Atlanta-area McDonald's restaurants are hoping to brighten the Wednesday afternoon commute of drivers by introducing them to a new line of coffee drinks.
The local McDonald's association will pay the 50-cent toll for Ga. 400 drivers between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Drivers also will be given a card for a free small hot McCafe coffee or medium iced McCafe coffee.
Between 6,000 and 10,000 commuters are expected to pass through the tolls during the promotion. It comes as McDonald's makes a strong push into coffee with McCafe, a line of premium coffee beverages that includes lattes, mochas and cappuccinos. The fast-food giant launched a national advertising campaign in May to back the roll-out of McCafe at its restaurants.
The Ga. 400 commute provided the perfect opportunity to reach Atlanta residents, said Vicki Chancellor, vice president of the Greater Atlanta McDonald's Operators Association. Chancellor and her husband, David, own four metro Atlanta McDonald's.
"Traffic here is a big deal," Chancellor said. "We just thought it was a natural to ease the driving commute of people in Atlanta and to say 'thank you' because they have been wonderful during this McCafe launch."
McDonald's isn't the first company to pay tolls in an attempt to win over coffee customers. In 2007, Maxwell House paid tolls for commuters on Ga. 400 one day from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The McDonald's cards are good at more than 270 outlets in the greater Atlanta area. The local operators hope they bring back regular customers and convince new customers to give their coffee drinks a try, Chancellor said.
"McDonald's is trying to become a beverage destination," she said.
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