McCafe opens in Japan

08/29/2007 @ 6:00 pm

As we reported last month they were getting set to do McDonald’s Japan has opened the first of their McDonald’s McCafe coffee shops in a direct challenge to Starbucks, Tully’s and major java chains.

McDonald’s Co (Japan) Ltd opened seven McCafe shops in Tokyo and eight in neighboring Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures as well as Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan.

The menu for McCafe in Japan is all original, according to CEO Eiko Harada. It includes drip coffe and espresso beverages starting at 170 yen, 15 bakery goods for 100 yen each, baked pie for 180 yen, “Dobutsu pan” (animal bread) for 260 yen, pumpkin soup and vegetable & bean soup for 390 yen, and McDeli for 330 yen in Tokyo.

As I said last month, this will be interesting to watch. Though people in the U.S. rate McDonald’s coffee higher than the brew you get at Starbucks, most Japanese people I have talked with tend to say they don’t like the taste of McDonald’s coffee. Only time will tell if the McDonald promo machine will be able to overcome the bad image of McCoffee in Japan.

By Edward, Stored in: Business, Cool!, Food, Revealed

4 Responses to “McCafe opens in Japan”

Papigiulio Said:

blegh Mc’s poppin up everywhere in Japan. Do they wanna have more fat Japanese people? I know i know this is just a cafe, but still

August 29th, 2007 at 10:16 pm

ghoti Said:

JP, most people I talk to haven’t tried Mc coffee in years, and they remember the scalding hot dishwater they used to serve instead of coffee. Most who have tried it recently will tell me it’s good, but I haven’t asked for a comparison to Starbucks. For me, it’s McDonalds for take-out and Starbucks for a place to kill time.

August 30th, 2007 at 4:31 pm

JP Said:

Here is the comparison to which I am referring. It was done by none other than Consumer Reports magazine.

There’s nothing average about the Joe at McDonald’s.

The Golden Arches beat out java giants Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, along with Burger King, in a coffee taste test run by Consumer Reports magazine.

The magazine proclaimed McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee had “no flaws” and was easiest on the wallet.

“Try McDonald’s, which was cheapest and best,” Consumer Reports says in its March issue. “Or make your own coffee.”

Of the four, McDonald’s cost the least, $1.35, on average.

It “was decent and moderately strong,” the magazine says, “although it lacked the top notes needed to make it rise and shine.”

Starbucks might have the most vocal fan club among the caffeine crowd, but its $1.55-a-cup brew was deemed ordinary. “Strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open,” the report said.

August 30th, 2007 at 4:56 pm

Joe Said:

i enjoy everything the the McDonald’s McCafe coffees except the goofy name

March 28th, 2009 at 5:41 am