Please click here for the full article - Food Service Europe

D 58008INTERNATIONAL TRADE JOURNALFOR THE HOTEL, RESTAURANTAND CATERING INDUSTRYEDITION 3/2009www.food-service-europe.comwww.cafe-future.netSpecial Features: Foodservice Market Germany, Pizza Market Turkey, McCafé in Europe

C ONTENTS4 Editorial6 StatisticsEurope by Numbers8 Pan-European SurveyTea-focused Concepts: How to AchieveGreater Popularity in the Away-fromhomeMarket20 Hot TrendCookbooks by Restaurants: SharingKnowledge – Gaining Confidencepage 8 ■ ■ ■Tea is generally speaking thepreserve of individual conceptscatering for up-market tastes.However, to stand up to the omnipresentcompetitor, coffee, itis indispensible that the prepar -ation, quality and presentationare up to the mark.Market Analysis25 Germany: Top 100 RestaurantChains/Companies with a 4.2% Increasein Sales in 200828 InterviewAndrew Lynch, CEO of UK-based TravelConcession Operator SSP34 OperationsThe Why, When and How of an EffectiveInternal Server Sales ProgramMiddle East Section35 TurkeyChains Growing Strongly in the Country’sPizza Sector37 EgyptInternational Restaurants Group, Franchiseeof Casper & Gambini’s and wagamama– Major Learnings38 EgyptThe Challenge of Going Global: wagamama– the Franchisor’s View42 Events‘Green Nobel Prize’ Gala Event in AbuDhabi: Fusion Cuisine for 2,000■ ■ ■ page 28Andrew Lynch, CEO of SSP The Food Travel Experts,discusses the changing demands of the travellingpublic and the dynamics of matching the company’shuge portfolio of foodservice brands to the changingopportunities. Photo: Joanne Whitehallfront cover ■ ■ ■Ambitious and varied design marks the newgeneration of McDonald’s restaurants throughoutEurope. Germany is the continent’s number oneMcCafé country – with close to 1,000 instorecoffeebars established to date.Photo: Thomas Fedra, Frankfurt44 QuickserviceMcDonald’s: Global Key Figures 2008McCafé in Europe46 Brand ManagementMcCafé: the 1,000th Shop-in-shop Unit inthe European Market Set to Open Soon51 DesignMcDonald’s’ New Cosiness: The McCaféAmbience, Designed by Philippe Avanzi52 FranchisingMcDonald’s Franchisee MichaelE. Heinritzi: McCafé Pioneerpage 46 ■ ■ ■In the near future McDonald’s is goingto celebrate the opening of its 1,000 thMcCafé in Europe. Offering coffeespecialties, sweet and savoury bakeryproducts in a modern but cosyambience, the module brings newcustomers through the fast-foodgiant’s doors.54 Bakery Fast FoodGerman Bakers Boost Fast Food Sales byImplementing Drive-through Lanes56 Contributing Authors60 Fast CasualSpain’s Comess Group de Restauración:Going International with Ethnic-CuisineBrands62 SupplierTop Trend Products66 Show DatesMajor Trade Fairs and EventsFOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/09Verlagsgruppe Deutscher FachverlagMainzer Landstrasse 251 | 60326 Frankfurt/Main | GermanyPhone +49.69.7595-1512 | Fax +49.69.7595-1510info@food-service-europe.comPlease see the attached inserts fromCambroMangelberger GmbHAICHINGER GmbH3

B RAND M ANAGEMENTconcept soon learnt what customers wantand how they expect it to be served. Thenew module proved to be an instant hit inGermany where, in the course of a remodellingprocess costing around €1 bn, over500 of the country’s 1,300 McDonald’srestaurants have now been equipped witha supplementary coffee counter.An enthusiastic adherent of the McCaféproject was and is Bane Knezevic who wasmade CEO and President of McDonald’sGermany in mid 2005. He underscoreshow important the support of the franchiseeshas been for the rapid expansionof McCafé: “I was really surprised howvery willing the franchisees in Germanywere to support the remodelling processand McCafé. We have excellent, highlycommitted franchisees here, entrepreneurswho are prepared to invest in the future.”As project manager, he appointedAustralian Vicki Fuller who followed her‘baby’ to Europe after having played animportant role in the spread of McDonald’scoffee shops Down Under. “We wereconvinced from the word go that the conceptwould work well and attract newguests in Germany,” she says. “The coffeemarket was young and growing rapidly.We took the most important from ourlearning process and developed them forthe German market. Today, representativesof McDonald’s Australia come here –and not just them – to learn from us.” Thecore model – good coffee at a fair price,supplemented by sweet foodstuffs – functionedas a kind of ‘mini-market’. “In Germany,we have now taken the conceptmuch further,” says Fuller.Special lounge design, customised rangesand porcelain tableware are part of theMcCafé character. When it comes to prod-Bane Knezevic, CEO and President of McDonald’sGermany, believed in McCafé from the beginningand lit the fire of enthusiasm among thefranchisees.ucts, the rule is that the beverage side representsthe global element while the foodmenu must be oriented towards localtastes. By the way, McCafé products generallyare not available at the McDrivecounter. The special appeal of the coffeebar module is that it brings totally newtarget groups – literally – through thedoor. The main target groups are youngadults, mothers with children, businesspeople and empty nesters, i.e. the veryyoung and seniors in the 50-60+ agegroup, with the latter posting the highestrates of growth.Compared to classic coffee-bar chains,McDonald’s has a decisive advantagewhen it comes to expansion – its densenetwork of outlets in small and mediumsizedtowns, as well as in major cities, airports,railway stations and on the motorways.Where the others have to go togreat trouble to find suitable premises,the market leader simply builds its coffeebars in existing restaurants, which callsfor around 50-100 sq m of floor space andan investment of around €100,000. If,at some point in time, Starbucks & Co.decide to branch out into more rural regions,they are likely to have considerabledifficulties given the McDonald’s pricelevel. By then, the customers will knowthat a tall latte macchiato (300 ml) costs€2.39 at McCafé, while the ‘grande’ version(400 ml) is available for €2.69.Cookies cost €1, chocolate cake €2.19.No food item costs more than €2.69, thehighest price on the drinks list (frappégrande) is €3.39 (all prices for Germany).The average bill at a German coffeecounter amounts to €3.60 (food: 33%,beverages 67%). At the burger counter, itis about €5.75 per transaction. “Youcould say we have made coffee bars moredemocratic, like we did for the burgermany years ago,” says Vicki Fuller. “Ourprimary goal is to become everyone’sfavourite destination for coffee. And thismeans, no matter what we do, we will alwaysoffer great coffee at a good price.”However, it would be a mistake to look atMcCafé in isolation. Perhaps the most importantcommercial insight is that refurbishmentswith an integrated McCafé sellsignificantly more Big Macs and othercore products than those without. It’s becausethe extended menu brings in additionalcustomers and generally adds tothe outlet’s appeal, in other words, producinggenuine synergies. Therefore, theinvestment is worth it, even in caseswhere coffee and cake account for a rela-

RussiaGermanyTypically, a cappuccino atMcCafé costs about the sameas a Big Mac. In two countries,the situation is totally different:in Russia, the price for a tallcappuccino is almost twice ashigh as the Big Mac price. InItaly, a tall cappuccino costsless than a third of McDonald’ssignature burger. This showsthat pricing for espresso basedcoffee drinks at McCafé isbased on the value consumersattribute to these productsin the according countries –luxury or ordinary.■ ■ ■USABig Mac & Cappuccino Index ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■– Prices in €* –Big Mac Cappuccino RatioRussia (RUB62.0) 1.24 (tall) (RUB120) 2.40 1:1.94Australia (AUD3.45) 1.86 (standard) (AUD3.45) 1.86 1:1Hungary (HUF680) 2.04 (large) (HUF550) 1.65 1:0.81USA (US$3.54) 2.37 (large) (US$3.29) 2.23 1:0.93Austria 2.99 (grande) 2.99 1:1Germany 3.19 (tall) 1.99 1:0.62France 3.30 (gourmand) 2.70 1:0.82Sweden (SEK38) 3.30 (tall) (SEK38) 3.30 1:1Spain 3.40 (large) 3.45 1:1.01Italy 3.40 (tall) 1.10 1:0.32Ireland 3.80 (tall) 2.50 1:0.66*Exchange rate: beginning of June 2009Numbers refer mostly to recommended prices which may be altered by franchisees.Italytively small percentage of sales. In Germany,a typical remodelling, includingthe new shop-in-shop module, generates12-15% more sales and, in some cases,even significantly above 20%, comparedwith around 6-8% without. It’s no secretthat the costs involved are growing at afaster pace than sales but everyone acceptsthis. It’s about the future and creatinga positive, long-term perspective byrejuvenating the total package in a contemporaryway.Germany sees itself as the lead marketin Europe. Management and franchiseeshave identified the potential more clearlyand converted it more expeditiously thananywhere else. Those who were scepticalin the beginning became totally convincedwhen they saw the figures from thepilot McDonald’s plus McCafé operations.As did McFamily members in many otherEuropean countries, which are now rushingup to catch up.Expansion is now the name of the gamewith strong growth this year in Italy, Austria,France and Russia, too. In Portugal,the number of units operating under theMcCafé flag has risen to 109 after hoveringa long time at 105. To date, however,McCafé is not to be found in any significantnumbers in the saturated coffee-barmarkets of Great Britain and Scandinavia.In distinction to most of the other Europeanand American coffee-bar chains,which have avoided the Italian marketwith its special coffee and bar tradition,McDonald’s didn’t hesitate to roll out itsMcCafés throughout Italy. The start tookplace in Milan in May 2005, and then withtwo at once: the company-run outlet inthe city’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele anda second refurbishment at a franchiserestaurant in Cinisello Balsamo, a town of70,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of theLombard metropolis.Today, some 80 units have been installedand the target is for 100 by the end of theyear. “Preferred locations are city andcommercial centres, as well as arterialroads, ideally with filling stations and laybysin the vicinity,” explains Annamaria diChio of McDonald’s Italy. The moduleused in all outlets is the Cube design withshades of brown and cream, comfortableseats and small tables. Between 6 and12 sq m are required for the module.A cosy atmosphere and a strict focus onquality are the keys to breaking the ritualisedItalian habit taking breakfast or afternooncaffè in one of the country’s thousandsof small bars. “McCafé is a synonymfor quality in Italy,” adds di Chio. “Thanksto certified products, such as Ottolina coffeeor guaranteed Italian milk, as well asto the emphasis on even the smallest details,such as porcelain tableware, platedecoration and the smile with which ourguests are served.” Naturally, espressoand cappuccino, supplemented by hotchocolate and a variety of teas, figureprominently on the list of beverages. Onthe food side, torta di mele (apple tart)und Monterosa cheesecake forge the linkfrom Italy across the Atlantic.In Austria, McCafé was imported fromGermany with the help of franchiseeMichael Heinritzi, who operates restaur -ants in Bavaria, as well as in Salzburgand Tyrol (see p. 52). “Being very enthusiasticabout the concept myself, it naturallywasn’t difficult for me to convince mycolleagues in Austria,” says the entrepreneur.The first Austrian McCafé opened in2006 in the Tyrolean town of Völs. Extraimpetus was given by Andreas Schwerla,Managing Director of McDonald’s AustrianDivision for a good year now and previouslyCOO of McDonald’s Germany. Untilthe end of 2008, Austrian McCafés totalled50, in 2009, €42 m are being investedin the project ‘leadership of thecoffee-bar market’ and the modernisationof at least 50 more restaurants. “We seecoffee as a big growth segment that willopen up completely new groups of customers.Annual growth of 15% is predictedfor the coming years,” says Schwerla.48 FOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/09

B RAND M ANAGEMENTVicki Fullerfollowed her‘baby’ McCaféfrom Australiato Europe. “Wewere convincedfrom the wordgo that theconcept wouldwork well inGermany”.Experience shows that, with the additionof a McCafé, the sales revenues of arestaurant in Austria climb by a good20%. In the case of restaurants that aresimply refurbished without the additionof a McCafé, the result is an increase ofabout 15%.The fact that Austria has its own coffeetradition is reflected by the food and beveragesoffered. ‘Melange’ (milk coffee),‘Großer Brauner’ (double mocha withcream) and Café (stretched espresso) caneasily keep up with the product portfolioof classic coffee houses. Although theentire range of foodstuffs is offered underthe very Austrian heading ‘Mehlspeisen’(roughly = puddings), it is extremely internationaland stretches from curd-apricotcrumble, via chocolate cake and BlackForest gateaux, to apple tart and theobligatory American bakery programme(donuts, brownies, muffins, cookies). Therule of local food and global beveragesdoes not apply so strictly in Austria as inother countries.In France, the McCafé sub-brand was introducedin 2004 in a company-operatedrestaurant in Paris La Défense. Sincethen, the number of French shop-in-shopoutlets has risen to 50 (out of 1,134) and itis planned to launch 250 by 2012. One ofthe flagship outlets (and the top-sellingone) is now on the Champs Élysées. Thefood profile is typically French with croissants,pains au chocolat, macarons andtartelettes while the range of beverages isheaded by cappuccino, frappés and lattemacchiato, and supplemented by Frenchand Italian specialities, such as café au laitand ristretto. Bestsellers: espresso andmacarons. Average bill: €3 (compared to€11 at the burger counter)“McCafé represents between 6-8% of arestaurant turnover but more than increasingsales, it also gives a new opportun -ity for our existing customers to visit usmore often and of course, attracts newguests,” reveals Caroline Deleuze, spokeswomanfor McDonald’s France. “McCaféis not just a way to tap into coffee occasion;it can help to reposition McDonald’sin current and potential customer minds,!hearts, wallets as part of a total re-imagingprogram, and a way to build overallMcCafé can help to re -pos ition McDonald’s in currentand potential customer minds,hearts and wallets.site sales and profitability.”McCafé also made a start in Russia, in acompany-operated restaurant (there areno franchisees in Russia) in Moscow’s OldArbat pedestrian zone back in 2005. “Ingeneral, the Russian coffee-bar markethas a great potential for growth becausethe number of coffee-bars per person inRussian cities is far lower than in the majorUS and European cities,” says DmitriVoronov, McCafé project manager. The35 Russian McCafés opened to date offerten types of coffee and hot chocolate,three frappés and six kinds of tea, as wellas an assortment of 12 different cakes pluspastries, savoury pies and two differentciabatta sandwiches.As in most other countries, McCafé inRussia came fully up to expectations.“Having a McCafé in an existing restaur -ant creates a new and unique atmosphere.It expands our regular customers’choices, stimulates frequent visits andattracts new groups of customers whohave never crossed the threshold of aMcDonald’s restaurant before,” confirmsVoronov. “What they appreciate is thehigh quality of coffee and other products,the comfort and moderate prices.”Now third in Russia’s coffee-bar market,the company plans to open 15 and 20 Mc-Cafés in 2009 and 2010 respectively.When remodelling the restaurants, tendifferent design styles are used, amongthem ‘Local’, which was mainly used inthe first outlets, as well as ‘Modern’, ‘Urban’,‘Generation Wenge’ and ‘New Urban’.Incidentally, there is no special seatingarea for McCafé as in other countriesdue to insufficient space.McDonald’s began launching the brandthroughout the saturated US coffee-barmarket last year. Not, however, as a shopin-shopmodule but as a seal of quality foran up-graded and expanded range of coffeespecialities. Although there were anumber of McCafé test stores in the homemarket of the parent brand at the beginningof the decade, the planned roll-outnever took place because the automobilecrazy Americans demand one thing inparticular – speed – in the important Mc-Drive business. The improved surroundingsand relaxing over a cup of coffee areonly of secondary importance in this case.Moreover, the willingness of franchiseesto invest in a second counter was obviouslynot overwhelming.For McDonald’s Europe, McCafé representsa new powerful competitive edge inthe quickservice segment. The effect ofthis in the psyche of countless millions ofconsumers is to upgrade and further modernisethe parent brand in terms of positioningand image. The sober fast-food oreven junk-food tag is passé and its placehas been taken by a fresh, energeticlifestyle image – a place for young and oldto meet. Holger Beeck, Vice President Operationsof McDonald’s Germany: “In arelatively short time, McDonald’s has becomemore attractive, cooler and alsomore child-friendly. Success is cross-pollinationbetween McDonald’s and McCafé.Although we considered this and hopedto achieve it, we were really surprised atthe significant and universal impact. Consumerslook at McDonald’s with McCafémore from a gastronomic perspective.”Greater diversity, better service, more reasonsto visit the restaurants – McCafé underlinesboth the experiential strengthand price/performance ratio of McDonald’s.“Suddenly, we are playing in a totallydifferent league.”BM50 FOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/09

D ESIGNMcDonald’s has invested billions inthe re-launch of many of its 6,600European restaurants since 2002.The demands placed on its brandimage have risen significantly. Theresult: sterile functionality is out,lifestyle is in.Lounge chairs, wood veneer, naturalcolours – the new look of McDonald’sEuro pean restaurants and McCafés is thework of French architect Philippe Avanzi,head of McDonald’s Design Studios inParis. For every country, there is a port -folio of designs with names such as ‘Eternity’,‘Sport’, ‘Chicago’, ‘Origins’ and‘Wenge’. Additionally, flagship stores inprominent locations have individualoutfits. The superordinate motto: ‘Less ismore’.Common to all are high-grade materials,such as leather and wood, innovativeshapes and colours, warm, atmosphericlighting and a comfortable ambience.The McCafé sections are always highlightedvisually and have their own designlanguage, e.g., ‘Cube’, ‘Flow’ and‘Sydney’, to create a lounge-like settingwith candles, flowers and large atmosphericphotographs, clearly distinguishedfrom the McDonald’s diningroom.Germany was the first country in Europeto seize and adapt the design innovationsimplemented in France. Acceptancelevels were highly encouragingand more rebuilds soon followed in Germanyand other markets. For eachrestaurant to be remodelled, local architectslicensed and trained by Avanzi producetailor-made design concepts basedon and working from strictly definedtemplates and broad outlines (format/size, colour and materials), while Avanzihimself constantly re-works, replacesand adds to the design styles and specifiesdifferent versions according to thecircumstances of given locations. Theimage polish achieved by the remodellingas well as the addition of McCafécould hardly be more effective: “Brandexpression is in the store more than anythingelse,” says Denis Hennequin, PresidentMcDonald’s Europe. “McDonald’shas ignored for too long the restaurantdesign. When you enter the restaurant,you enter the brand.”BMLess IsMore■ ■ ■More Pics ■For more pictures ofMcDonald’s & McCafé,visit our website:www.food-serviceeurope.com/mcdonaldsFOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/0951

Modern andcosy design,flowers andcandles on thetable, as wellas a fireplacecreate a feelgoodambienceat Heinritzi’sMcCafé in Kufstein,Austria.The VisionaryHe was one of the McCafé pioneers in Germany and played a decisiverole in the development and launch of the McDonald’s coffee formula inGermany. Michael E. Heinritzi, with 39 restaurants, McDonald’s biggestEuropean franchisee, is a great fan of the system’s coffee-bar concept.Michael Heinritzi opened his McDonald’srestaurant at Irschenberg, in the immediatevicinity of the Munich-Salzburg motorway,eight years ago. He wanted it to be avery special kind of restaurant: big, attractivelysituated with a view of the Alps andso comfortable that drivers would be reluctantto get back on the road. To thisend, Heinritzi introduced some innovationsthat were not provided for in the Mc-Donald’s system at the time: lounge-stylefurniture, a second counter and a coffeeand cake assortment. The restaurantopened around the clock and even has amodern fireplace. Originally, the coffeepartner was Segafredo and there was alsoa small shop where travellers could purchasenecessities for their journey. Heinritzicalled it McCafé. “Naturally, this firsttrial wasn’t a proper McCafé,” explains thebusinessman who, with 39 outlets in thesouthernmost part of Germany, the Austrianstate of Tyrol and the city of Salzburg,is the world market leader’s biggest partnerin Europe. Last year, he was presentedwith the company’s foremost distinction,the Golden Arches Award, for his work.The pilot operation at Irschenberg was sosuccessful that Heinritzi soon launched asecond test balloon, a shop-in-shop cafeconcept in the Austrian town of Wörgl.And this, it should be noted, was two yearsbefore McDonald’s Germany opened thefirst McCafé test stores in Braunschweig.Nevertheless, Heinritzi does not like to exaggeratehis role in the overwhelming successof McCafé in Germany: “This achievementis a team effort. The greatest praise isdue to Bane Knezevic,” says a modestHeinritzi. “The way he stood up in front ofthe franchisees and announced that heplanned to convert most of the 1,000restaurants into McCafés was sensational.Don’t forget, he had only just been appointedhead of McDonald’s Germany andthere was a lot of money at stake – moneythat the franchisees would have to invest,and money that the company provided inAfter training in hotel administration and a managementcareer with Sheraton, Steigenbergerand Lufthansa, Michael E. Heinritzi opened hisown McDonald’s restaurant in Rosenheim over25 years ago. At that time, he also worked at thecounter and fried burgers. Today, his companyowns 39 restaurants (27 in Germany, 12 in Austria,17 with a McCafé at present) and employs1,800 people. “The staff is the most importantaspect,” says Heinritzi, who has received severalawards for the quality of the training in his res -taurants – fully in line with the McDonald’s ‘Planto Win’, which emphasises people followed byproduct, price, place and promotion. The franchisee’sannual sales revenues amount to around€100 m. Without being aware of the Australianprototype, he developed a coffee-bar modulecalled McCafé for his restaurant at Irschenberg in2001. www.mcdonalds-irschenberg.dethe form of a fee reduction for a limited periodfor those franchisees who were preparedto rebuild their restaurants.”Only those franchisees with a top operationalperformance were chosen to play aleading role in the re-launch. “Anyonewho showed signs of weakness had to firstlydo their homework. Finally, McDonald’sparted company with a number of franchisees,as well as over 100 of their own locations,”says Heinritzi recalling the internalupheavals of recent years. It goes withoutsaying that he was one of the first tobegin implementing the new design with aMcCafé in the restaurants in 2005 – “Withsales increases of 20-30%.” Decisive, however,was the full package of re-launchmeasures: “The McDonald’s concept wasgiven an enormous boost by the more attractiveambience, a new kitchen module,the Bridge Operating Platform, whichmade it possible to prepare Big Mac & Co. àla minute, the around-the-clock hours ofopening now standard at many locationsand, of course, the coffee and cakecounter.” The image of the concept wasalso strengthened greatly by the ‘1x1’ (tenproducts for €1 each) and new imageproducts.Naturally, the restaurant at Irschenbergtoday also has a ‘proper’ McCafé. Sales atthe 500-seat outlet (with annual revenuesof €5 m (net), it is one of the top threerestaurants in Germany) have jumped by20% since the conversion whereby ‘only’15% of visitors actually go to the ‘coffeeand cake’ department. Altogether, morethan 10% of expenditures go on coffeeproducts – far more than the current systemaverage of around 6-8%. At the burgercounter, too: “We don’t do anything differ-52FOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/09

F RANCHISINGent to before the conversion, yet two thirdsof additional revenues are generated byBig Mac & Co.!”It is the same everywhere: “New customerscome. Our regulars come more often,”enthuses Heinritzi. The restaurant isa popular meeting place for German andAustrian business people. Many childrenplaying in the McGym & Fun Club begin tocry when their parents say its time to continuethe journey. Similarly, it is difficult tocoax many teenagers out of the MediaLounge with its free WLAN. Regularguests account for around 40% of the total,“... although some people only cometwice a year on their way to their holidaydestination.” At peak periods, four to fiveMcCafé employees cater for the guests’coffee and cake wishes, supply them withbagels (up to 100 per day!) and soups. Theaverage bill comes to about €4 (gross); atthe burger counter it is about €6 and atthe McDrive about €7. Top sellers arecapp uccino and, at present, the currentspecial cake offer, ‘Bee Sting Cake’.“In Germany, McCafé has given McDonald’sa position that no competitor will be■ ■ ■ Franchisees: They’re Lovin’ It ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■Paolo Arena, McDonald’s franchisee with four restaurants (2 of them with a McCafé) in Cosenza,Italy: “I had already heard of McCafé when I had the opportunity to see the concept ‘live’ on atrip to Hong Kong. And I was very impressed. At this time, I was planning to modernise one ofmy restaurants – and immediately had no doubt that a McCafé should be part of it. Since then,my feeling about the shop-in-shop concept has not changed. On the contrary, I’m lovin’ it moreand more. Particularly because of the way the concept has always been developed and improvedstep by step. I would say that McCafé is the flower in the buttonhole of McDonald’s!Something that makes our restaurants more modern, more innovative and more elegant. In anutshell, something that perfectly matches what our customers want.We have lots of regular customers, especially for breakfast. Without doubt, they perceive McCaféas a high-quality but low-priced alternative to the classic Italian bar. My McCafé in Rende Marconicontributes 9% towards total restaurant revenues. The average bill comes to €2.26 (McDonald’scounter: €6.64). It is not easy to quantify the influence of McCafé on the business as a whole.However, I have no doubt that it brings us into contact with guests who would otherwise neverhave entered a McDonald’s restaurant.”able to challenge in the near future – if forno other reason than that we have thedensest network of restaurants,” saysHeinritzi. Now that the conversion of hisrestaurants is well underway and almostall will have a McCafé and a new design by2010, he is turning his attention to theMcDrive counter. “A subject that we haveunfortunately neglected over the last 20years – despite the fact that we generate30-50% of sales there.” Among the topitems on the agenda here are, in particular,speeding up the process, optimumcommunication via new technology andnew order phones, and a new product presentation.By the way: there is still a fireplace atIrschenberg – and in several other Heinritzirestaurants. Other factors contributingto a cosy atmosphere are candles andfresh flowers. For, even in the world’sbiggest foodservice system, top franchiseeshave a certain freedom to add theirown individual touch ...BMFOODSERVICE EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST 3/0953