McDonald’s Testing its Café Concept

McDonald's Corp. (Oak Brook, Ill.) will be testing its new McCafé coffee shops in the Southwest United States prior to a national rollout in the first half of 2009.

According to a report by New Mexico Business Weekly, the concept will contain coffee bars, which will serve cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and baked foods.

McDonald's expanded its coffee and beverage options with the launch of its premium roast coffee in 2006. McDonald's restaurants in the Louisville, Ky., area were among the first to test market the McCafé Specialty Coffee line and several Louisville-area McDonald's owner-operators are now planning renovations to add the coffee bars.

McDonald's is also testing McCafé kiosks in airports and in locations outside the U.S.