McDonald’s coffeehouse concept first launched in Australia in 1993 was McCafé.
McCafé began in Melbourne, Australia, as a coffee-focused extension of the McDonald’s brand. The concept gave the company a more specialized café identity while using McDonald’s existing restaurant network and operational infrastructure.
The name combines “Mc,” a long-standing McDonald’s branding element, with “café,” clearly signaling the concept’s focus on coffee and café-style drinks. McCafé locations and counters later expanded internationally, with menus and layouts varying by market.
McCafé is distinct from the general McDonald’s coffee menu that existed in many restaurants before the concept was created. It represented a branded sub-concept rather than merely a product name. The 1993 Australian launch is therefore an important milestone in McDonald’s effort to compete in the growing café and specialty-coffee market.