Taking cues from fast food coffee purveyors Tim Horton’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, fast food king McDonald’s may be looking to enter the whole bean retail game.
The company has filed a trademark registration for ground and whole bean coffee. No official word on the move has come from McDonald’s, and a company spokesmen have remained mum when confronted by reporters.
McDonald’s has been pushing its McCafe brand in recent years, introducing its “premium” cafe line of drinks to its Canadian franchises a year ago. McDonald’s has aggressively challenged Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks in the brewed coffee category since it introduced its “Premium” line in 2006, increasing its market share from 2 percent in 2004 t0 more than 6 percent.
According to company reports, coffee represented some $2.1 billion of McDonald’s $34.2 billion in sales in 2011.
McDonald’s primary coffee supplier is Gavina Gourmet Coffee, based in Vernon Calif., that sources from 19 different countries.
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