McDonald’s Korea officially launched McCafe in the leading hamburger chain’s Cheongdam-dong store in southern Seoul on Tuesday.

As ten McCafes that test-opened throughout the nation last year are running successfully, McDonald’s Korea decided to operate a full-fledged caf business starting with the Cheongdam-dong store. It is to meet the needs of South Korean consumers’ new lifestyle, said the officials of the U.S. fast-food chain.

First opened in Australia in 1993, McCafe is found in 34 countries including the U.S., New Zealand, Canada and France. In Australia, the caf takes up 30 percent of McDonald’s Australia’s sales.

Here, five more are planned to open within the year.

Sean Newton, managing directo of McDonald’s Korea, explained that although McDonald’s Korea has had coffee on the menu since 2009, it was difficult to open McCafes until now because they require large stores. 

“We were able to finally launch McCafes in Korea in step with the growth of drive-thru stores here, which also require large spaces,” said Newton.

“We will maximize customer values by offering various menus, coffees and desserts that can appeal to customers of different ages, appetites and needs.”

The caf offers over 30 kinds of drinks including high-quality coffee ground from 100 percent Arabia coffee beans and 20 kinds of desserts at a reasonable price. The prices will be about 1,000 to 1,500 won cheaper compared to other cafs, according to the officials.

Though McCafe will work as a new platform for McDonald’s Korea, hamburgers will still remain its main business, said Newton.

“McDonald’s is showing a continuous growth in the Korean market. It has been achieving double-digit growth compared to the previous year since 2007,” he said.

“By 2015, we plan to employ 25,000 and open 500 stores,” added Newton.

McDonald’s has been introducing new platforms to the fast-food market such as the 24-hour operation system, drive-thrus and delivery services.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)