Consumers Can Beat the Summer Heat With McDonald's New McCafé® Frappe and Real Fruit Smoothies

( BLACK PR WIRE)Oak Brook, Ill. (June 30, 2010) — McDonald’s returns to the ESSENCE Music Festival as a proud sponsor for the seventh year. This year, McDonald’s showcases its numerous educational, career development and entrepreneurial opportunities while delivering a weekend packed with dancing, musical performances and sampling of the newest McCaf� offerings -- the blended ice Frappe and Real Fruit Smoothies.

“McDonald’s sponsorship of ESSENCE Music Festival gives us an opportunity to showcase our continued commitment to supporting events that our customers enjoy,” said Rob Jackson, Director of U.S. Marketing, McDonald’s USA “We are particularly excited to give festival attendees an opportunity to sample the newest products in our McCaf beverage line for a second consecutive year.”
During the ESSENCE Festival, McDonald’s offers a McCaf� experience at both the Ernest Morial Convention Center, free and open to the public, and at the Superdome for concert-goers. Attendees can indulge in a caramel McCaf Frappe, while supplies last, on “Funky Frappe Friday” featuring legendary hitmaker Keith Sweat, or get a sweet lift with Real Fruit Smoothies in Strawberry Banana (Saturday) and Wild Berry (Sunday), while supplies last. In addition to Keith Sweat, the daily McCaf� Sweet Sound Concert Series at the Convention Center, features performances by legendary R&B trio BBD and super crooner Ginuwine.

McDonald’s at Essence Music Festival
Additional highlights at the Convention Center booth, Friday, July 2 – Sunday, July 4:
• Join BET’s 106th & Park host Terrence J as he hosts the booth all three days.
• Move with dance demos from award-winning choreographer Darrin DeWitt Henson daily from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. and learn the new “McCafe Shuffle” from crowd favorite Cupid and the Men of McCaf
• Beat the heat with a sample of McDonald’s McCaf Carmel Frappe (Friday), Strawberry Banana Real Fruit Smoothie (Saturday) and Wild Berry Real Fruit Smoothies (Sunday) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Daily and while supplies last)
• Groove to the beat of the McCaf Sweet Sound Concert Series with Keith Sweat (Friday), BBD (Saturday) and Ginuwine (Sunday) from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet autograph session with each artist at 3:30 p.m.

The McCaf Experience continues at the Superdome inside The McCaf Berry Real Lounge, which for the first time this year will open each evening with performances by a local New Orleans band, including Big Sam's Funky Nation, Sam & Ruby and Shamar Allen and the Underdawgs. Visitors to the McDonald’s Superlounge will also grove to performances by alternative hip-hop group Arrested Development, soul artist and musician Laura Izibor and neo-soul artist Ledisi.

About McDonald’s

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of
wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business men and women. Customers can now log online for free at any of the 11,000 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products. 

2010 McDonald’s