New McDonald's spin-off restaurant branding is out of this world

And the logo is deliciously retro.

McDonald's has been sneakily building a brand new spin-off restaurant with an out-of-this-world theme. The new establishment named 'CosMc's', has appeared in Bolingbrook, Illinois and until now has been kept under wraps – but recent images of the new building have garnered a mixed response online.

As of now, it's unclear how CosMc's will compare to McDonald's existing chains but from the theming alone, it looks like we're in for a blast from the past. This new design is certainly a change from what we've seen before, but McDonald's iconic golden arches still remain one of the best logos of all time. 

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As you can imagine, the design of the mysterious CosMc's is suitably space-themed, with a deep blue exterior and McD's yellow accents (with a cameo from the golden arches of course). The CosMc's wordmark logo is perhaps the biggest change from McDonald's branding, featuring retro-inspired curved text that gives the restaurant a nostalgic appearance.  

If you're familiar with the intricate world of McDonald's lore, you may recall the classic character behind the new restaurant design. CosMc was a fleeting side character featured in various McD's ads in the late 80s and 90s – Ronald's extra-terrestrial pal who's arguably lesser known than other McDonald's characters. After the success (and trauma) of the latest Grimace shake trend, do I spy McDonald's attempting to revive another forgotten friend?

Pictures of the new restaurant were shared by X user Iman Jalali who called it "an evil love child of a Taco Bell and a Starbucks." Jalali seemed on the fence about the new restaurant design and fellow X users showed equal confusion, with another user questioning "What's with the weird space theme? Feels like something out of the 1960s or something."

It seems that amidst the mystery, this new McDonald's spin-off is dividing the internet. We won't know for certain what the new restaurant entails, but for now, I'm glad to see another member of the McDonald's gang getting revived, and I pray that his return will be equally as chaotic as the great Grimace resurgence. 

Check out the nostalgic Marvel x McDonald's collab for more brilliant branding, or take a look at the company's latest eyebrow raising Christmas ad.