Fans of McDonald’s already know it’s the place to go for the crispiest fast food fries and trendy, collectible toys (like Squishmallows). But next year, McDonald’s plans to soar into uncharted territory with a new restaurant based on a nearly forgotten mascot.
At the end of July, McDonald’s executives revealed they’re planning a spinoff restaurant based on CosMc, an alien who appeared in multiple McDonald’s commercials in the ’80s and ’90s. The idea was first shared by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski in a Q2 conference call, who revealed plans to launch a whole chain of restaurants called “CosMc’s,” which will be tested in a small handful of sites beginning in early 2024.
McDonald’s
Who is CosMc?
CosMc is a many-handed alien character who appeared in his first McDonald’s ad in 1986, along with Ronald McDonald, Grimace and the Professor, another mascot who’s been forgotten over time.
The story of CosMc
In his first commercial, CosMc lands in McDonaldland where the other characters discover him. They all soon discover that CosMc loves to trade, and over time, they learn that he’s willing to barter just about anything for some hot, crispy McDonald’s fries.
At the end of the commercial, the group shares a McDonald’s meal together, which CosMc says is “deliciously awesome,” before zooming away in his space suit.
What will CosMc’s restaurants be like?
This is still a little bit of a mystery. McDonald’s executives haven’t revealed much other than to say that CosMc’s will be a “small format” restaurant “with all the DNA of McDonald’s but its own unique personality.” They should announce more details around the end of this year.
But it’s not too surprising that the brand is choosing an obscure mascot from the past to build this spinoff around. Grimace, another forgotten mascot, exploded into meme-driven popularity this year after a shake celebrating his birthday became super popular on TikTok.
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Christina Marfice writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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