McCafé began at a McDonald’s restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, in 1993.
The concept was created to give McDonald’s a stronger coffeehouse identity and to broaden the company’s beverage offering. The first McCafé was developed by Australian franchisees and introduced café-style coffee service within a McDonald’s setting.
The brand later expanded beyond Australia, first through additional locations and then through international markets. Its visual identity, dedicated counters, espresso equipment, and expanded beverage menus helped distinguish McCafé from the standard soft-drink and filtered-coffee options historically associated with McDonald’s.
McCafé is a brand name rather than the name of the original Melbourne restaurant. It is also separate from McDonald’s broader corporate identity, even though both use the company’s Mc- naming convention.