by Vijaylakshmi 
Rajeev Ranjan, MD, McDonald’s India – North and EastThe strategic brand extension in the form of a in-restaurant café brand, McCafé, within a McDonald’s restaurant, has really started bringing incremental traffic into their restaurants, and the company is aggressively looking at expanding McCafé to more and more McDonald’s outlets in the north and eastern region of India. Confirming this, Rajeev Ranjan, MD, McDonald’s India – North and East, said, “We have recently opened our 50th McCafé, and plan to continue our expansion spree to meet the growing demand for premium yet affordable coffee customers. We aim to widen our reach by achieving 120 McCafé across the North and East India region by the end of the year and further increase accessibility to our customers. To achieve this, we are emphasising ease of ordering through multiple options, including drive-thru, digital self-ordering kiosks, and delivery for doorstep convenience.”More than just an in-restaurant brand, the long-term plan is to establish McCafé as a top recall and a top choice cafe brand for coffee lovers. “We will also introduce new menu items and promotions to engage more customers. Our aim is to establish McCafé as a top choice for coffee lovers,” he said.In a marketplace where there are a number of specialised café brands, McCafé is trying to carve its own niche in several counts, says Ranjan. “McCafé offerings are strategically curated to differentiate from conventional cafes to attract cafe-goers into McDonald’s. Leaning into our brand values, we offer an exceptional balance between value, quality and price. Our classic cappuccino priced at just INR 99 (starting) demonstrates our continued commitment to affordability, while serving barista-crafted coffee made with RFA (rainforest alliance) certified 100 percent Arabica beans – demonstrates our commitment to quality.” The concept of McCafé is to make great tasting coffee accessible to coffee lovers and establish a leadership position in the coffee market by offering freshly brewed, Barista crafted, great tasting coffee, Ranjan said. While coffee culture is on the rise, quality and affordability are quite important for Indian consumers, he says. The idea is to offer a range of hot and cold high-quality beverages, to coffee enthusiasts and casual diners alike, at an affordable price, he added.Talking about the customer response, Ranjan said, “Introduction of McCafé has attracted a diverse range of customers who like to indulge in a great tasting cup of coffee, but are also conscious of the quality and price range. McCafé promises the same fast, friendly, familiar, accessible, service with great taste and affordable price, shared characteristics with McDonald’s. Integration of McCafé enhances customer choices within our existing customer base and encourages more traffic. This strategic brand extension has added to footfalls by giving our customers one more occasion to visit us.” As far as selecting the McDonald’s outlets to house McCafé, Ranjan said that that is a decision purely driven by “market demand”, other factors being availability of space and training and support infrastructure at the location.
Published On Jul 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM IST
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