The new McDonald's spinoff, CosMc's, has created quite the buzz in the Chicago suburbs. The drive-thru-only restaurant, a "beverage-focused" concept, saw drive-thru waits skyrocket to around the two-hour mark as lines of cars snaked through a parking lot typically shared with businesses like Best Buy and XSport Fitness, reported Eater Chicago.
Opening its doors to the public at 6 a.m. on Thursday, December 7, in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the response was immediate and overwhelming, with cars lining up as early as 3:30 a.m. According to an individual who services McDonald's CO2 tanks, CosMc's is expected to go through double the supply of a regular McDonald's CO2 in just a week. This testifies to the sheer volume of beverage orders the new outlet is processing.
CosMc's menu isn't just about drinks; it features fewer meat-heavy options than the traditional McDonald's offering. Items like the creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich, spicy queso sandwich, and "McPops" filled pastries have been available from day one. Customers seem eager to try the new offerings, and Eater Chicago notes that one customer spent an adventurous $104 on her order. A painted sign cheerfully invites customers to "Have a nice sip" while waiting their turn.
In an effort to assess the new venture, CBS Chicago spoke to Stephen Campbell, who had been in line for almost two hours just to get a taste. "It's like 100 carts are going from each direction – I mean, the same food they've got there today they'll have it next week," Arnold Riggs told CBS Chicago, illustrating the chaos as customers jockey for their spot in the extensive queue.
Despite varied reactions to the extended wait times, the pilot restaurant is McDonald's creative leap into a new market. With specialty drinks such as the S'mores Cold Brew and Turmeric Spiced Latte, CosMc's aims to inject innovation into the classic fast-food chain's repertoire. Plans are already in motion to open additional CosMc's locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and San Antonio in the upcoming year, as McDonald's looks to spread its "learning lab" concept far and wide.
