When he started out at McDonald’s in 1970, John Betts never pictured grilled cheese would one day be on the menu, let alone Campbell’s chicken soup or chocolate chunk brownies.

And soy lattes were absolutely unheard of back when the chief executive of McDonald’s Canada was flipping burgers in Southampton, New York.

Just don’t ask for a Big Mac at Canada’s first standalone McCafe, which opens this morning at Union Station, followed by a new 19-seat cafe to be launched in January at First Canadian Place.

“A cup of coffee got us here today. It’s an amazing story because we’re a hamburger place,” Betts said in an interview Tuesday, as the finishing touches were being put on the chain’s splashy new café in the York concourse.

He explained it’s a natural progression from the 138 million free cups of coffee McDonald’s Canada has handed out to customers since its popular brew launched in 2009, when he took the helm of the stagnating burger brand.

“It sounds like I’m bragging, but our performance in coffee and McCafe in Canada has been second to none,” he said during a “well-caffeinated” morning at the under-construction rail hub that welcomes 1.2 million commuters daily.

It’s kind of difficult not to toot your own horn when you’re winding up 2015 with a bang: he says the chain has had an “all-time record year” in sales, traffic and financial performance (the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company does not break out financials by country.)

And Betts’ beloved McCafe premium roast coffee is now the top selling brand in grocery stores in K-Cup, Tassimo and 340-gram bag formats after the full-scale October, 2014 launch.

McDonald’s share of the Canadian coffee market has more than doubled to about 12 per cent in the last six years, with most of that at the expense of Tim Hortons, which used to have nearly 80 per cent of the market locked up but has since slipped to closer to 70 per cent. (It was scooped up by Burger King last year.)

“We’ve grown more than anyone else, which brings us here,” said Betts.

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“It’s quite the turnaround,” said Doug Fisher, president of foodservice consultancy FHG International. “A year ago everyone was talking about the end of McDonald’s, and Chipotle was the next big thing,” he noted.

But the burrito chain that was once touted as the future of fast food for having fresh ingredients in made-to-order meals has been struggling lately as officials investigate a multi-state outbreak of E. coli linked to the company that has hammered the stock and sales. At least 80 Boston College students fell ill Tuesday after eating at a Chipotle location.

The new McCafe, which is 1,100 square feet and seats about five, is smaller than the standard 5,000 square-foot McDonald’s restaurant and has a ‘grab and go’ concept of ready-made salads, wraps and pastries. And it has a modern look with wood and copper finishes, self-ordering kiosks and high-end, specialty coffee machinery worthy of a Starbucks.

Though Canada didn’t follow McDonald’s recent move in the U.S. to offer all-day breakfast, the classic Egg McMuffin and bagels with bacon and a fresh-cracked egg will be served from 5 a.m. to midnight seven days a week at the new location.

(A separate McDonald’s will eventually open at Union for Big Mac cravings.)

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