TOKYO McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) Ltd., a business in which McDonald's Corp. holds a 50-percent stake, will launch 15 pilot McCafe stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area at the end of August and will consider opening more across Japan in the next fiscal year, the company said.
The McCafes feature premium coffee and espresso beverages, premium teas, smoothies, desserts and snacks in a café atmosphere. Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's has nearly 3,800 restaurants in Japan, of which about 2,700 are operated by the Tokyo-based franchisor.
Seattle-based Starbucks has nearly 700 units across Japan and said sales rose16 percent last year to $646 million.
In the United States, McDonald’s operates 19 McCafes within McDonald’s restaurants and has no plans to grow them as a separate concept at this time, said Danya Proud, a McDonald’s spokeswoman. “It has been well-received in the U.S., but we are focused on our core brand. You will see elements of McCafe in our restaurants, such as premium coffee and iced coffee, and we’re testing specialty coffees,” she said.
McCafes are most widespread within McDonald’s restaurants in Australia and Europe. The number in Europe is expected to reach 300 in the near future, the company said.