McDonald's launched its first McCafé in 1993.
The first McCafé opened in Melbourne, Australia, creating a café-style sub-brand within a McDonald's restaurant. The concept gave the company a way to present specialty coffee and café beverages with a distinct visual identity while using the existing McDonald's network.
McCafé later expanded internationally, and its design and menu varied by market. In some locations it appeared as a separate seating area or branded counter; in others it was integrated more closely into the main restaurant. This flexibility helped McDonald's adapt the concept to local coffee-drinking habits.
The 1993 Melbourne launch is different from the later global expansion of McCafé. Because many customers first encountered the name years after the original opening, the launch date is often remembered incorrectly as the date of a particular country's rollout.