McDonald’s introduced the McCafé coffeehouse brand in Australia in 1993.
The first McCafé opened in Melbourne, Australia, creating a café-style extension of the McDonald’s restaurant brand. It offered espresso-based coffee and a more café-oriented environment, helping McDonald’s compete in markets where coffeehouse culture was especially important.
McCafé later expanded internationally and became a significant sub-brand, with dedicated coffee menus, equipment, packaging, and store design. Its branding allowed McDonald’s to build a stronger identity around coffee without abandoning the core restaurant name.
The McCafé launch is sometimes dated to its later international expansion. The original branded café, however, began in Melbourne in 1993, before the concept spread to other countries.