The first McCafe flagship outlet opened two weeks ago at The Esplanade shopping complex, to cater to upscale coffee lovers.

The diversification into the coffee-house business is in line with McDonald's strategy of creating new sources of income and growth in all key international markets, including Thailand. It is also part of the hamburger chain's ambition to move away from its image as a conventional quick-serve restaurant to something more upscale.

McCafe is aimed at serving high-end cakes and pastries, gourmet coffee and premium teas, with the same quality as other international coffee-house chains but at affordable prices.

In Bangkok, a second McCafe coffee-house will open in Amarin Plaza on July 6 and a third in the CP Tower in August, said Hester Chew, chairman of the executive committee at McThai.

"Our customers, who have grown up with McDonald's, told us they wanted a true espresso-coffee experience. And we realised we could be more relevant to our customers by offering great coffee with fast service and well-trained staff," Chew said.

This is part of McDonald's global strategy of providing customers with premium coffee in a contemporary, modern and friendly ambience," Chew said.

The company plans to open eight to 10 McCafe coffee-houses this year.

McCafe manager Isaraphong Rupmo said the company was learning from the success of the McCafes in Australia and the US.

"McCafe was launched in Australia as a subsidiary brand of McDonald's. The coffee market is expanding all around the world, and McDonald's saw a great business opportunity in the area of premium coffee-houses," Isaraphong said.

He said the first McCafe outlet opened in Australia in 1993. There are currently almost 600 McCafe coffee-houses in Australia and 800-1,000 McDonald's restaurant outlets in the country.

Currently, there are more than 2,000 McCafe outlets in almost 32 markets around the world, and Thailand is one of the primary markets for McCafe in Asia after the coffee-house's forays into Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"In Thailand, we'll launch McCafe in two major formats: standalone coffee-house, which has been quite successful in many Western markets, such as Italy; and as a remote outlet in regular McDonald's restaurant," said Isaraphong.

Chew said McCafe would offer special espresso coffee and a delicious food menu in a convenient welcoming ambience. Emphasis is placed on a great cafe feel, with cafe-style tables and chairs and contemporary decor providing a comfortable place to chill out and recharge.

"McCafe has carefully selected the finest Arabica coffee from around the world, to create a truly enjoyable coffee experience," Chew said.

"The coffee-house will also have a selection of sweet and savoury food items, including muffins, cheesecake, quiche and fresh salads. For those who want to chill out, we have a range of frappes, which is an iced blended drink in favourite flavours," Chew added.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation