McDonald’s superfans lined up to try the new food and drinks at its new CosMc restaurant this morning – and DailyMail.com tested some of the brand new items.
The much-anticipated spin-off store, in Bolingbrook, Illinois, opened its doors Thursday to welcome in local Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta. But eagle-eyed locals spotted it was open and joined the line at the drive-thru only restaurant.
The new brand – named after the chain’s alien mascot in the 1980s and early 90s – appears to be emulating Starbucks with its range of colorful drinks including a Churro Frappe, Popping Pear Slush and a Berry Hibiscus sour-ade. Food items include the spicy queso sandwich and creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich.
DailyMail.com went to the outlet to try the new food and drinks where the wait time was between ten and 20 minutes.
Our photographer tasted the $4.99 creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich. He said: ‘The sandwiches were OK for fast food. If I had to choose between this and the sausage McMuffin I would go for this instead. It is tastier for sure, and maybe a bit healthier.
McDonald’s superfans lined up for the opening of its new CosMc restaurant this morning after details of its menu were unveiled yesterday
The new brand – named after the chain’s alien mascot in the 1980s and early 90s – appears to be emulating Starbucks with its range of colorful drinks
DailyMail.com went to the outlet to try the new food and drinks – including the $4.99 Spicy Queso Sandwich, pictured
‘It was also a good size. Normally sandwiches from fast food outlets are smaller and quite sad looking in real life compared to the pictures. But not in this case.
‘I tried the sour cherry drink. I wouldn’t normally drink one of those colorful drinks but I liked it. II had the blueberry ginger boost – I can see that being nice and refreshing in the summer.’
Yesterday, retail experts speculated that the chain appears to be targeting the ‘TikTok’ generation – who regularly help Starbucks’ seasonal drinks to go viral.
Retail expert Neil Saunders, from the consulting firm GlobalData, told DailyMail.com: ‘McDonald’s is certainly targeting the TikTok generation. The marketing is all very social media friendly – it’s very wacky and colorful. And it’s very different to the traditional old McDonald’s brand.’
He added: ‘Starbucks is definitely one of the chains it is taking aim at. The CosMc offers a bigger opportunity for McDonald’s in that beverage and snacking-on-the-go market.’
CosMc’s creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich had ‘a lot of egg’, according to the DailyMail.com photographer who tested it
Our photographer tasted the $4.99 creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich. He said: ‘The sandwiches were OK for fast food. If I had to choose between McDonald’s sausage McMuffin I would go for this instead.’
Yesterday, retail experts speculated that the chain appears to be targeting the ‘ TikTok ‘ generation – who regularly help Starbucks’ seasonal drinks to go viral. Pictured: the Spicy Queso sandwich
Retail expert Neil Saunders, from the consulting firm GlobalData, told DailyMail.com: ‘McDonald’s is certainly targeting the TikTok generation. The marketing is all very social media friendly – it’s very wacky and colorful. And it’s very different to the traditional old McDonald’s brand.’ Pictured: the Sour Cherry Energy Slush
CosMc’s customers waiting in line in their cars to order at a booth. Eager fans were happy to wait in line to order drinks such as $5.89 Siour Cherry Burst
CosMc’s is drive thru-only. Customers pick up at a window just like this one as they do in McDonald’s – after first ordering at a booth and waiting for a window number
The wait today was ten to 20 minutes for food and drinks – but McDonald’s pointed out the cafe wasn’t actually open.
A source said: ‘We weren’t actually open today funnily enough. We had opened up to let the local mayor try it along with some staff. But we decided – we won’t turn curious customers away.’
In fact, there is only a so-called ‘soft opening’ on Friday where CosMc’s will still be testing how it serves customers as it finetunes things.
The current CosMc’s is drive-thru only. It has four ordering stations, where customers say their order, wait for a window to drive to and then head over to that to pick it up.
McDonald’s is currently plotting its fastest period of growth in its more than 60-year history, with 10,000 new restaurants planned globally by 2027.
It comes after a period of strong growth for the company which saw same-store sales rise by nearly 9 percent worldwide in the third financial quarter of 2023.
The wait today was ten to 20 minutes for food and drinks – but McDonald’s pointed out the cafe wasn’t actually open. Pictured: part of the new CosMc menu
The store is having a so-called ‘soft opening’ on Friday where CosMc’s will still be testing how it services customers as it finetunes things
McDonald’s spin-off CosMc’s, in Bolingbrook, Illinois, opened its doors Thursday to welcome in local Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta
It mirrors the mass expansion of Starbucks which last month announced it expected to have 55,000 stores around the world by 2030, up from 38,000 today.
McDonald’s made a host of other sweeping announcements on Wednesday, including a partnership with Google Cloud intended to improve its automated services.
It also has ambitions to have 250 million active loyalty program users by 2027, up from 150 million today.
Meanwhile its McCrispy chicken sandwich is set to land in nearly all of the chain’s markets by the end of 2025.
McDonald’s saw its earnings shoot up by almost 17 percent to $2.32 billion in the third financial quarter of 2023.
Executives said profits were bolstered by ‘strategic menu price increases.’
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
