Changes to local restaurant, similar changes worldwide

Change will be brewing this fall for one local restaurant.

McDonald's restaurant, 2224 S. Main St., established in Fort Scott in May 1979, will be upgraded within the next couple of months to include a McCafe, the fast food franchise's latest foray into the sale of gourmet coffees, including espressos, lattes, macchiatos, mochas and cappuccinos.

McCafe customers will also be able to purchase smoothie drinks, regular coffee, hot chocolate and tea. The McCafe will also offer muffins, cakes and other snacks.

Mark McCoy, the owner and operator of the Fort Scott McDonald's, said the restaurant is currently being remodeled to eventually house the McCafe later this fall.

"We're remodeling inside and will be adding a McCafe cappuccino and coffee area," McCoy said Wednesday. "It should happen in about two months. I'm looking at the end of October. We look forward to providing a line of cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas. I've really been impressed with the quality of the product."

In a competitive move, the McCafe will also offer its coffees cheaper than Starbucks, another popular coffee chain that is the largest coffeehouse company in the world.

"We will charge 60 percent of what Starbucks prices (their products)," McCoy said.

McCoy also quelled recent rumors in the community that the McDonald's restaurant in Fort Scott would be torn down and a new restaurant will be constructed.

"No, we're not rebuilding. No, we're not tearing it down. We're putting in a McCafe," he said.

The rumors possibly could have surfaced due to a project that has continued the last few months to build a brand new McDonald's restaurant in Nevada, Mo. That store, which is also owned by McCoy and located at 201 W. Austin, was demolished to make way for a new restaurant that is expected to open Friday, McCoy said.

The new store, which is expected to be safer and more convenient for customers, is staying in the downtown Nevada, Mo. area following a decision by McCoy and the McDonald's Corporation. The store will also offer a McCafe, wireless Internet access, and other new features, including a new atmosphere designed for customer comfort.

McCafes were launched by McDonald's in 1993 in Australia. At the time, McCafe outlets generated 15 percent more revenue than a standard McDonald's restaurant, and by 2003 were the largest coffee shop brand in Australia and New Zealand, according to a May 2003 article in USA Today.

The chain spread to 13 countries by 2002, including the United States, with the first one opening in the U.S. in Chicago, Ill., in 2001. At that time, there were about 300 McCafe outlets worldwide.

The chain expanded to Japan in 2007 as part of McDonald's efforts to boost sales with healthier soup and sandwich offerings and to reach out to new audiences who favored traditional coffee shops, according to an August 2007 story in the Japan Times.

Currently, there are about 1,300 McCafes worldwide.

McDonald's is currently expanding the McCafe line nationwide in the U.S. beginning this fall. In 2006, Consumer Report Magazine rated McDonald's coffee as number one in the nation.