McDonald's to launch spin-off restaurant CosMc's in 2024
McDonald's is planning to launch a spin-off range of smaller restaurants called CosMc's in 2024.
The CosMc character is an orange, six-armed, part-robot alien who began appearing in McDonald's adverts in the late 1980's.
In a second-quarter earnings call, the fast food chain's chief executive Chis Kempczinski said the new CosMc's brand would be a "small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald's, but with its own unique personality".
He added: "Our new business ventures team is in the process of developing a new concept we will call CosMc's, which we will test in a small handful of sites in a limited geography, beginning early next year."
Further information on the development of the brand will be announced during the company's investor day in December.
One television advert from the late 1980's sees CosMc arrive in McDonaldland as a silver UFO-like object on a ‘trade mission', before spouting arms, legs and a head and joining the chain's mascots, including Ronald McDonald and furry monster Grimace, in a picnic.
The announcement comes after a purple milkshake released to honour Grimace's 52nd birthday boosted the chain's sales after going viral on social media.
The limited-edition drink, which was only available in the US, was made with ice cream and blueberry and strawberry syrups. It became a meme which saw TikTok users post clips joking that the milkshake had killed them or turned them into monsters.
As a result, McDonald's reported revenue of $6.5b (£5b) in the last quarter, up 14% on last year. Global comparable sales also increased 11.7% over the quarter, with double-digit growth across each segment.
"This quarter, the theme is—well, if I'm being honest the theme was Grimace," Kempczinski told the investor call on Thursday.
McDonald's runs 13,513 restaurants in the US and more than 1,270 in the UK.
The chain last week pledged to launch a dedicated investigation unit after a BBC investigation reported allegations of widespread harassment and assault at its UK restaurants.
Main image: IB Photography / Shutterstock
Embed image: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvFMREs5cw
