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golden arches uses taco bell namesakes to promote hot fudge dessert NEW YORK (AP) - McDonald's is offering free coffee to its customers for a limited time as competition for the breakfast crowd intensifies. The world's biggest hamburger chain announced Friday that participating U.S. locations will offer small cups of McCafe coffee at no charge during breakfast hours from March 31 through April 13. McDonald's said that this is the first time it's ever had a free coffee event nationwide. Its McCafe product line, which also includes iced coffees and other drinks, debuted in the U.S. in 2009. The Oak Brook, Ill., company is hoping that the coffee giveaway will bring in new customers. It's also a way to get existing customers to come in more frequently. And it's likely that those stopping by for a free coffee will be tempted to pick up a breakfast sandwich or other items while there. Breakfast is an important component of McDonald's business, comprising about 20 percent of its U.S. sales. The announcement comes as Taco Bell rolls out ads to promote its new breakfast menu, which includes a waffle taco. The ads star everyday men that happen to be named Ronald McDonald, the same name as McDonald's mascot. Chains like McDonald's Corp., Taco Bell and Starbucks Corp. — which recently revamped its sandwiches — are all fighting for a piece of the breakfast market because people are increasingly buying breakfast on the go. McDonald's coffee giveaway comes shortly after it reported that an important sales figure declined 1.4 percent at established U.S. locations in February. The chain blamed bad winter weather but also said that "challenging industry dynamics" played a role. The company has worked on adapting by making menu changes such as giving an option for egg whites in breakfast sandwiches and adding chicken McWraps to help appeal to those looking for fresher, healthier food. For a long time McDonald's, which started offering breakfast nationally in 1975 with the roll out of the Egg McMuffin, has dominated the morning category. Rival Burger King came out with their breakfast menu in 1979 and others have followed. The latest is Taco Bell, which launched its new breakfast menu on Thursday. But McDonald's is still a force - it's 31 percent of the category makes it the No. 1 player in breakfast, according to market researcher Technomic. Ronald McDonald namesake eating new Taco Bell Breakfast item   Food fight. Taco Bell decided to invade the wonderful world of fast food breakfast dominated by McDonald's.   And to make its point even more poignant, Taco Bell decided to bring out a whole collection of Ronald McDonald's to show them eating the new Taco Bell breakfast line of waffle tacos and other assorted breakfast items. McDonald's was not unprepared to do battle with Taco Bell's incursion into the breakfast daypart. The first salvo was free coffee offered by McDonald's for a limited time to breakfast consumers. Next was McDonald's own new product offering which was introduced as McRun's and features a collection of ... men and women named Taco Bell/Taco Belle - and used to slam Taco Bell for what happens after you eat lunch there. McRuns A delightful chocolately experience with molten chocolate that evacuates as you slice into it.   Offered to bolster McDonald's flagging sales, it will be offered at a price of a minimum of $2.99 across the globe wherever Taco Bell's are located. Shit for Tat. McDonald's spokesperson Mackey Almostbeef noted that "we wanted to take Taco Bell on and to let them know when you get in the ring with a big dog,  you will get your arse chewed off and we won't stop there.    Everyone knows when Taco Bell says "run to the border" that it really is "runs on the way to the border" because of what happens to  you after you eat there."