Aroma had 23 outlets, 300 staff and annual sales of £10 million when it sold out. McDonald's has pushed that number up to 35 outlets and it is widely forecast that rival groups, such as Coffee Republic and Cafe Nero, will be jostling with one another to secure the purchase.

This will not mark the end of McDonald's involvement with coffee shops. In Chicago it is testing McCafe gourmet coffee shops which, if successful could be rolled out to other cities. McDonald's is thought to be concerned that the core business of its 'burger and chips' operation could face a downturn as consumer tastes become more sophisticated. It is already experimenting with more unconventional menu items as well as opening niche restaurant chains, such as McDonald's "diners". The company also has a 33% stake in Pret A Manger, the UK sandwich-bar chain.

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