140 McD's do 'free coffee Mondays' espresso promo

KANSAS CITY, MO. -- McDonald's said 140 of its restaurants in the Kansas City area will give away espresso-based specialty coffees every Monday through January in a promotion of its new McCafe line, which includes mochas, lattes and cappuccinos.

This month the "Free Coffee Mondays" promotion is a complimentary small Vanilla Latte; in December the Monday freebie would be Cafe Mocha; in January the offering is slated to be Caramel Cappucino.

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Before the promotion was announced Oct. 29, the restaurants had given away Vanilla Lattes on Mondays throughout October, McDonald's indicated.

Already in test at hundreds of McDonald's in at least six states, the specialty coffee line includes beverages with a variety of options and flavors, including iced, caramel and vanilla, as well as hot chocolate and the premium-roast coffee the chain rolled out last year to replace its former standard brew.

Internal planning documents recently quoted in published reports indicate that McDonald's intends to roll out the espresso-based drinks chainwide by the end of next year as part of a quest for $1 billion in new beverage sales.

Customers can substitute McCafe Specialty Coffees in Extra Value Meals for an extra charge, the chain said. Most of the drinks are available in 12-ounce, 16-ounce and 20-ounce sizes. Prices and participation vary by location.

"McDonald's continues to engage customers by extending premium coffee choices during breakfast and throughout the day," said Steve Bates, president of the local McDonald's owner-operator group in Kansas City.

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