Does Dairy Queen Have Coffee in 2024? Here‘s the Full scoop
Coffee has become a menu staple across fast food restaurants, with chains seeing double-digit percentage growth in coffee sales in recent years. Industry-wide, coffee now makes up over 8% of sales at quick service restaurants. With booming demand, Dairy Queen joined competitors in adding coffee drinks in 2016. But what exactly is on their coffee menu five years later? As a consumer expert, I have the full rundown on Dairy Queen‘s coffee offerings.
Rapid Growth of Coffee Demand Drives Dairy Queen to Add Coffee Drinks
Over 60% of american coffee drinkers say they purchase coffee from quick service restaurants. This consumer demand has led chains like McDonald‘s and Dunkin‘ Donuts to expand their coffee selection. Dairy Queen wanted a piece of the $9 billion coffee market too – they debuted iced coffee and blended MooLattes nationwide in 2016 along with a happy hour promotion.
The Vice President of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation, Maria Hokanson, said this move was directly aimed at competing with Starbucks and McDonald‘s morning coffee sales, while also attracting customers during afternoon and evening hours. Industry experts saw it as a smart play, with Dairy Queen‘s 7,200+ locations giving them an easy way to tap into coffee demand.
So what coffee options did Dairy Queen add to their menu? Here‘s an overview:
| Drink Type | Flavors |
|---|---|
| Iced Coffee | Vanilla, Mocha, Salted Caramel |
| MooLattes (blended) | Vanilla, Mocha, Cappuccino, Caramel |
These new coffee additions joined Orange Julius smoothies and soft drink beverages, giving customers even more drink variety on their Dairy Queen visits.
Do Dairy Queen Coffee Drinks Pack a Caffeine Punch?
When it comes to caffeine content, Dairy Queen‘s coffee drinks aren‘t going to give you quite as big a jolt as a strong drip coffee or espresso. Why? The DQ coffee drinks use a coffee syrup concentrate that gets diluted rather than fresh brewed coffee. An 8 oz cup likely contains around 70-90mg caffeine.
By comparison, an 8 oz brewed coffee has 100-140mg caffeine while a Starbucks Caffè Latte packs 150mg per 8 oz cup. So think of DQ‘s coffee drinks more like a lightly caffeinated, coffee-flavored milkshake. Delicious and sweet, but not an intense caffeine boost.
If you want that extra morning or 2 PM pick-me-up, I‘d suggest adding an espresso shot to your Dairy Queen coffee drink to increase the caffeine amount.
Sweet, Smooth and Reminiscent of Starbucks Frappuccinos
Based on customer reviews, the Dairy Queen MooLattes get high ratings, especially for their sweet, dessert-like taste. One reviewer described the Mocha MooLatte as extremely sweet with noticeable flavors of chocolate, coffee, and cream. Another said the Cappuccino MooLatte was like drinking an iced cappuccino blended with ice cream.
Most compare the MooLattes to a Starbucks Frappuccino in texture and sweetness. So while discerning coffee connoisseurs may find Dairy Queen‘s coffee beverages too sugary, most customers praise the blends describing them as "smooth" and "rich".
If you want something less sweet, order an iced coffee or coffee drink blend with a non-coffee or non-creamy base flavoring like orange or lemon. And those watching calories or sugar should ask for reduced calorie sweeteners and low fat milk options.
The Verdict: Tasty Coffee Treats to Accompany DQ Favorites
As both a consumer expert and DQ enthusiast, I give their coffee lineup a thumbs up. No, they aren‘t artisan espresso beverages, but the iced coffee drinks and MooLattes offer a tasty sweet blend for those that want coffee flavor alongside their ice cream. Parents love being able to get a quick caffeine boost while taking kids for dipped cones. And the coffee options encourage customers to come in morning and night.
The addition of coffee drinks expanded Dairy Queen‘s consumer appeal. Based on continued menu availability five years later, I expect coffee to remain an important part of DQ‘s long-term beverage strategy. Especially with America‘s growing addiction to coffee continuing unabated.
So next time you swing through a Dairy Queen drive-thru for a signature GrillBurger or Blizzard, consider rounding out your meal with a Mocha MooLatte or Vanilla Iced Coffee for good measure!
