The first CosMc’s, a repurposed Boston Market in Bolingbrook — about a 45-minute drive from Chicago — drew hordes of customers and influencers as the Golden Arches introduced a new menu without burgers and fries. There were breakfast sandwiches, boba drinks, and coffee beverages, but no tables inside; this was a drive-thru concept for motorists. It even came with a new app that will be discontinued on June 23. CosMc’s expanded in Texas in 2024, where the chain opened four restaurants.
Menu options included the Popping Pear Slush and a yellow turmeric-flavored latte that didn’t actually use turmeric, according to its ingredient list. The drinks, as mentioned, were very sweet. When the restaurant debuted 16 months ago in winter 2023, the suburban strip mall where it was located was flooded with cars, with drivers waiting hours to sample offerings. Local police and McDonald’s security from its West Loop headquarters were stationed to keep things running smoothly.
The company says some of its pilot’s successes could be folded into McDonald’s menus. The outer space concept was built around an obscure McDonald’s character, an alien named CosMc who arrived on Earth sometime in the ’80s.
