McDonald’s opened a brand new fast-food restaurant chain and you KNOW we were there for it!
The very first CosMc’s officially opened in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The new fast-food chain is a “small-format, beverage-led concept” (are we the only ones getting Starbucks vibes?). It specializes in bold drinks and tasty treats. The whole idea of this chain is to pull on our nostalgic heartstrings and bring the old character, CosMc, back to Earth. So come with us on our first trip to CosMc’s!
When we heard this new location was opening, we knew we had to be there for it (we are a FOOD blog after all). So we headed to CosMc’s! Luckily, we weren’t there on opening day, so the drive-thru line wasn’t as bad as it had been then (people had over an hour-long wait on opening day).
HOT TAKE #1: This isn’t really a fast-food restaurant
Our wait was still not what we would consider “fast-food” speed. There were several lanes and each lane had about four cars in it. Then, each lane ended up merging into one lane to grab your food (like most other drive-thru locations). So, we ended up waiting roughly 20 minutes to get through.
The menu had a pretty wide variety of options! It was definitely drink-heavy, but it also included several food options like sandwiches, pretzel bites, and ice cream.
Once you’ve ordered, you wait until the screen directs you to a window.
Then, when it’s ready, it tells you which window to go to. No more wondering which window they told you only a minute ago, but you were so hungry you completely forgot!
We grabbed several items to try, including a few drinks, a couple of sandwiches, their new McPops, and pretzel bites. Our overall impression was that it was mostly all good! We enjoyed almost every item we ordered. (Don’t worry, a full review is coming!)
Good morning from CosMc’s! We got loads of tasty treats for breakfast this morning, so stay tuned for our FULL review! 🍟💫 pic.twitter.com/8xG31b6UNt
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 12, 2023
CosMc’s is different from McDonald’s in that it has much more specialized options such as the Chai Frappe Burst, Popping Pear Drink, Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich, and the Spicy Queso Sandwich.
HOT TAKE #2: CosMc’s needs a bigger parking lot or some form of dining room
It is also different from McDonald’s because it is a drive-thru ONLY. There is no seating inside the restaurant. This could be no big deal if you’re planning on taking it on the road, anyway. But if you’re hoping to sit down and grab a cup of coffee with a life-long best friend for the first time in six months, this may not be the best place.
HOT TAKE #3: Sonic’s layout works better for this kind of drive-thru-only concept
It also doesn’t have much of a parking lot. The parking lot it does have is small, and it was closed off the day we visited. Sonic has a similar concept. Not all Sonic’s have indoor seating available (the way northern states tend to have them), but they at least have drive-up menu spots where you can hang out and enjoy your meal right in your car. That is not the case at CosMc’s.
HOT TAKE #4: Employees might rival Chick-fil-A in friendliness
We noticed that everyone working there was super friendly and nice! The restaurant has a fun catchphrase of “have a nice sip” so they say that to you as you drive away. And so you don’t forget it, it’s painted on a wall as you exit. This is certainly cute and fun. And we might be treading in touchy territory, but we would dare to say they might be even more friendly than Chick-fil-A employees!
It’s a fun new concept and the food was pretty good. The fact that there is no seating might be a bit of an issue for some people, but it’s an easy place to grab and go. We’re eager to see when the next locations will open!
Until then, keep following DFB for more food news!
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Are you excited to try this new McDonald’s spin-off restaurant? Let us know in the comments!
20 minutes at CosMCs…that seems pretty close to what I end up waiting for at my “regular” McDs. The food offerings do look “interesting”.
That does look tasty and interesting! I do want to point something out ! Maybe I’m totally wrong. But I have never been to any sonic, here in Florida to Arkansas, where there has been indoor seating. Did you happen to mean outdoor seating by chance? And maybe there are some sonic drive ins that do have indoor seating.
Again, thank you for sharing this and all new news! I appreciate it!
I grew up in Bolingbrook. It’s very exciting that the first location is there. We will be checking it out soon. Oakbrook, IL is McDonald’s headquarters.
very cool RONALD MCDONALD.
but why illinois