Dec. 09--Great to see McDonald's experimenting again with a standalone McCafe, opening a coffee shop with a streamlined menu Wednesday in Toronto's Union Station.
The standalone McCafe is not totally new for McDonald's. Recall a similar experiment here 15 years ago, a bid to challenge Starbucks that never quite heated up.
With all-day availability of breakfast items at regular McDonald's apparently going over well, it's logical for the chain to revisit the idea of a spinoff bypassing burgers and fries in favor of coffee, tea, Egg McMuffins, salads, pastries and such.
You can bet others in the food business and beyond -- from Chipotle to United Airlines -- will be watching very closely.
These companies operate in what's increasingly a boutique world. A McCafe makes sense on a lot of levels. Not everything does.
Remember Ted, United's flirtation with its own discount airline? Even Ted may have been too grandiose in that it had planes and flew places. Given United's knack for cutting corners under now ex-CEO Jeff Smisek, it's a wonder it hasn't tried to sell tickets to sit in the airport watching other flights come and go.
After all, many United customers do this already. Just think of the overhead saved.
And who says Starbucks has to serve lattes, sweet rolls and sandwiches? Maybe its customers want only access to Wi-Fi and would pay for a paper cup with their misspelled name to get it.
How long have Cubs fans wondered why Wrigley Field's bleachers aren't open year-round to serve them beer, hot dogs, peanuts, beer and beer.
You know the saying: Underpromise and overserve.
Target recently opened a small urban store in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, centered on groceries. It's a worthwhile trial, but Target could go smaller still. Hackers can collect credit card information without all that inventory and square footage.
Most convenience stores could get away with a small variety of cigarettes, beer, soft drinks, chips, batteries and a guy behind the counter who says, "Oooh, so close. Better luck next time" as he hands you lottery tickets. Everything else is decorative.
Sometimes you want a wide variety and full service.
Sometimes you want what you want, to get in and get out.
Nothing less. Nothing more.
There's no reason to think McCafe can't make the grade in Canada, where it's easy to score an "eh."
There undoubtedly are people on this side of the border who would enjoy McCafe coffee but are turned off by association with McDonald's. Somewhere along the line, the world's most popular restaurant became a bit too common for some and blasted as unhealthy by others, giving rise to higher-priced offerings that played to vanity.
A kiosk, meanwhile, is plenty for Chipotle fans seeking a sense of satisfaction for being so discerning when it comes to fast food. They're only barely discouraged when told careful vetting of pork suppliers means there are no available carnitas.
One could picture its stripped-down venture with a limited menu being called HPT, because that's what's left of Chipotle after the "e," "c," "o," "l" and "i" are let loose.
Let the chips fall where they may.
philrosenthal@tribpub.com
