Customers were up early Friday morning — or, perhaps, didn’t go to sleep — in Bolingbrook to get their first taste of CosMc’s, the beverage-focused, drive-thru-only concept just launched by McDonald’s.
A company spokesperson said cars began lining up as early as 3:30 a.m., and when the drive-thru opened at 6 a.m., 20 cars rolled in with drivers ready to place their orders..
By noon, about 150 cars were waiting in a line that stretched south from the yellow-and-blue restaurant at 285 N. Weber Road and wrapped west around the shopping plaza to the opposite end.
Workers wearing yellow coats and beanies and blue gloves guided drivers who waited about 2 1⁄2 hours, despite the three-lane drive-thru access. Police officers eventually helped direct traffic.
McDonald’s announced in July that it would test out the new concept, based on its alien character CosMc that appeared in commercials in the ’80s and ’90s.
The Bolingbrook location marks the first CosMc’s. The Chicago-based chain plans to open about 10 more pilot locations in Texas by the end of 2024, before determining a further expansion of the test sites.
The restaurant offers a variety of lemonades, teas, blended drinks and coffee. Customers can also customize their drink with flavor syrups, energy or vitamin C shots, among other additions.
It also serves sandwiches and sides, such as a spicy queso sandwich, savory hash brown bites and pretzel bites, as well as McDonald’s classics like Egg McMuffin sandwiches and the McFlurry.