Free Coffee at McDonald's Begins Today As Breakfast Battle With Taco Bell Heats Up

by Susan C. Schena

A free morning cup of McDonald's coffee? It's true!

McCafé invites coffee drinkers to stop by their local participating McDonald’s restaurant for a freshly brewed small McCafé coffee during McDonald’s first-ever Free Coffee Event.

Free McCafé coffee is available during breakfast hours starting today through April 13 in participating restaurants.

“We take a lot of pride in our breakfast offerings and our McCafé coffee is a great complement to our breakfast lineup. That’s why we’re excited to share it with our guests, on us,” said Greg Watson, senior vice president, McDonald’s US Menu Innovation.  

“This event is McDonald’s way of encouraging new guests to try McCafé Coffee while giving our breakfast lovers even more reason to enjoy the great taste of our signature blend.”

CNN Money reported the free coffee was part of McDonald's response to Taco Bell's incursion into fast-food breakfast with products such as the waffle taco. The full report is attached to this post.

To kick off the two-week campaign, McDonald’s will host “Make Friends with McCafé” sampling events at high traffic locations and transportation hubs in multiple cities across the country, officials said. 

The events will provide busy commuters with free McCafé coffee and a few surprises along the way, such as live musical performances, spontaneous comedy experiences and more, executives said.

“McCafé enthusiasts can count on us surprising them in unexpected ways all year long,” said Watson. “We know our guests are busy, and we hope McCafé can provide them with a taste they’ll enjoy at the moment when they need a pick-me-up to keep going with their day.”