McCafé is the McDonald’s restaurant concept first opened in Australia in 1993 that specializes in coffee.
The first McCafé opened in Melbourne, Australia, as a dedicated coffee-focused extension of a McDonald’s restaurant. The concept responded to Australia’s strong café culture and gave the company a way to compete more directly in the prepared-coffee market.
McCafé later expanded internationally, appearing either as a distinct area inside a McDonald’s restaurant or as a prominently branded counter. Its menu has included espresso-based drinks, brewed coffee, pastries, and other café products, with offerings adapted to local tastes.
The name is sometimes treated as a generic label for McDonald’s coffee, but McCafé is a specific sub-brand. The Australian origin is also important: the concept was not first created in the United States. Its growth helped broaden McDonald’s identity from a burger restaurant into a provider of several everyday food and beverage occasions.