Good Start for McCafe Launch
OAK BROOK, Ill. -- McDonald's McCafe coffee rollout is off to a good start, corporate executives said in a Reuters report.
"Things are going very, very well ... Coffee movement has been good," Don Thompson, president of McDonald's USA, told reporters in a press conference following its annual shareholders meeting earlier this week. "It's exceeded our expectations."
McDonald's expects the addition of beverages, ranging from coffee and cappuccino to water and sports drinks, to eventually add $1 billion to annual sales.
The company said its associated bottled beverages push likely will focus on plain and flavored waters and sports drinks rather than energy drinks and carbonated beverages.
"The jury is still is still out relative to energy-based drinks," said Thompson, who added frappes and smoothies could be in stores by the latter half of next year.
McDonald's recently announced the formal launch of its McCafe coffee drinks in the United States, where around 11,000 of the fast-food chain's roughly 14,000 U.S. locations will have the McCafe coffee stations.
"We're going to be doing some additional consumer measures and we'll get a chance to see what market share looks like, but that will probably be another six months down the road," Thompson said, referring to the impact of the company's coffee push.
McDonald's is also rolling out McCafe stations in overseas restaurants; it plans to add McCafe to more than 1,100 European outlets.
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-- Competitive Watch: McD's, Starbucks and Dunkin' Go Head to Head
-- McDonald's Profits Rise Nearly 4 Percent
"Things are going very, very well ... Coffee movement has been good," Don Thompson, president of McDonald's USA, told reporters in a press conference following its annual shareholders meeting earlier this week. "It's exceeded our expectations."
McDonald's expects the addition of beverages, ranging from coffee and cappuccino to water and sports drinks, to eventually add $1 billion to annual sales.
The company said its associated bottled beverages push likely will focus on plain and flavored waters and sports drinks rather than energy drinks and carbonated beverages.
"The jury is still is still out relative to energy-based drinks," said Thompson, who added frappes and smoothies could be in stores by the latter half of next year.
McDonald's recently announced the formal launch of its McCafe coffee drinks in the United States, where around 11,000 of the fast-food chain's roughly 14,000 U.S. locations will have the McCafe coffee stations.
"We're going to be doing some additional consumer measures and we'll get a chance to see what market share looks like, but that will probably be another six months down the road," Thompson said, referring to the impact of the company's coffee push.
McDonald's is also rolling out McCafe stations in overseas restaurants; it plans to add McCafe to more than 1,100 European outlets.
Related News:
-- Restaurants Redefine to Struggle Through Recession
-- Competitive Watch: McD's, Starbucks and Dunkin' Go Head to Head
-- McDonald's Profits Rise Nearly 4 Percent