Inside McDonald’s new Illinois CosMc’s: DailyMail.com visits new store to sample its unusual range of products – including a $5.89 Sour Cherry Energy Burst and $4.99 Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich!

McDonald’s superfans lined up to try new food and drinks at the new CosMc restaurant this morning, with DailyMail.com testing out some of the brand new items.

A long-awaited satellite store in Bolingbrook, Illinois, opened its doors Thursday to welcome local Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta. But eagle-eyed locals noticed it was open and joined the queue for the drive-through only restaurant.

The new brand, named after the chain’s alien mascot in the 1980s and early ’90s, appears to be taking cues from Starbucks with its range of colorful drinks, including the Churro Frappe, Popping Pear Slush and Berry Hibiscus sour-ade. Food items include a spicy queso sandwich and a creamy tomatillo avocado sandwich.

DailyMail.com went to the retail establishment to try out the new food and drinks, where wait times ranged from ten to 20 minutes.

Our photographer tried the creamy tomato and avocado sandwich for $4.99. He said: “Sandwiches are good for fast food. If I had to choose between this and a Sausage McMuffin, I would choose this. It’s probably tastier and maybe a little healthier.

McDonald’s fans lined up this morning for the opening of new CosMc restaurant after details of its menu were revealed yesterday.

The new brand, named after the chain’s alien mascot in the 1980s and early ’90s, appears to be taking cues from Starbucks with its range of colorful drinks.

DailyMail.com stopped by the store to try out the new food and drinks, including the $4.99 Spicy Queso Sandwich (pictured).

“It was a good size too. Typically, fast food sandwiches are smaller in size and look rather sad in real life compared to photos. But not in this case.

“I tried the cherry drink. I wouldn’t normally drink one of these colorful drinks, but I enjoyed it. I had a blueberry-ginger boost – I can see it being nice and refreshing in the summer.”

Yesterday, retail experts suggested that the chain appears to be targeting the TikTok generation, which regularly helps seasonal Starbucks drinks go viral.

Retail expert Neil Saunders, from consultancy GlobalData, told DailyMail.com: “McDonald’s is definitely targeting the TikTok generation. Marketing is very social media friendly – it’s very eccentric and colourful. And it’s very different from the traditional old McDonald’s brand.”

He added: “Starbucks is definitely one of the chains they’re targeting. CosMc offers McDonald’s a significant opportunity in the on-the-go beverage and snack market.”

Our photographer tried the creamy tomato and avocado sandwich for $4.99. He said: “Sandwiches are good for fast food. If I had to choose between McDonald’s sausage and McMuffin, I would choose this one.”

Yesterday, retail experts suggested that the chain appears to be targeting the TikTok generation, which regularly helps seasonal Starbucks drinks go viral. Pictured: Spicy Queso sandwich.

Retail expert Neil Saunders, from consultancy GlobalData, told DailyMail.com: “McDonald’s is definitely targeting the TikTok generation. Marketing is very social media friendly – it’s very eccentric and colourful. And it’s very different from the traditional old McDonald’s brand.” Pictured: Sour Cherry Energy Slush

Today the wait for food and drinks lasted between ten and 20 minutes, but McDonald’s noted that the cafe was not actually open.

A source said: “Strangely enough, we weren’t actually open today. We opened up to let the local mayor try it out with some staff. But we decided that we won’t turn away curious clients.”

In fact, Friday will only be a so-called “soft opening,” during which CosMc’s will still be testing how it serves customers and making improvements.

The current CosMc only works on the car. It has four ordering stations where customers voice their order, wait for the window to open, and then head there to pick it up.

McDonald’s is currently experiencing the fastest period of growth in its more than 60-year history, with 10,000 new restaurants planned to open worldwide by 2027.

This comes after a period of strong growth for the company, with same-store sales rising nearly 9 percent worldwide in the fiscal third quarter of 2023.

Today the wait for food and drinks lasted between ten and 20 minutes, but McDonald’s noted that the cafe was not actually open. Pictured: part of the new CosMc menu.

The store will have a so-called “soft opening” on Friday, during which CosMc’s will still be testing how it serves customers and making improvements.

McDonald’s CosMc’s subsidiary in Bolingbrook, Illinois, opened its doors Thursday to welcome local Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta.

That reflects a massive expansion by Starbucks, which last month announced it would have 55,000 stores worldwide by 2030, up from 38,000 today.

McDonald’s made a slew of other big announcements on Wednesday, including a partnership with Google Cloud to improve automated services.

The company also plans to have 250 million active loyalty program users by 2027, up from 150 million today.

Meanwhile, its McCrispy chicken sandwich will be available in nearly all of the chain’s markets by the end of 2025.

In the fiscal third quarter of 2023, McDonald’s earnings rose nearly 17 percent to $2.32 billion.

Executives said profits were supported by “strategic menu price increases”.