Grimace all you want, but it appears that McDonald’s is barging into the coffee space, looking to hamburgle away market share from drive-thru shops like Starbucks and Dutch Bros. But they won’t be doing it in the name of the Golden Arches. McDonald’s has been secretly working on a new concept, CosMc’s, a small-format drive-thru that appears to be focusing on drinks.
McDonald’s has been playing this one pretty close to the vest, so little is known about the new chain, but with the early progress of the first location in Bolingbrook, Illinois—a southwestern suburb of Chicago—gives a few clues. As reported by Eater, the new concept features just a single golden arch in its logo. The name is a reference to CosMc, “an orange alien character introduced to the McDonaldland universe in 1987.”
And thanks to Twitter user Iman Jalali, we have an idea of what the menu will look like. Focusing mostly on drinks and breakfast items, CosMc’s will serve coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, brewed and iced coffee, cold brew, and specialty drinks like a turmeric spiced latte, s’mores cold brew, chai tea latte, and even frappes of the churro and cold brew varieties. There are also “Signature Galactic Boosts,” in flavors like Sour Cherry Energy Burst and Berry Hibiscus Sour-Ade.
Per Market Watch, the Bolingbrook location will open later this month with a “handful of additional outpost” to open in the coming months across Texas, specifically the Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas.
From the CosMc’s website:
At CosMc’s, you’ll find exactly what you need to take you to your happy place. And you’ll feel rejuvenated by more than just a drink. We know that everyday life can weigh us down.
So we’re on a mission to lift humans up with every sip.
Ambitious. A little dire, but ambitious nonetheless.
With the new concept, McDonald’s is banking on the idea that no one actually wants to go inside a McDonald’s or a Starbucks or what have you just to grab a drink and a quick bite. Thanks to the “growth that’s happened with the digital and delivery,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said on an earnings call in July, CosMc’s is positioning itself as a grab-and-go establishment. You’ll have to find somewhere else that has a sad, germ-infested ball pit for your kids to jump into while you’re trying slam down a burger and fries.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
