Only a few McCafés exist in Europe, but customers looking to buy pastries and cappuccinos in Canada, Germany or Australia and over a dozen other countries are well acquainted with them.
European sceptics have pointed out that McCroissants are hardly likely to be as good as traditional French ones, and doubts have been aired about the quality of the coffee, which is why McDonald’s has installed coffee machines from high-end manufacturers in an attempt to quell criticism.
McDonald’s introduced the Starbucks-style McCafé concept in Melbourne in 1993. Today, most McDonald’s in Australia have McCafés located within existing restaurants. Reports indicated that McCafé outlets generated 15% more revenue than a regular McDonald’s, and, by 2003, were the largest coffee shop brand in Australia and New Zealand.
In May 2001, the first McCafé opened in the US (Chicago) and by then there were 300 worldwide. By 2002, the chain had spread to 13 countries.
In 2007, McCafés were opened in Japan as part of McDonald’s efforts to boost sales with healthier soup and sandwich offerings, and reach out to new customers who favoured traditional coffee shops. Despite being a relatively small part of McDonald’s overall strategy, there are currently around 1,300 worldwide.
McDonald’s is currently expanding the McCafé line nationwide in the US, and expects to have the majority of its 14,000 US stores converted by mid-2009.
Source: The Guardian
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