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Aussie love affair with coffee on the rise

12 May 2021

One in Three Aussies drinking more than three cups per dayi

Wednesday 12 May 2021: Celebrating the launch of the McCafé new blend of high-quality coffee, McDonald’s has spilled the beans on Aussies’ relationship with coffee.

After serving more than 220 million cups of barista-made coffee and hot drinks at restaurants across the country last year, Macca’s latest research shows:

  • 30% of the nation drink three or more cups of coffee per day.

  • 7am is officially Coffee Hour in Australia, with 24% of Aussies drinking coffee between 7am - 8am.

  • “Don't talk to me until I've had my morning coffee”: 26% of Aussies drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning.

  • The nation’s favourite drink remains the iconic cappuccino (30%), followed by the humble flat white (20%) and the latte (18%).

Aussies’ love affair with coffee starts at a young age, with 49% of coffee drinkers taking their first sips between the ages of 15-20 (49%).

“Coffee has become a core part of our daily routine. We can’t start the morning without it, and it keeps us going throughout the day, no matter what we’re doing,” said Tim Kenward, McDonald’s Marketing Manager.

“Australia has a unique relationship with coffee compared to the rest of the world. We know our baristas by name, are proud of our complex coffee orders and expect a high standard of flavour and quality from every cup.”

Research shows 59% of Aussies drink coffee for the taste, with the quality of the blend driving customer behaviour (68%), followed by affordability (58%) and coffee shop location (51%).

Tim Kenward said, “McCafé understands the importance of coffee to Aussies, which is why we offer the highest quality blend, made by expert barista’s and available in restaurants, drive-thru and McDelivery.

“Roasted in Melbourne, the new blend is smooth, rich and made from 100% Arabica beans.”

The McCafé new blend has been sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms across Brazil, Honduras, Kenya and Ethiopia in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance.

The McCafé new blend of coffee is available nationwide from today.

- ENDS -
For more information, please contact Mango Communications:

Leah Eastment | Leah.Eastment@Thisismango.com.au | 0448 728 747

About McCafé

McCafé is one of the largest coffee retailers in the country and is a true Aussie success story, having first launched in Melbourne back in 1993 before going global across all McDonald’s markets. Since 2014, McCafé has been served through Drive-Thru and a McCafé coffee is now included in one in 10 of all McDonald’s orders.

About the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture and forests. They aim to create a better future for people and nature by making responsible business the new normal.www.rainforest-alliance.org

McDonald’s - Research
General

  • Australia is a coffee loving nation, with 30% of Aussies drinking 3 of more cups of coffee per day

  • 7am is officially Coffee Hour in Australia, with 24% of Aussies drinking coffee between 7am - 8am

  • Coffee habits start at a young age, with nearly half of Aussies (49%) started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • Australia’s drink of choice is the humble cappuccino (30%), followed by flat white (20%) and latte (18%)

  • Don't talk to me until I've had my morning coffee: 26% of Aussies drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons Aussies drink coffee are the taste (59%), to wake up (44%), to relax (22%) and to get an energy boost (22%)

  • The top three attributes of a coffee shop that are important to Aussies are quality of blend (68%), affordability (58%) and convenient location (51%)
Workplace

  • Out of working professionals, IT professionals are the heaviest coffee drinkers (14% drink 3 or more cups per day)

  • The work perk Aussies value most is free coffee (53%)
Parenting

  • 69% of parents consider themselves everyday coffee drinkers compared to 60% of those without kids

  • 34% of parents drink 3 or more cups a day compared to 23% of people without kids.

  • Similarly, per week parents consume an average of 14.4 cups compared to non-parents with 11.5

  • 16% of parents drink coffee between 6pm-midnight, compared to 8% of non-parents

  • When asked what the first thing they do each morning, 29% of parents said drink coffee, compared to 20% of those without kids
Youth (18 - 24 years old)

  • 18–24-year-olds drink the least amount of coffee per week, with 44% admitting to drinking every day compared to the national average of 66%

  • 18-24-year-olds drink on average 8.2 cups of coffee per week compared to the national average of 13.5

  • 67% of 18-24-year-olds drink 1-2 cups of coffee per day compared to the average of 46%

  • 79% of 18-24-year-olds started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20, compared to 49% of the total respondents

  • On average, 18-24-year old’s started to drink coffee at 18 years old, compared to the national average of 21 years old

  • 19% of 18-24-year-olds chose iced coffee as their favourite drink, with the national average being 7%

  • The first thing 18-24-year-olds do in the morning is check emails and messages (29%), followed by taking a shower (21%) and having a coffee (13%)

  • 18-24-year-olds value convenience, with 19% listing drive-thru as one of their most important attributes of a coffee shop, compared to the national average of 6%
Over 55-year-olds

  • 75% of Aussies aged 55 and over drink coffee everyday, compared to the national average of 66%

  • 37% of 55+ year old coffee drinkers have only one coffee on the days they choose to drink it; 34% drink 3 or more on every day they drink coffee

  • The average number of cups of coffee consumed by Aussies aged 55 and over per week is 14.6, compared to the national average of 13.5

  • 36% of 55+ coffee drinkers prefer a cappuccino to any other coffee, followed by flat white with 28%

  • 73% of over 55s drink coffee simply because they like the taste, whereas 30% drink it to wake up

  • 70% of over 55s find the quality of coffee blend most important when visiting a coffee shop, with 61% prioritising affordability and 60% looking for a convenient location
New South Wales

  • 64% of NSW residents drink coffee every day

  • 28% of NSW residents drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day

  • NSW drinks on average 12.9 cups of coffee per week

  • 46% of NSW started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • NSW’s most popular coffee is a cappuccino (30%), flat white (18%) and latte (18%)

  • 23% of NSW drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons NSW drink coffee is for the taste (55%), to wake up (43%) and to get an energy boost (24%)

  • The most important attributes of a coffee shop for NSW are quality of blend (68%), affordability (56%) and convenient location (51%)

  • Patriotic: When asked where the best coffee is found in Australia, 54% of NSW said Sydney (national average of 20%)

  • The most wanted work perk in NSW is free coffee (53%)
Victoria

  • 67% of Victorians drink coffee every day

  • 33% of Victorians drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day

  • Victorians on average drink 13.5 cups of coffee per day

  • 16% of Victorians prefer to drink coffee after midday

  • 54% of Victorians started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • Victoria’s most popular coffee is a cappuccino (31%), latte (24%) and flat white (18%)

  • 27% of Victorians drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons Victorians drink coffee is for the taste (60%), to wake up (45%) and to get an energy boost (26%)

  • The most important attributes of a coffee shop for Victorians are quality of blend (66%), affordability (59%) and convenient location (55%)

  • Victoria takes top spot for nation's best coffee, with 29% of Aussies saying the best cup is found in Melbourne

  • Patriotic: When asked where the best coffee is found in Australia, 72% of Victorians said Melbourne

  • The most wanted work perk in Victoria is free coffee (50%)
Queensland

  • 65% of Queenslanders drink coffee every day

  • 29% of Queenslanders drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day

  • Queenslanders on average drink 13.2 cups of coffee per day

  • 51% of Queenslanders started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • 17% of Queenslanders started drinking coffee before they were 15 - more than other states and higher than the national average (12%)

  • Queensland’s most popular coffee is a cappuccino (32%), flat white (21%) and latte (14%)

  • 26% of Queenslanders drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons Queenslanders drink coffee is for the taste (59%), to wake up (44%) and to relax (22%)

  • The most important attributes of a coffee shop for Queenslanders are quality of blend (70%), affordability (54%) and convenient location (47%)

  • The most wanted work perk in Queensland is free coffee (52%)
South Australia

  • 70% of South Australians drink coffee every day

  • 36% of South Australians drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day - more than any other state and the national average of 30%

  • South Australians drink on average 15.2 cups of coffee per week - more than any other state and the national average of 13.5

  • 17% of South Australians prefer to drink coffee after midday

  • 54% of South Australia started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • South Australia’s most popular coffee is a flat white (26%), cappuccino (25%) and espresso (11%)

  • South Australia is the only state to branch off from cappuccinos as their top choice, choosing flat whites instead

  • 28% of South Australians drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons South Australians drink coffee is for the taste (64%), to wake up (50%) and to relax/de- stress (24%)

  • The most important attributes of a coffee shop for South Australians are quality of blend (72%), affordability (63%) and convenient location (41%)

  • The most wanted work perk in South Australia is free coffee (59%)
West Australia

  • 73% of West Australians drink coffee every day - that's more than any other state and the average of 66%

  • 31% of West Australians drink 3 or more cups of coffee per day

  • West Australians drink on average 14.6 cups of coffee per week

  • 42% of West Australians started drinking coffee between the ages of 15-20

  • West Australian's top drink choices are cappuccino (29%), flat white (28%) and latte (16%)

  • 30% of West Australians drink coffee before doing anything else in the morning

  • The main reasons West Australians drink coffee is for the taste (68%), to wake up (42%) and to get through work (22%)

  • The most important attributes of a coffee shop for West Australians are affordability (66%), quality of blend (64%) and convenient location (58%)

  • The most wanted work perk in West Australia is free coffee (52%)