McDonald's McCafe
US
In a new initiative to attract coffee drinkers, McDonald’s is rebooting its McCafe brand in hopes of challenging Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. The fast food giant will reintroduce the McCafe concept next year with special offers, seasonal drinks and increased marketing of its coffee rewards program.
McDonald’s first launched McCafe eight years ago and has made efforts to upgrade its quality and obtain beans from sustainable sources. Despite those moves, it still lags behind Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Bloomberg News reports coffee sales at burger chains rose just 3.3 percent last year, compared with an almost 10 percent jump for coffee cafes, according to research firm Technomic.
McDonald's still plans to emphasize price over Starbucks. Drip coffee is expected to sell for $1 with $2 small specialty-beverage offerings during the first quarter of next year, said Kristy Cunningham, U.S. senior vice president of strategy and insights.
McCafe is “a very important piece,” Cunningham said. “It gives us the chance to follow what the customer is really looking for.”