Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesFood & Beverage

Fast Food Customers Want More Convenience and Unique Fare. McDonald’s Answers with CosMc’s.

McDonald’s is launching a new beverage-focused spinoff named CosMc’s to cater to the growing demand for specialty drinks and efficient quick-service options. The fast-food giant aims to attract customers seeking both unique offerings and greater convenience. CosMc’s represents McDonald’s effort to innovate within its service model in response to evolving consumer preferences.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Food & Beverage teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

By Barbara Castiglia · Barbara CastigliaBeveragesCosmc’sFast Food
Share

Key takeaways

01

McDonald's introduces CosMc's, a new beverage-focused concept.

02

CosMc's targets consumers looking for specialty drinks and efficient service.

03

The initiative reflects McDonald's adaptation to changing market demands.

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Food & Beverage?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Food & Beverage coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Start free

Earlier this month, McDonald's unveiled its first CosMc's location in Bolingbrook, Illinois, marking the launch of a new spinoff brand inspired by the McDonaldland mascot CosMc. Additionally, the restaurant chain is set to open 10 locations by the end of 2024, including nine in Texas. CosMc's is a beverage-focused chain that will feature a unique menu of diverse drinks, innovative coffee and desserts, and fresh snack options, aiming to cater to the informal eating-out market while maintaining a smaller, more efficient restaurant design. This strategic move, announced during McDonald's investor day, represents an optimistic step towards diversifying the brand's portfolio, following past unsuccessful expansions beyond its primary business.

With fast food in an era where more speed and innovation is key, how is McDonald's addressing the challenge of ultra-convenience and evolving consumer expectations in the fast food industry? Barbara Castiglia, Executive Editor at Modern Restaurant Management Magazine, shed some light on McDonald's recent strategic shift, particularly their focus on capturing new customer segments with CosMc's and enhancing brand engagement through unique offerings and storytelling.

"They're going for the afternoon snacker, the person who wants a break, and also a younger generation. They're having unique kind of drinks and drink combinations that will elevate the brand and kind of elevate how they do things," Castiglia said.

They're going for the afternoon snacker, the person who wants a break, and also a younger generation. They're having unique kind of drinks and drink combinations that will elevate the brand and kind of elevate how they do things.
— Barbara Castiglia, Executive Editor at Modern Restaurant Management Magazine

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Food & Beverage starts with a company putting its plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Processors and grocery buyers vet suppliers hard, and your operations people are the ones who can satisfy them.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

BC
Barbara CastigliaExecutive Editor

Barbara Castiglia is a leading authority on restaurant and QSR news, restaurant management, and the intricacies of the food & beverage market. As the Executive Editor of Modern Restaurant Management, she possesses a multifaceted skill set as a Writer/Editor and Content Creator. With a rich background spanning newspaper, magazine, television, and online platforms, Castiglia has showcased her expertise in writing, editing, and design. She is renowned for her creativity, consistently transforming concepts into print, steering content direction, tailoring copy for specific audiences, and crafting and formatting layouts. Beyond her technical skills, Castiglia is an exceptional communicator with a strong grasp of business insights. She is a composed professional known for her effective multitasking abilities. In high-pressure, deadline-driven settings, she not only emphasizes product quality but also ensures results are delivered within stringent budgetary constraints.

Follow Food & Beverage Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Food & Beverage: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Food & Beverage buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free plan

You just read one Food & Beverage expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams into the articles, video, and social content Food & Beverage buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale workspace, up to 10 people
One professional video edit a month for qualifying companies
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
$0, no credit card, nothing that expires

More Food & Beverage Insights

Alternative protein specs are shifting from imitation to repeatable, processing-focused quality

Alternative protein specs are shifting from imitation to repeatable, processing-focused quality

Science|Business, in a report supported by EIT Food, says alternative proteins are moving from novelty to procurement-ready categories judged on taste, price, and processing. Nature and ScienceDirect reviews point to unresolved safety, regulatory, and environmental assessments for microbial and cultured proteins. For food manufacturers, the near-term work is specification discipline, not hype.

  • 01Formulation and QA teams should define what ‘cleaner labels’ means for each SKU, specifying which processes and inputs are avoided as the industry moves past direct mimicry and ultra-processing.
  • 02Nature flags that environmental impacts for microbe-derived proteins and cultured meat are still not fully assessed, which can complicate sustainability reporting and supplier scorecards.
  • 03ScienceDirect notes plant-based products can rely on ultra-processed inputs and have amino-acid limitations, making protein quality metrics a better spec than ‘plant-based’ alone.

Sep 14, 2026

44% of higher-income shoppers are buying more private label

44% of higher-income shoppers are buying more private label

Simon-Kucher found 44% of higher-income U.S. shoppers are increasing private label purchases, according to Food Business News. Circana put U.S. private-label sales at $330 billion in 2025, according to Food Business News. Retailers are offering tiered private label lines, including premium options, according to Food Business News.

  • 01Premium private label is no longer a niche: Simon-Kucher found 56% of higher-income consumers intentionally buy premium store brands, a useful benchmark for assortment planning.
  • 02Before budgeting, align definitions: Circana’s $330B figure spans broader private label, while Mintel’s $141.2B estimate is food-and-drink only, according to IFT.org.

Sep 13, 2026

Food Plant Awards Weigh Layout and Utility Performance

Food Plant Awards Weigh Layout and Utility Performance

Food Engineering named Carolina Foods' Pineville, N.C. facility its 2025 Plant of the Year, citing linear layout, automation and fryer-room zoning. Food Processing's Sept. 8, 2026 Green Plant of the Year feature highlighted Perdue Farms' Lewiston, N.C. plant for greenhouse gas and water reductions.

  • 01Carolina Foods' award-winning 425,000-square-foot expansion in Pineville, North Carolina was cited for a linear setup, high automation and updated equipment that raised throughput while maintaining safety and quality, with fryer room separation credited as a novel design choice.
  • 02Food Engineering judges prioritize automation strategy, processing and packaging line design, and supply chain management as plant evaluation criteria.
  • 03MarketScale analysis suggests operators may find it useful to document material flow paths, separate high-heat or high-variability steps like frying from the rest of production, and set a metering and verification baseline for utility and emissions data to support later comparisons.

Sep 13, 2026

Explore More Food & Beverage Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Food & Beverage.

Browse Food & Beverage Hub

About the Expert

BC
Barbara Castiglia

Executive Editor

Barbara Castiglia is a leading authority on restaurant and QSR news, restaurant management, and the intricacies of the food & beverage market. As the Executive Editor of Modern Restaurant Management, she possesses a multifaceted skill set as a Writer/Editor and Content Creator. With a rich background spanning newspaper, magazine, television, and online platforms, Castiglia has showcased her expertise in writing, editing, and design. She is renowned for her creativity, consistently transforming concepts into print, steering content direction, tailoring copy for specific audiences, and crafting and formatting layouts. Beyond her technical skills, Castiglia is an exceptional communicator with a strong grasp of business insights. She is a composed professional known for her effective multitasking abilities. In high-pressure, deadline-driven settings, she not only emphasizes product quality but also ensures results are delivered within stringent budgetary constraints.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Food & Beverage and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512