By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-20 21:42:20 | Updated at 2024-11-23 21:11:02
2 days ago
Some Americans may have to do without their specialty coffee at McDonald's for the next few weeks.
That's because the manufacturer who makes the chain's espresso machines, Melitta, warned franchisees via letter that there was a faulty part in them, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The fault could cause steam to forcefully escape from the machine and cause the part to break, according to the letter.
Melitta told restaurant operators not to use the machines for three weeks while it investigates the problem and inspects the espresso makers.
A video posted to Reddit thread dedicated to McDonald's employees appeared to show an espresso machine exploding from the machine so violently that nearby objects were sent flying near an employee's head.
DailyMail.com reached out to McDonald's to confirm the authenticity of this video.
Lattes, mochas, macchiatos, cappuccinos and other espresso-based drinks were unavailable at some McDonald's locations in New York City and Chicago on Wednesday.
McDonald's said this issue affected a limited number of drinks on the menu, with hot and ice brewed coffees still available to order.
It could be three weeks before McDonald's restaurants get back to serving espresso-based drinks while the machine manufacturer Melitta investigates the faulty part
Pictured: The online menu of a McDonald's on Park Avenue in Manhattan showed a large number of specialty coffees unavailable on Wednesday
'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 company said in a statement.
The fast food giant said it is still assessing the scope of the problem, since it remains unclear how many restaurants have been impacted.
DailyMail.com approached McDonald's for further comment.
This latest incident only adds to the reputation McDonald's has for its constantly broken ice cream machines.
That's due to a requirement that only the machine's manufacturer can fix any issues, which means restaurants with broken machines have to join a long queue before they can be seen to.
But this could soon change after McDonald's recently won a legal battle that grants individual restaurants a copyright exception to be able to repair the machines themselves.
McDonald's is also working overtime to regain customers' good will after there was an E. coli outbreak at their restaurants across 14 states.
The outbreak - which the CDC has linked to the slivered onions on the Quarter Pounders - has left 34 people hospitalized, one man dead and 104 people sick.
McDonald's plans to shell out $100 million to lure back its customers by investing in recovery efforts and supporting 'the most heavily impacted franchisees.'
