What a coffee enthusiast can learn from the McDonald's milk pricing row?

A McDonald's hot milk priced at 23 yuan became a trending topic on Weibo after a customer complained on November 11. McDonald's mini-program lists the milk at 23, 19, and 15 yuan for large, medium, and small cups, and milk sources differ between cities. The chain has not treated it as a formal recall or quality issue.

Much of the debate centers on location. Stores inside high-speed rail stations carry far higher operating costs, so prices run above street outlets, and some customers say combo meals offer better value. For anyone weighing how much does it cost to open a coffee shop, the case shows how rent and site type shape drink pricing far more than the raw milk itself.

Recently, the topic of McDonald's selling a cup of hot milk for 23 yuan trended on Weibo, and netizens jokingly dubbed it a "milk assassin." The incident began on November 11 when a netizen complained on social media, sparking widespread discussion. Some netizens shared experiences of witnessing staff at stores opening low-priced pure milk, heating it, and serving it, while others pointed out that pricing in special commercial areas like high-speed rail stations is inherently higher. According to McDonald's official mini-program, this milk comes in large, medium, and small cups, priced at 23 yuan, 19 yuan, and 15 yuan respectively, and the milk sources vary across stores in different cities. As coffee enthusiasts, let's use this incident as a starting point to discuss the pricing logic and milk source choices of chain restaurants.

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Recently, a topic on Weibo about "netizens complaining that McDonald's milk costs 23 yuan per cup" quickly trended, drawing widespread attention and earning McDonald's the label of "milk assassin."

On November 11, a netizen posted on social media complaining that McDonald's sold a cup of hot milk for 23 yuan, jokingly saying: "Are cows going extinct? I was shocked by McDonald's sky-high milk price."

Shortly after the post was published, it attracted many passersby's attention and discussion. Many netizens bluntly said the price was absurdly expensive, "two cups of milk is enough for me to buy a case," while others joked that the milk was priced so high to "highlight the cost-effectiveness of other drinks," and some retorted: "Is 23 yuan for noble milk freshly raised and squeezed on the spot?"

In the discussion, a netizen shared their personal experience: they once ordered a cup of milk at McDonald's, and the staff opened a bottle of pure milk that might cost only 2.5 yuan right in front of them, poured it into a machine to heat it, then put it in a cup and served it directly.

However, some netizens believed that businesses clearly marking prices is reasonable, especially in places like high-speed rail stations where store operating costs are inherently much higher. In fact, besides McDonald's, the prices of milk items at some chain stores are also not low, so if you think it's expensive, buying a combo meal is much more cost-effective, and of course, you can also choose not to consume.

According to McDonald's official mini-program, this milk comes in large, medium, and small sizes, with corresponding prices of 23 yuan, 19 yuan, and 15 yuan, and iced and hot drinks are the same price. On the ordering page, it also states "strictly selected high-quality milk, freshly steamed." The 23 yuan hot milk in the screenshot is a medium cup of 12 ounces (about 354.84 milliliters), which is 4 yuan more expensive than the price at regular stores.

In response to the topic of netizens complaining about a cup of milk costing 23 yuan, a customer service representative at a McDonald's store in a high-speed rail station responded: "Restaurants in train stations have higher prices; low-priced and high-priced restaurants will differ, and prices vary by commercial area." As for the difference between McDonald's milk and milk outside, the staff said they were not sure.

According to China News Service, to understand the milk source used by McDonald's, a reporter consulted relevant McDonald's staff. They said this milk uses Sanyuan fresh milk, and it is only heated by machine. As for why it is sold so expensive, they said: "This is uniform pricing. All of McDonald's hot milk is this price."

McDonald's official mini-program shows that in addition to Beijing, some McDonald's stores in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other places also sell this milk at the same price, but with different milk sources. Among them, staff at a Shanghai store said the hot milk in the store uses Bright pure fresh cow's milk; staff at a Guangzhou store said it uses Kowloon Dairy fresh milk (according to the official website, Kowloon Dairy is a Hong Kong milk brand originating in 1940).

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.