For its latest venture, McDonald’s is thinking outside the box – and in outer space.
The fast-food chain officially announced that its universe is expanding with CosMc’s, a new small-format restaurant concept, with a space theme and focused on drinks and breakfast. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinsk announced the news of the spinoff restaurant chain during investor day on December 6.
CosMc’s is based on McDonald’s beloved extraterrestrial mascot from the 1980s and 1990s. CosMc is known for his energetic personality, which makes the menu, which features energy drinks and signature treats, perfectly suited.
CosmMc location
The first location, which opened in December, is located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and is part of a limited test.
In 2024, so far, McDonald’s has opened four more locations, all in Texas: Arlington, Dallas, Watauga, and most recently, San Antonio. See details of all locations here.
CosmMc menu
CosMc’s has a very extensive menu, focusing heavily on breakfast and featuring more than 10 new drinks never before seen on the McDonald’s menu.
McDonald’s says the CosMc menu is “rooted in beverage exploration, with bold and unexpected flavor combinations, vibrant colors and functional boosts.”
What this means is a wide variety of drinks, from lemonades and coffees to energy drinks like Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade, and S’mores Cold Brew. Customers can customize their drinks by adding fruit boba, flavorful syrups, energy shots and more.
As far as food goes, CosMc’s Spicy Queso Sandwich and Creamy Tomatillo Avocado Sandwich are your sandwich options, but there are many more sweet and savory snacks to choose from.
On the savory side, CosMc’s offers Savory Hash Brown Bites and Pretzel Bites, and on the sweet side, it has a Blueberry Lemon Cookie Sundae, Caramel Fudge Brownie and more.
And yes, you can expect to find some McDonald’s classics on the menu – but no combo meals.
Here is the full menu:
Exclusive Galactic Boosts
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Sour Cherry Energy Burst: cherry slushie mixed with truity popping boba with a boost of energy
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Berry Hibiscus Sour-Ade: Sour lemonade mixed with a probiotic berry blend served with a dried lemon wedge over ice
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Island Pick-Me-Up Punch: Berry and Dried Strawberry Flavored Lemonade
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Blueberry Ginger Boost: A blueberry and ginger green tea enriched with vitamin C, served with dried blueberries and lemon wheel
Slushies and frappes
Iced teas and lemonades
Beers
Sandwiches
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Spicy Queso Sandwich: Egg omelette with sausage, spicy queso sauce, white cheddar cheese and crispy jalapeño chips on a brioche bun
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Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich: Egg omelette with applewood bacon, creamy avocado-tomatillo sauce and white cheddar cheese on a brioche bun
Bites
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Pretzel Bites (with Queso Picante, Herb Ranch or Hot Mustard)
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Savory Hash Brown Bites
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McPops (with apple, cinnamon, hazelnut, cookie butter or mixed bag)
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Snack Box filled with meats, cheeses and more
Baked goods
Smooth service
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Cones: Chocolate, Vanilla, Twist
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Smoothies: Citrus and Cream, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate
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Sundaes: Brownie with caramel sauce, blueberry and lemon biscuit, caramel, hot syrup
From the McDonald’s universe
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McMuffin: Egg, Bacon, Sausage
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McFlurry: Oreo, M&M’s, Strawberry and Cookie
CosmMc ordering experience
CosMc’s is poised to offer what McDonald’s calls a “seamless digital and Drive Thru experience” where customers can use a dynamic menu and cashless payment devices to “flash” through the ordering and payment processes. Drive-thru pickup windows will be assigned once your order is ready.
The history of CosmMc
For those who don’t know CosMc, according to the McDonald’s WikiHe appeared in a series of McDonald’s commercials and print ads from 1986 to 1992.
In a 1987 commercialCosMc lands in McDonaldland, only to be discovered by Ronald McDonald, Grimace and the Professor (another character who has since fallen into obscurity). The ragtag group’s initial interaction with the character presents the alien as someone who likes to trade, albeit without permission at first, so it’s less interplanetary trade and more robbery with a parting gift.
After some banter, CosMc and the crew enjoy a meal together, where the alien calls McDonald’s food “deliciously amazing”, the turtle shell aliens return to their spacesuit – which also doubles as their spaceship – and if away.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski first revealed he would launch the spinoff restaurant chain on July 27 in a second-quarter conference call.
The news that CosMc has been retired from McDonald’s comes after the hugely successful revival of Grimace. This summer, the big purple bubble had its super-viral moment in the sun with the launch of Grimace Shakewhich led to a dark mood TikTok Trend with almost 4 billion views the date.
“This quarter, to be honest, the theme was Grimace,” Kempczinski said on the conference call.
The first quarter, McDonald’s hopes, will be out of this world.
This article was originally published in TODAY.com
