CosMc's: McDonald's wild burgerless new concept baffling customers

News.com.au

16 hours ago

A McDonald's without burgers seems a ludicrous idea. Like Bondi Beach without backpackers; or a Melbourne day with fewer than four seasons.
And yet, on the outskirts of Chicago, there is exactly that: a Macca's without a pattie in sight. No Quarter Pounders, no McChickens, not even a hint of a fry, French or otherwise.
This is CosMc's: a bold experiment by McDonald's to capture consumers who are less into Happy Meals and more into the sugary desserts masquerading as drinks that you might find at Starbucks.
Selflessly, here at news.com.au, we've tried some of this espresso slushies and neon cordials as well as the decidedly un-Macca's like bites, so you know what they're actually like.
And some of the food items in particular are so fast-food fab, after trying one you wouldn't mind if you never ate a Big Mac again.
Not everyone is convinced though, with one Macca's lover telling news.com.au they 'drove off' when they saw it wasn't the real deal.
'The premium beverage space has been growing, and McDonald's wants to play in the arena,' a retail analyst told news.com.au.
But, he warned, success will be 'hard to accomplish' and, so far, the signs for McDonald's new chain are patchy at best. There are growing signs that CosMc's could end up being a failed experiment.
CosMc's first outpost
On the side of a highway in Bolingbrook, Illinois, an hour west of Chicago deep in suburbia, is a very standard McDonald's.
Its drive-through and kids playground wouldn't look out of place on the side of any main road in Australia.
Next to it though is something notable. On the site of a former rotisserie chicken restaurant is a mutant Macca's: CosMc's.
The famous golden arches logo is there, but it's subtle. The store is not painted red and yellow, but vibrant purple and yellow. It has a kind of 1950s Jetson's space age quality about it.
The name is derived from 'CosMc's' a McDonald's mascot from TV commercials in the late 1980s, a robot with eight arms and a weakness for stealing hamburgers.
It's here that the burger king wants in on coffee. While Macca's sells some basic beverages, people don't make a beeline for McDonald's when they want a sugary slushie espresso.
Indeed, Starbucks has around 16,000 outlets in the US outnumbering McDonald's 13,500.
CosMc's, McDonald's hopes, could change all that.
'McDonald's core business in the US is a mature and saturated business and that limits growth,' Neil Saunders, the managing director, retail, of US research from Global Data, told news.com.au.
'CosMc's operates in a completely different segment – the popular and fast-growing beverage space – and McDonald's wants to see if it can grab some share of that market'.
Drinks are very sweet, food is spicy
When the first CosMc's opened, just over a year ago, McDonalds's said the new sub-brand was 'rooted in beverage exploration, with bold and unexpected flavour combinations, vibrant colours and functional boosts'.
What that manifests itself on the menu is an eclectic range of slightly bonkers drinks.
Perhaps an Iced French Toast Galaxy Latte? An Iced Turmeric Spiced Latte?
Too normal sounding for you? CosMc's also offers the Sea Salted Caramelactic Shaken Espresso.
Dazzling in an orangey pink hue is the Island Pick-Me-Up Punch, consisting of 'punched up' berry flavoured 'powered' lemonade with dried strawberries? All 'natural,' the description assures.
Then there's Sprite Moonsplash and Pomegranate Hibiscus Slush.
News.com.au tried the bright purple Tropical Spiceade. Tropical is a vague flavour. In reality it was a not very spice berry cordial. Sweet was the overwhelming taste.
The Churro Cold Brew Frappe was a cold creamy – and very sweet – Frappuccino adjacent brew which doesn't taste of churros so much but does have a hint of cinnamon
Many of the drinks simply seemed to exist to be colourful and sweet – there was little to differentiate them aside from the hue.
You'll give up Big Macs for this
The food was more interesting. Apple cinnamon pops were little doughnut balls which were, no surprise, sweet, but they had nice tangy burst of viscous apple sauce.
The closet you'll get to classic Macca's fare is a creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich.
Tomatillos are a Mexican fruit used in salsas. And it turns a bite that could have a passing resemblance to a bland bacon and egg McMuffin into a spicy delight within a brioche bun.
It's got a kick and I'd happily kick a Big Mac to the kerb for good if these were readily available.
Other choices are less successful. The pretzel bites are bland – warmed dough with chunky salt crystals. But, then, that's pretzels for you. But a spicy, creamy queso dip livens it up.
'I drove off'
But customers appear to be confused as to whether it's a Macca's or not.
'I thought it was McDonald's,' one CosMc's customer remarked.
'But then I saw the menu and drove off.'
This could be an issue, said Global Data's Mr Saunders.
'CosMc's needs to stand on its own and not be compared to McDonald's as it's a completely separate proposition.
'The market is saturated with choice, so CosMc's will need to establish itself.
'It needs to become a part of people's routines and that can be hard to accomplish.
'At the moment it is still seen as something of a novelty; it needs to move beyond that.'
Mr Saunders added that 'constrained consumer finances' likely 'will not be good for discretionary spending on expensive beverages'.
Just look at Starbucks. In the first three months of 2025, its sales fell 2 per cent in the US. It's put in place a turnaround plan. Awkwardly for CosMc's that has actually seen it axe the number of sweet, creamy drinks after customers who simply wanted, you know, a coffee complained they were awaiting while sugar caffeine cocktails were whipped up.
Worrying signs for CosMc's
McDonald's, if anything, is doing it worst. Its US sales fell 3.6 per cent during the same period as consumers slowed down their splurging – even on fast food.
In January, it said it would close three of its larger CosMc's locations. There were only eight in total to begin with. Aside from the Illinois outpost, they are all now in Texas in and around Dallas and San Antonino.
The fast food firm said the smaller branches allowed it to 'test new, unique circumstances that are reflective of our customer base'.
Just this month, CosMc's said the CosMc's Club loyalty program would shutter – hardly a sign that brand is thriving.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski has now revealed that some of CosMc's beverages will be added to the main Macca's menu in the US. The Sour Energy Burst and Sprite Moonshine could be sold alongside Fanta and Coke.
So is CosMc's just a test bed of its big brother after all? A mini Macca's of bonkers beverages and intriguing eats to see what customers really want?
Mr Saunders wasn't so sure saying he saw 'little mileage' in having a small, expensive, chain simply as a testing ground for new drinks.
'McDonald's is still in the experimental phase of CosMc's.
'Over the next few years, they will either scale it (up),' he said.
'Or they will drop it.'