In a desperate move to lead customers away from Taco Bell's new breakfast menu, McDonald's has announced that they are officially offering free coffee for a limited time.

According to the Associated Press, the fast food chain announced on Friday that several participating U.S. locations will offer free small cups of McCafe coffee during regular breakfast hours from March 31 through April 13.

McDonald's also announced that its company is considering extending it breakfast hours beyond 10 a.m. This is the very first time the chain has offered free coffee to its customers and McDonald's is hoping that the giveaway will bring in new customers.

"This event is McDonald's way of encouraging new guests to try McCafe coffee," says Greg Watson, senior vice president of McDonald's U.S. menu innovation. McDonald's also wants to coax customers it already has into visiting a bit more often. The hope, of course, is that folks who stop in for a free coffee will also walk out with a bag of breakfast munchies.

The move seems like a direct response to Taco Bell joining the breakfast market with items like a waffle taco and a breakfast wrap. The chain began promoting the new menu using real people named Ronald McDonald.

Dunkin' Donuts released its new Eggs Benedict sandwich and Starbucks released four new breakfast sandwiches: ham and swiss on a croissant; spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and cheese on ciabatta; egg and cheddar on toast; and a lower-calorie egg white, bacon, and cheese on an English muffin.

The event comes after the chain's sales figure declined 1.4 percent at U.S. locations in February. McDonald's blamed the decline on bad weather.