CHICAGO - After thirty years of focusing on fresh-backed cookies, Mrs. Fields is branching out to specialty coffees, the Chicago Tribune reports. The chain, which has 280 locations, has started a pilot program in Chicago on serving specialty coffees, with plans to add breakfast and lunch in the future.

The test store sells ice-blended drinks, lattes and coffee flavors reminiscent of cookies, such as chocolate macadamia nut and snickerdoodle. The chain will invite franchisees to check out the pilot store in the hopes that they will be convinced to add the program to their stores.

It??s always difficult to branch out, but Mrs. Fields has in its favor high brand identification, said Bonnie Riggs, a NPD Group analyst. "Our definition of a snack and a treat has changed somewhat" recently, and now "specialty coffees fit into that definition," she said.

Mrs. Fields sees room for it in the specialty coffee arena. "We're not asking for a big piece of the pie, we're asking for a sliver of the pie," said Greg Allison, senior director of marketing for Mrs. Fields Famous Brands. "That's not going to be our core business."

NPD estimates that specialty coffee will advance at a double-digit clip over the next 10 years.