As Wendy's Launches Breakfast, McDonald's Declares Monday 'National Egg McMuffin Day'

Coinciding with Wendys Co's WEN national breakfast launch Monday morning, rival fast food chain Mcdonald's Corp MCD is offering all customers a free Egg McMuffin sandwich.

McDonald's, Wendys In Breakfast Battle 

McDonald's is declaring March 2 as "National Egg McMuffin Day" and is inviting customers to honor "the FIRST" breakfast sandwich, which the company said is "arguably the BEST" on the market.

The iconic sandwich is finally "getting the celebration it deserves," and everyone can claim a free sandwich at participating stores, according to McDonald's. 

Customers needed to download McDonald's mobile app to redeem the freebie from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday. 

"While we're giving the Egg McMuffin its moment, we're really honoring our breakfast fans who have woken up with McDonald's breakfast for nearly 50 years. And we just thought, 'hey, why not declare March 2 as National Egg McMuffin Day?'" David Tovar, McDonald's vice president of U.S. communications, said in a statement. 

McDonald's Emphasizes App 

The McDonald's promotion could be part of a broader strategy of encouraging customers to use its app, Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy told CNN Business.

McDonald's hopes to gain traction in the digital business so it can better target customers through personalized offers and promotions, he said. 

The McDonald's promotion is also meant to ensure its breakfast offering remains "top of mind," especially against breakfast newcomer Wendy's, which plans on spending more than $80 million to promote its rollout, the analyst said. 

The Wendys breakfast offering "will stick" this time after prior attempts, Hottovy said. 

But Wendy's presence in the breakfast category could also "lift everybody," the analyst said. 

McDonald's, Wendys Price Action

Shares of McDonald's were trading slightly higher Monday at $194.30, while Wendys shares were down 1.96% at $18.51 at the time of publication. 

Related Links:

Wendy's Nationwide Breakfast Launch Is Coming Soon

Former McDonald's Chef Defects To Wendy's

Photo courtesy of McDonald's.