McDonald's Spinoff Concept Doubles Typical Traffic
CHICAGO — CosMc's, a McDonald's spinoff, is gaining traction.
The drive-thru-only concept, anchored by its beverage offerings, saw more than double the number of visits that a typical McDonald's location saw chainwide in the same month, according to a report from Placer.ai, which uses location data from mobile devices to estimate visits to specific locations.
CosMc's, which opened on Dec. 7, 2023, generated triple the number of visits per square foot than an average McDonald's restaurant. The new format has a roughly 2,500-square-foot footprint vs. 4,000 to 4,500 square feet for the average McDonald's location, Placer.ai reported.
According to RJ Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, the CosMc's location sometimes had to accommodate spillover traffic in a separate parking lot because the drive-thru lanes were often at full capacity, indicating the potential for more sales revenue.
"We saw quite a bit of demand. There were so many people in the drive-thru lane that if they had more capacity, the traffic numbers would have been a lot higher," he said.
The first CosMc's, which opened in Bolingbrook, Ill., is part of a limited test. McDonald's plans to open approximately 10 CosMc's pilot locations by the end of 2024, including across the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas.
"I think this really is a test and learn concept, one to track younger audience and test menu innovations," Hottovy commented. "If nothing else, CosMc's is creating a tremendous amount of buzz and attracting new customers. It's just one location for now so doesn't look like it's cannibalizing McDonald's at this point but bringing in incremental visitors (the group that wasn't coming into McDonald's as much)."
Behind the Concept
The CosMc's menu is rooted in beverage exploration, with bold and unexpected flavor combinations, vibrant colors and functional boosts, according to McDonald's. It also features a lineup of food that includes a select few McDonald's favorites, as Convenience Store News previously reported.
CosMc's offers a seamless digital and drive-thru experience, enabling customers to use dynamic menuboards and cashless payment devices during the ordering and payment process, with guided exploration and customization along the way. Drive-thru pickup windows are assigned once their orders are ready.
The format is named after CosMc, a little-known McDonald's character from the 1980s that the chain described as "part alien, part surfer, part robot," CNN reported.
Chicago-based McDonald's currently has about 41,000 locations in total and is targeting 50,000 locations globally by 2027.