McDonald’s coffeehouse brand first launched in Melbourne in 1993 was called McCafé.
The concept began in Australia as a way to give McDonald’s restaurants a more distinctive coffeehouse identity. The name combined “Mc,” a familiar part of the company’s naming style, with “café,” clearly signaling the coffee-focused offering.
McCafé later expanded beyond Australia and became an international sub-brand. Its locations and formats have varied, including dedicated café areas inside existing McDonald’s restaurants and broader coffee menus sold through standard counters and drive-throughs.
McCafé is not the name of McDonald’s original restaurant brand or a historical mascot. It specifically identifies the company’s café and coffee program, which developed decades after the first McDonald’s restaurants opened.