REVEALED: Military-style effort at McDonald’s new CosMc’s spin off to deal with fans waiting as long as FOUR HOURS to get new colorful drinks – as fasinating photo shows snaking line
Fans of McDonald's new CosMc's spin-off have described how they happily wait in line for FOUR hours to try the colorful new drinks.
And meeting the higher-than-expected demand at the first β and so far only β outlet in Boingbrook, near Chicago, will require a team effort from CosMc staff, security guards, local officials and even other retailers who need a parking space. lend. .
A fascinating photo taken last week of fifty cars in a 'holding pen' (before they had even arrived at CosMc's) shows the scale of the operation. The photo also shows a parked Bolingbrook police SUV keeping an eye on the scene.
Every morning, in the adjacent parking lot, normally used by Best Buy and Dollar Tree customers, CosMc staff lay out cones – which serve as stanchions to guide cars while they wait.
Security guards in distinctive yellow jackets will then be on hand to guide cars as they weave around the cones – and also direct them along a road to the CosMc grounds. Here, customers step into one of the four small rows in front of the ordering columns.
CosMc's new branch in Bolingbrook is so popular that cars have to queue in a car park next door
This is the photo our image is based on – showing 50 cars waiting in the parking lot next to CosMc's
Weeks after the opening on December 7, the lines are still growing every day. Unless a customer is in line before it opens, the wait time to get food is typically 30 minutes to four hours.
A CosMc source said: 'It's a real team effort. Local officials love having it here and have really helped us with ways to control the number of customers we attract. The mayor has supported us, as has the local police.'
Staff are trying to discourage people from queuing after 4pm before the outlet closes at 8pm.
CosMc's differs from McDonald's in that it focuses heavily on drinks, with limited food – and NO fries. It is seen as a competitor of Starbucks.
Kristina Alkass happily waited four hours to try CosMc's
One woman was thrilled to wait four hours – after already driving 45 minutes from home – to try the creamy avocado-tomatillo sandwich and a citrus and cream shake.
βIt was worth the wait,β Kristina Alkass told DailyMail.com. 'The food was delicious and it was also nice to see the new concept. The CosMc colors and logo look great β and the staff are very excited to work there.β
Alkass was already a big fan of McDonald's and had written about the fast-food giant in a previous role as editor-in-chief for Restaurants and Institutions magazine.
She writes in a review on Facebook: 'In just one bite I was reminded that McDonald's makes a damn good sandwich. The egg was great, the bacon was thick, the sauce was spicy and creamy without overpowering the other flavors. The steamy brioche was the MVP.β
βI was surprised how many items are in the $2 to $4 range. It's a really good deal to get a specialty drink and a hot snack for less than $10 per person.”
She said there were about 20 staff members directing traffic – and estimated there were about 200 cars in front of her when she got on the line.
Alkass waited at CosMc's for four hours. She took this photo showing the long lines of cars and the CosMc staff helping to direct traffic
When Alkass visited the CosMc's in Bolingbrook, she said there were about 20 staff members helping to keep cars in line
Alkass β who waited four hours to get food and drinks at CosMc's β said there were more than 200 cars in front of her when she started waiting
“I had time to wait so it wasn't a problem for me,” she told DailyMail.com. βOver time they will make the wait shorter. For the time being, everyone has to order via the kiosks and then wait until they get to a counter to pick up food and drinks. In the long term, people will no longer be able to order via an app, and only a fraction will use the kiosks.'
Others are also happy to wait since CosMc's opened on December 7. Kevin Jackson, 32, of Westmont, ran out of gas when he was halfway through the line, according to the Chicago Sun Times. After refueling he returned.
βIt's worth it,β Jackson said. 'It's probably better to go today than any other day. Most people are probably at work today.β
While Alkass and Jackson have been happy to wait, others have not, according to reviews left on Google.
Melissa Tomany wrote, βI wasn't going to wait four hours. I'll try again in a few months, once the hype dies down.'
A few factors are causing the long wait β at least for now. First, Bolingbook CosMc's is the only one in the world so far – and it draws customers not only from the area, but also from outside Chicago. A tourist on holiday from Great Britain drove there.
Secondly, the concept is new, so bosses are still fine-tuning the way customers order and then collect food and drinks. Unlike McDonald's, there is no pre-order by app – but that will come.
Third, many of the drinks are personalized, which also keeps things moving.
CosMc's is drive-thru only in Bolingbrook, with no indoor dining space. By the end of 2024, there will be ten more CosMcs in Texas.
The CosMc menu currently offers six hot coffee options, a selection of teas and a standard hot chocolate
In a press release, CosMc said it would offer drinks with “customization at every turn: popping boba, flavor syrups, energy or vitamin C shots, and more.”
Andrea Hernandez, the founder of food and beverage platform Snaxshot, said the offering will appeal to a different audience than Starbucks and Dunkin.β Pictured: A drinks menu at the CosMc restaurant in Bolingbrook, Illinois
Retail analysts say that the chain is trying to conquer the so-called 'TikTok generation' with its playful menu.
Tasty, personalized drinks from Starbucks, for example, often go viral among Gen Z on TikTok. The trend has become so widespread that the hashtag #DrinkTok has been viewed more than four billion times.
The new brand – named after the chain alien mascot of the 1980s and early 1990s – certainly seems to rival Starbucks with its range of colorful drinks, including a Churro Frappe, Popping Pear Slush and a Berry Hibiscus sour-ade.