called CosMc’s that focuses on specialty coffee drinks.
“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,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski previously said.
The outage couldn’t have come at a worse time as the chain is battling back after an E. coli outbreak that dented sales and customer traffic. McDonald’s announced last week it’s spending $100 million on marketing and to help franchises most heavily affected.
