THUNDER BAY – FOOD NOW – The ongoing march for change at Mcdonalds of Canada continues. While many think of Mcdonalds as a place for burgers, fries or Happy Meals for children, the ongoing evolution at the restaurant chain toward being in direct competition with coffee places is escalating. “We’re putting the café in McCafé and making the brand a destination in its own right,” said John Betts, President and CEO of McDonald’s Canada. “The new standalone McCafé locations allow us to build on our strong coffee credentials and create even stronger connections with our brand by offering our guests the more complete café menu they’ve been asking us for.”
Mcdonalds states that “Today marks another bold step in the McCafé brand evolution with the unveiling of the first-ever standalone McCafé experience in Canada at Union Station in Toronto, with a second to open at First Canadian Place early in 2016. Establishing McCafé as a standalone destination is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to build on its reputation as a leading coffee brand and showcases the company’s passion for elevating the café experience for its guests in ways that are both convenient and relevant.”
The standalone McCafé locations offer greater access points for the brand as they feature smaller footprints than traditional McDonald’s restaurants, allowing the brand to expand into high density urban locations. Each location will feature an ‘on the go’ menu where consumers can quickly grab their favourite cup of coffee and snack, available across all day parts, with selected items freshly prepared and baked in-house in the McCafé kitchen, including :
- McCafé Bakery, the first extension of the McCafé brand into food and also now rolling out across McDonald’s restaurants nationally, features authentic French croissants, a Mini Chocolatine that offers chocolate in every bite and Cream Cheese Danishes made with real fruit.
- The iconic Egg McMuffin® and authentic bagel sandwiches, both made with a freshly cracked Canada Grade A egg and prepared in our own café kitchen, throughout the day.
- Freshly prepared sandwiches, like the Classic Grilled Cheese on stoneground multi-grain bread and signature Apple & Brie Croissant with honey.
- An assortment of ready-made artisan sandwiches and delicious salads like the Quinoa Edamame Mandarin Salad or the Kale and Brussel Sprouts Salad with Mixed Veggies.
- The McCafé Affogato made with Oreo® cookie crumbs, our famous soft serve and a shot of espresso.
In 2008, McDonald’s Canada started its journey to become recognized for great tasting coffee. Since the launch of its first Free Coffee event in April 2009, the company has given away more than 138 million cups of coffee over 13 events. In 2011, the McCafé brand was officially launched with the introduction of espresso-based beverages which was followed with Real Fruit Smoothies in 2012 and the successful launch of McCafé Premium Roast Coffee through grocery channels in 2014. Today, coffee sales have tripled and the brand has more than doubled its coffee market share, outpacing the growth of the industry overall, reinforcing its position as a dominant player in the Canadian quick-service coffee industry.
“In creating these new McCafé destinations, we put the modern needs of our guests’ busy lifestyles first,” added John Betts. “Whether it’s a breakfast sandwich to pair with a latte to kick-start their day or a McCafé Affogato as an afternoon ‘pick-me-up’, we’re making it easier for our guests to incorporate McCafé into their everyday rituals.”
The new McCafé locations are designed to offer convenience and further enhance service delivery where every second counts with consumers’ busy lifestyles. Each location will feature self-ordering kiosks, mobile device charging stations, and free Wi-Fi.
The first McCafé location at Union Station is the first permanent retail operation to open in the newly renovated York Concourse. The second location scheduled to open in the Exchange Tower at First Canadian Place in January 2016 will feature seating for 19 guests.
