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 the test sales will happen in several U.S. markets in 2014, but did not release where,
according to Reuters.
"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 told analysts on a conference call.
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Reuters reported that Kraft will take charge of the marketing and distribution of the McDonald's brand coffee.
The packaging tests will also include "single-cup" options, which will likely offer K-cups for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' Keurig brewer, according to Reuters.
McDonald's sells more than 400 million cups of its premium Gaviña coffee a year,
according the company's website. The company told Reuters in a statement that plans to sell package coffee will be "building on the momentum of our McCafe beverages in our restaurants by expanding these options."
McDonald's told
The Associated Press it will test selling a variety of packaged ground and whole-bean coffee at supermarkets and other undisclosed retailers. The AP reported that McDonald's started selling McCafe packaged coffee in Canada late last year. Those bags went for $7 for a 12-ounce bag.
Reuters noted that 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.
In fact, according to Reuters, Kraft had teamed with Starbucks with its packaged coffee products but parted ways in a dispute in March 2011. Starbucks told Reuters Wednesday that it expected its conflict with Kraft to conclude by year's end.
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