McDonald’s to debut new concept CosMc’s spin-off

The burger giant has said it’s set to open a brand new chain next week – and it could come to Australia. But a huge Macca’s staple will be missing.

McDonald's new concept CosMc's outlet opening in Chicago. Picture: McDonald's.

It’s a McDonald’s – but not as anyone knows it.

Next week, a radical spin off of the golden arches is set to open which has coffee chains like Starbucks in its sights.

Called CosMc’s, it’s designed to attract customers during the midafternoon who might want something sweeter and less filling than a Quarter Pounder and fries.

And that’s led to some eye-opening menu items including “signature galactic boosts,” “popping pear slush,” and “churro frappés” alongside lemonades, coffees, sandwiches and doughnuts.

But while some McDonald’s favourites like egg McMuffins will on the menu an iconic product will be missing: CosMc’s will not sell any burgers. At all.

Macca’s is playing down the significance of CosMc’s insisting it’s just a 10 store trial. But, the Chicago based firm has hinted that if it works, it could go global – including to Australia which is one of McDonald’s leading markets.

The launch will be a step away from the familiar McDonald’s. (Photo by Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

‘3pm boost’

The retro themed new restaurant is named after CosMc (pronounced “cosmic”), a part-alien, part-robot mascot which appeared in McDonald’s ads in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The first location will be in Bolingbroke, a suburb in Chicago’s west. The company has said it will look to open 10 CosMc’s, nine of those in Texas, by the end of next year.

“When 3pm hits, and you need a boost, take a trip to CosMc’s,” the narrator in a video, released this week, said about the new concept.

The firm, most famous for its burgers, has said CosMc’s was about creating an outlet where customers can customise drinks and coffees, popular in the afternoon.

McDonald's new concept CosMc's outlet opening in Chicago. Picture: McDonald's.

“This is a $100 billion ($A152bn) category growing faster than the rest of the (casual dining sector) and with superior margins,” said Mr Kempczinski.

The menu for CosMc’s has now been unveiled.

Alongside churros frappés, a drink inspired by the sweet cinnamon Iberian treat, CosMc’s will also feature a range of lemonades and iced teas, thirst-quenchers including the “tropical spiceade,”the luridly coloured and almost Instagram worthy signature galactic boosts, such as strawberry “island pick me up punch” (which contains a “pre workout shot”), s’mores cold brews and turmeric spiced lattes alongside lattes and hot teas.

Drinks will be able to be customised with tapioca pearls, syrups and even vitamin C shots.

The food menu includes sweet treats like apple cinnamon doughnut bites and cookies, spicy queso sandwiches and a creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich. There is also a slimmed down range billed as being “from the McDonald’s universe” which include McMuffins and McFlurrys.

On Wednesday, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski tried to temper expectations that there could be thousands of CosMc’s opening.

Rather, he said it was test bed for a new ideas and that it would be trialled and analysed for around a year.

“We’re talking about 10 stores,” he said on Wednesday.

“The big story isn’t about CosMc’s, per se. The big story is what it says about McDonald’s and our potential. To think, a little over a year ago, this was an idea, and this week we’re opening the first test site.”

Some of the drinks on offer at CosMc’s. Picture: McDonald's.

However, he did open up the possibility of CosMc’s – or something similar – opening around the world if the chain was a success in Illinois and Texas.

“It’s not worth our time to develop an idea that will only work in one market,” he told investors.

The company also said on Wednesday that it would be opening 10,000 new stores across the globe to bring its total number of outlets to 50,000.

Of those stores, 900 will be n in the US, 1900 in established markets such as the UK and Australia and around 3500 in China alone.

CosMc’s will have a retro feel. Picture: McDonald's.

Last week, McDonald’s said it would be introducing a new burger recipe worldwide which was formulated, to great success, in Australia.

Australia has been used as a testbed for McDonald’s previously with McCafe launched locally before going worldwide.

Seven years in development, the new recipe will see burgers that are moister, the “special sauce” more abundant, the cheese meltier, lettuce and onions fresher and the all-important bun now a shinier and softer brioche.