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McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) has begun testing a new small store format called CosMc’s this week, earlier than it previously expected, with plans to open 10 such restaurants by the end of 2024.
“As part of a limited test, the first CosMc’s location opens in Bolingbrook, Illinois, this month – with a handful of additional outposts planned in the coming months,” the fast-food chain said in a statement.
The rest of the locations will open next year across the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas in Texas.
The limited test was announced during McDonald’s investor conference on Wednesday, where it also introduced ambitious new growth targets.
CosMc’s will feature customizable specialty beverages that will rival other popular chains such as (SBUX) and Dunkin’ Donuts. It will also serve snacks – including a few of its classic menu items.
“At CosMc’s, we’re exploring how we might solve the 3 p.m. slump by lifting humans up with every sip,” said McDonald’s (MCD).
CosMc’s, which would be McDonald’s (MCD) first new restaurant concept in the U.S., is named after a McDonaldland space alien character who appeared in ads in the 1980s.
This is not the first attempt by McDonald’s (MCD) to cash in on nostalgia this year, as the company’s Grimace Birthday Meal went viral on social media in June, bumping up U.S. sales.