Lovers of McDonald's McCafe coffee blends will no longer have to travel to the fast food restaurant to get their favorite brew daily as the company plans to test sell packaged coffee in grocery stores next year.
McDonald's and Kraft Foods announced Wednesday that test sales will happen in several U.S. markets in 2014, according to Reuters. The world's biggest hamburger chain said it will test a variety of packaged ground and whole-bean coffee at supermarkets and other retail outlets. The test will also include single-cup servings.
"We want to work with McDonald's to help consumers enjoy McCafe premium coffee in the comfort and convenience of their own homes," Kraft Foods CEO Tony Vernon said.
The company has already tested the idea in Canada by selling the McCafe coffee in stores for $7 per 12-ounce packages. Prices and the bag sizes may be similar in the United States once the chain begins selling the bags in 2014.
Bagged coffee is a huge industry in the U.S. some estimates place it at $5.6 billion and coffee represents six percent of McDonald's U.S. sales. The company sells more than 400 million cups of its premium Gaviña coffee per year, according to the company's website.
Reuters reported that Kraft will take charge of the marketing and distribution of the McDonald's brand coffee. McDonald's McCafe drinks, which include coffee and espresso beverages, have been a popular addition to the hamburger restaurant's morning menu.
The move also allows the fast food giants to compete with McCafe's main competitors Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, which sells its coffee with packages and K-cups at its stores and other retailers, according to Reuters.
Kraft had teamed with Starbucks with its packaged coffee products but parted ways in a dispute in March 2011
