McDonald's has gone to great lengths in recent years to raise the profile of its coffee with consumers in the battle for the breakfast day-part and beyond. Having achieved success on that front, the fast food restaurant operator is now following the lead of Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks with plans to sell its coffee in food, drug and mass outlets beginning early next year.
"We understand there is huge demand for at home options and we've built great success with our McCafé coffee in restaurants. So, it was a natural next step to provide customers with McCafé coffee to enjoy in their own home," said Greg Watson, senior vice president, McDonald's U.S. Menu Innovation, in a statement.
Kraft Foods is working with McDonald's to distribute the McCafé coffees in grocery stores. The coffee lineup made with 100 percent Arabica beans will be sold in 12 oz. bags including Premium Roast, Breakfast Blend, French Roast, Colombian, Premium Roast Decaf, French Vanilla, Hazelnut and French Roast Whole Bean.
Also available will be K-cup coffees including Premium Roast, French Roast and Premium Roast Decaf. According to Mintel, single-serve coffees may represent up to 50 percent of coffee sales by 2018.
"By tapping into the loyal McCafé fan base already built by McDonald's and leveraging our deep coffee category expertise here at Kraft, we have the ability to reach a larger audience than ever before, really giving this brand room to thrive," said Nina Barton, vice president of Coffee for Kraft Foods, in a statement.