NEW YORK, July 28 — CosMc is the name of the brand-new concept that the fast-food giant McDonald’s is planning to open. To support its growth, the Chicago-based company intends to set up new restaurants based on a smaller format and named after a 1980s mascot.
When presenting the company’s results for the second quarter of 2023, the CEO of McDonald’s teased a brand-new plan to roll out a restaurant concept based on a smaller format than the one we know. This new concept goes by the name of CosMc. Savvy fans of the fast-food giant will have realised that this is the name of a character from Ronald’s gang who featured in TV commercials between 1986 and 1992, reports the specialist website Restaurant Business. It takes the form of an alien robot with several arms and an orange head.
This new restaurant concept is reportedly based on a smaller sales space, but it is not yet clear what kind of food will be on offer. According to McDonald’s boss Chris Kempczinski, a test phase is due to start next year. All that’s known is that CosMc will have “all the DNA of McDonald’s, but with its own unique personality.”
Until now, McDonald’s has focused on concepts that rely more on technology to fuel its growth. Its new restaurant in Forth Worth, Texas, for example, features a conveyor belt that delivers packed orders to customers as soon as they arrive, ensuring that they’re still warm. This trial uses geolocation to warn the kitchen team of a customer’s impending arrival.
A revival of vintage mascots
Over and above what the concept involves, this news reveals how insistently the American fast-food giant is delving into its past to revive old characters to front its business today and tomorrow. McDonald’s recently celebrated the 52nd birthday of one of its flagship mascots, Grimace. The fast-food chain concocted a special menu for the occasion, including a milkshake, paying homage to the character’s purple colour. The offer proved a hit on social networks, even though Grimace is not the best-known McDonald’s mascot. Moreover, in the second quarter of the year, the Chicago-based company increased sales by 11.7 per cent, exceeding expectations. — ETX Studio
