CosMc’s, McDonald’s buzzy beverage spinoff, is opening its second location this week, this time in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. The concept made its debut in December outside of Chicago to much fanfare and hours-long lines.
The new unit is located at 6033 Campbell Rd. in Dallas and is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with drive-thru and walk-up business. The menu is similar to the original Bolingbrook, Ill., location with two additional items, according to an email from the company: the Beach Protein Frappe, a blend of banana flavor and protein, and the Melon Herb Chiller, a blend of watermelon and mint flavors paired with CosMc’s signature lemonade.
CosMc’s was created to solve what the company calls the “3 p.m. slump.” The menu features five beverage categories — Signature Galactic Boosts, iced teas and lemonades, slushes and frappes, brews, and fountain and bottled drinks — as well as sandwiches, bites, baked goods, soft serve, and “From the McDonald’s Universe.” McDonald’s Universe offerings include the Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Bacon McMuffin with Egg, and two McFlurrys. Notably, the concept doesn’t require a fryer.
Most of the beverages are customizable, with unique offerings such as turmeric spiced latte, the pomegranate hibiscus slush, sour tango lemonade, and the sour cherry energy burst. Though the menu features familiar McMuffins, it also includes a spicy queso sandwich and a creamy avocado tomatillo sandwich. And the bites include savory hash brown bites, pretzel bites, cookie butter McPops, apple cinnamon McPops, hazelnut McPops, mixed bag McPops, and a snack box.
The new Dallas location is one of 10 test locations expected from the concept, with eight more projected to open in Texas the first half of 2024. The company plans to read results from those 10 locations, and “innovate, test, and learn with speed,” as CEO Chris Kempczinski explained during McDonald’s Investor Day event in December. He added that McDonald’s is under indexed in the afternoon occasion daypart.
“McDonald’s is operating from a position of strength. Customer love for the brand is stronger than any time in our history. That gives us permission to stretch the reach of the brand into new areas to grow the business. One area of focus has been identifying ways to participate in attractive and fast-growing categories. We homed in on specialty beverages and coffee... It’s a space we believe we have the right to win,” he said.
The initial CosMc’s in Illinois has four drive-thru lanes to test a range of configurations and “de-stress the experience.” The idea is for customers to go at their own pace based on the size and complexity of their order. The restaurant includes visual menu boards that enable “guided exploration” and walk customers through the ordering process. Credit customers pay at the order point when employees then start making the order. Pickup windows are assigned once orders are ready.
The idea of CosMc’s — based on the chain’s alien character from the 1980s — manifested just over a year ago and came to life because it checked three key boxes for the company, Kempczinski said — it is differentiated, it has global appeal, and it generates strong returns.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]