Reporting from McDonalds McCafé in Berlin Hauptbahnhof

I approached the coffee bar, browsed the delectable baked goods in the case, and stood in a short line. A barista took my order. She handed me a tray and a white ceramic saucer and asked me to go to the end of the bar to pick up my grande coffee. When I received my coffee in a tall white ceramic mug, it was topped with a rich crema. I took my tray and walked over to a coffee-toned leather easy chair, put down my coffee on a modern white cafe table, and then took a sip. Delicious. No, I wasn't feeding my caffeine addiction in a European cafe or even a Starbucks, I was enjoying a delicious cuppa in my local McDonalds McCafé.

According to CNN, Coffee war brews between McDonald's, Starbucks, http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/12/12/co ffee.costs/index.html , the war is hitting the states, where McDonalds is saying things like, "Four bucks is dumb. Now serving espresso." That may well be the case and I am sure the espresso is fantastic (it is amazing that machines can do today what it took a maestro barista to do in the past) but this isn't really only about getting cheap espresso, it is about having a worthwhile comforting experience What I love about Starbucks is fully experiential and not solely based on the quality of coffee. In Berlin, fantastic coffee is everywhere, but rarely comfortably. Traditional European-style cafes are are just comfortable enough to drink-and-run. There is no incentive to stay for very long. This is what makes Starbucks different, and this is what European McCafés are doing right.

I would never have expected McDonalds to offer silverware and ceramic mugs, would you? This little elegance is the difference between McDonalds' "now serving espresso," and stirring in some cream and sugar into a nice coffee drink with a metal spoon and sipping it from a ceramic mug. If I have any advice for McDonalds, please try to extend these fineries into your US and North American McCafé brand. While most of the guests may well order their lattes and machiatos "to go," many more will take to the cafes if they're treated to something akin to a Starbucks experience.

McDonalds will be competitive in its war with Starbucks based not just on the price point of the espresso drinks but on the quality of the experience. If they buy that dishwasher, stock some nice flatware and ceramic mugs, offer free Wi-Fi, and make sure the cafe area is always clean and pleasant, then people will be willing to chose McCafé over Starbucks, especially when Starbucks is overflowing and cramped and McDonalds is a welcome breath of fresh air.

McDonalds just needs to be sure to honor their McCafé customers with a nice place to sit away from the fast food clientele, and give them some room and space to enjoy their pastries and drinks. If you do this and make sure there are enough power plugs for hungry laptops, you will be well on your way to being competitive in the still-lucrative coffee cafe market. To be honest, the cost of a grande black coffee at my local Berlin McCafé isn't much cheaper than it is at Starbucks or the other local European-style cafes -- maybe twenty Euro cents. I don't care because my experience is safe, comfortable, recognizable, and is open until 2 AM every night, well after everything else closes.

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[mueffelbaer]

This video has a funny vibe to it "look, they have trains in Germany, and fancy McDonalds McCafés". Somehow I fail to see the significance for this to end up on AdAge, or is the situation really that dire for McD?

[chrisabraham]

It's just a simple report from a simple expat on something I found amusing from the AdAge GIN blog -- sort of "seeing things fresh, from Europe."

[CloudOutLouder]

Starbucks has gone in the gutter largely because they've diluted their brand. Merchandising, music label, magazine, low budget food and instant coffee (they used to ground and brew for each cup).

[chrisabraham]

"they used to ground and brew for each cup" That was a long time ago. I have never seen that and I have been drinking Starbucks for over a decade.

[chrisabraham]

I guess I have only know Starbucks v2

[CloudOutLouder]

I still think it would dilute the brand. But forget about that, any shrewd business person would know the ROI be too low for it to be beneficial.

[chrisabraham]

I don't think you're correct. Starbucks doesn't make sense, either. It improves their brand, in fact, which has gone to the gutter. This will mean that they can compete in an environment where JUST a cafe or JUST fastfood would not be a good enough generator -- they can balance the two. Starbucks doesn't offer both, so it could be more vulnerable. We'll see what happens. The only thing is, this version of it is not half-ass. I think the US versions might be half-ass, more like Dunkin' Donuts.

[skyline777]

mcdonalds is awesome outside of america.

[12345obama]

EVERYTHING is awesome outside of America. The USA just plain sucks.

[canascot02]

@VIXI2008 yeah and they sell don't have universal healthcare lol

[ImTheCanadianEh]

@VIXI2008 I was at Germany mcdonalds Berlin Hauptbahnhof & many Poland mcdonalds including .. and i have to say Germany's McDonalds are way better :p but the one in Krakow is the nicest out of all aha.

[VIXI2008]

@ImTheCanadianEh evry polish mcdonalds :D but yes it could be in warsaw 

[ImTheCanadianEh]

@VIXI2008 which one? In Warszawa? or all of them?

[VIXI2008]

@12345obama Stop complaining about your country. USA is the most powerfull and richest nation all over the world

[VIXI2008]

i was 2 times in america and one time in germany and i must say that polish mcdonalds is the best in the world :DD

[NitekMuscle]

We have a relatively upscale McDonalds in the CBD.

[NitekMuscle]

I have a penchant for Iced Caramel Mochas

[TheGrandvoyager]

As an American I refuse to eat in any McDonalds, domestic or foreign.

[kierandempsey1]

@SubscribeToSubscribe no there's a mcdonalds and then a mc cafe next door :') that particular station's mc cafe is awsome i go there most days lol