McDonald’s to enter the coffee shop market in 2009

Estimates for this year indicate a value of €100 mln for the Romanian business of the American chain.

“The McCafe brand will be launched no later than 2010. The location is a bit atypical, more luxurious, and different from the restaurant. We will start in Bucharest, but the concept will be applied in the rest of the country as well,” Marian Alecu, General Manager of McDonald’s Romania, told Business Standard.

Alecu targets a €50 mln investment plan for 2009, for opening new locations, modernizing part of the existing restaurants, and launching the coffee shop brand. The company plans to open at least 100 new restaurants, both in Bucharest and the rest of the country in the coming 7-8 years.

According to company officials, McDonald’s Romania posted a 25 percent year-on-year rise in turnover in the first nine months of 2008, while profit soared by up to 18 percent.

The company’s main competitors include KFC, Burger King, and Springtime. According to Alecu, the value of the local food market could amount to €2 billion by year-end.