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Mysterious new McDonald's concept set to open in Illinois

The new restaurant appears to be nearing completion outside of a major city, but McDonald's has not said much about the new concept.

Sign outside a McDonald's restaurant in Bradenton, Fla.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
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Months after teasing a new restaurant concept, it appears McDonald's will soon be opening the first of its new CosMc's restaurants. 

Multiple media outlets in the Chicago area reported that a CosMc's location is being built in Bolingbrook, Illinois. A WLS-TV helicopter spotted that the new location has four drive-thru lanes. The exterior of the restaurant has been painted a deep purple. 

Few details about the new restaurant concept have been revealed. Chris Kempczinski, McDonald's CEO, briefly discussed the new concept in a call with investors in July. 

"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," he said. CosMc's is a small-format concept with all the DNA of McDonald's but its own unique personality."

Restaurants weigh price increases after California raises minimum wage
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During the call, Kempczinski said that McDonald's was having success with the small-format concept, which in some cases, make their restaurants takeout-only sites. 

This has allowed McDonald's to open in areas that it previously couldn't fit a restaurant into, Kempczinski said. 

"While our primary focus is on opening traditional units, we are always testing and learning new ways to meet the needs of our customers," Kempczinski said. 

McDonald's said it would provide additional details by the end of the year when it holds a call with investors.