Scoop: McDonald’s launches its first spin-off restaurant: CosMc’s
Series have spin-offs; that’s common knowledge, of course. From Cheers to Frasier, from Buffy to Angel, and not from Friends to Joey, because we simply refuse to acknowledge that spin-off exists. But with restaurant chains, it’s far less common, although it is becoming increasingly normal in America. Especially now that McDonald’s is launching its first spin-off restaurant.
They’re certainly not the first: IHOP (The International House Of Pancakes), for example, opened four locations of Flip’d by IHOP, with very mediocre success; two years after opening, only three of the four are still open.
McDonald’s takes the plunge with CosMc’s
A genuine success story involving a spin-off of a restaurant chain has yet to emerge, but who knows, McDonald’s may change that: they too are taking on this adventure. But they’re starting small, because according to McDonald’s spokesperson, it will be “a small concept with all the DNA of McDonald’s, but with its own personality.” The spin-off will be called CosMc’s, and the first location will open its doors in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Why this name? Even as a big McDonald’s fan, I didn’t recognize it, but CosMc is an alien in the McDonald’s universe who often appeared in commercials in the 1980s. He came to McDonald’sland because he had an insatiable craving for Maccie while in space. I already see a lot of similarities between us.
What can we eat there?
Remarkably little, oddly enough. The menu is dominated by all the drinks you can get there, from iced teas to hot beverages and everything in between — around two-thirds of the menu consists of different types of drinks. If you’re craving a burger, you’d better skip CosMc’s altogether (should you ever find yourself near Boilingbrook), because they mainly offer smaller snacks such as McMuffins — although a Spicy Queso Sandwich is also on the menu.
At first glance, many people may find that strange, but it actually makes sense: they don’t want to compete with themselves, which is why the menu bears no resemblance to McDonald’s. With CosMc’s, they want to take on chains such as Starbucks — and in that context, such a menu makes much more sense. We’ll have to wait and see whether it becomes a success; the first location will open in early 2024.
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Image: Iman Jalali / LIFESTYLOGY / TMX
