CosMc’s, a new restaurant concept by McDonald’s, has drawn plenty of curious visitors since it opened, including a reporter from The Wall Street Journal.
The beverage-based brand is being tested by McDonald’s with a pilot location in Illinois. The company plans to open about 10 additional locations in the Texas metropolitan area in 2024. CosMc’s features a smaller format than a traditional McDonald’s and is drive-thru only.
According to the Journal, “CosMc’s has landed, but visiting now may take a few eons” due to intense consumer interest.
One customer, 22-year-old mechanic Anthony Mendez, drove 50 minutes on his day off to check it out. “I had some time, and I really wanted to try it,” he said. Menendez learned of the new restaurant on Instagram and was intrigued by the pretzel bites and Island Pick-Me-Up Punch.
The Monday following CosMc’s official opening, the Journal pulled up to “a parking lot filled with traffic cones, police tape and officers managing a growing line of cars.” An hour and 40 minutes later, the Journal left CosMc’s with three medium drinks, a breakfast sandwich and a few pastries.
The location is described as being more similar to Dutch Bros or Starbucks than McDonald’s, with a beverage-heavy menu and minimal food options. “The boxy blue-and-yellow restaurant serves a $5.39 medium berry hibiscus sour-ade drink or $5.79 medium churro frappé, versus $1.99 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s,” noted the Journal.
The Journal said that the restaurant may make customers think about McDonald’s, as there is one strategically located next to the CosMc’s queue, with a full dining room and children’s play space.
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