I don’t know anybody who hates McDonald’s coffee the way some hate Starbucks coffee (mostly they say it is too strong or bitter).
Nevertheless, McDonald’s is testing the McCafe concept in Japan. The company opened 15 “McCafe” cafe-style outlets in and around Tokyo, aiming at catering to a wider range of customers and serving soft drinks, soups, sandwiches, pastries and ice creams. 10 McCafe’s were opened inside existing traditional McDonald’s restaurants, while the rest were launched by renovating smaller restaurants.
It looks exactly like the Starbucks tucked in the corner of Target, or the cafes in Barnes & Noble. From the photo, you can clearly see the snacks are well above the quality of the hot apple pocket pie served by McDonald’s – you can see large cakes (carrot cake), danishes, and other pastries you expect to find in a Panera Bread bakery, albeit none of the goodies are baked onsite at McCafe. I am sure this has been in the works for many years, and was confirmed to launch as a competitive response to Dunkin’ Donuts successful coffee brand upgrade in recent years.
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Ryan is an attorney and valuation specialist residing in Chicago. He chronicles his thoughts and research on FranchisePundit.com. You may reach him by email ryanknoll@gmail.com or mobile telephone 312-212-3423.
Ryan,
In an article in the Boston Globe today they talk about McCafe Drinks such as lattes etc., and the availability of the drinks in 67% of McDonalds 14,000 US Locations.
Take a look at: McDonald’s hits rival where it hurts: the lattes
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/12/mcdonalds_hits_rival_where_it_hurts_the_lattes/
Jim Coen
Jim,
Interesting article, thanks. It’s getting me in the mood for latte right now from McD’s. I saw a TV show highlighting the R&D and testing done by the executive chefs at McDonald’s…very impressive.
[...] research and development in the product or services offering. Wendy’s seems to be following McDonald’s lead in rolling out its own high-end coffee bistro called Javaccino. While McDonald’s seems to [...]
McDonald’s is smart for adapting high-end coffee to a slow economy, but still, their McCafe coffees aren’t a whole lot less than Starbucks
I have the greatest respect for a successful company doing what they do better than anyone else. I become worried when that company decides to branch out and do what others do better than they do it. However, I have great faith in MCD’s management to execute this plan. At least they are considering how to grow after the entire globe is saturated with MCDs. I wish they would open a Health Insurance franchise.