The new “gourmet” coffee at the Golden Arches is paying off for the restaurant. McDonald’s reported today that sales of the beverage are up.

The company added premium coffee last year that reviewers say is far superior to the previous version. A Consumer Reports review ranked it higher than Starbucks for taste and value.

In the last few months, McDonald’s U.S. restaurants added a machine that automatically dispenses cream and sugar for coffee, boosting sales especially among drive-through customers who don’t want to add the flavoring themselves.

Bloomberg News reports today that breakfast competition is intensifying with chains including Starbucks Corp. and Dunkin Donuts Inc. as McDonald’s tests a larger breakfast burrito and specialty coffees.

Also this quarter, the chain added a Southwestern salad with chicken and is testing a pressure-fried chicken sandwich in some U.S. outlets, Don Thompson, McDonald’s U.S. chief, told analysts recently.