Ever since its creation McDonald’s has always been an innovator in the industry from the first walk up counter, to the creation of new foods like Chicken Nuggets and more. To this very day, McDonald’s is very well known for fast, convenient, affordable and consistent food. While they do serve breakfast and coffee, have you ever thought about McDonald’s as solely a coffee shop? Well now you officially can!
In 2023, McDonald’s began teasing it was creating a new restaurant concept centered around nostalgic mascots and beverages. Flash forward to late 2023, McDonald’s made a huge announcement that shook the entire internet and decade fans of the chain. It was actually opening its new concept and naming it CosMc’s.
So what exactly is CosMc’s and what is all the buzz about? CosMc’s is a new small-format, beverage-led concept whose menu is built around bold, refreshing beverages and tasty treats that are “truly out of this world”.
In a press release, McDonald’s described its new concept by saying it “seamlessly blends brand-new, otherworldly beverage creations with a small lineup of food, including a select few McDonald’s favorites – all designed to boost your mood into the stratosphere, if only for a few moments”.
As we can clearly see from several press releases, it is clear McDonald’s is getting creative with a space/universe theme and branding the new restaurant as part of the McDonald’s Universe. I think this is a very clever way to brand the restaurant and is highly creative. It reminds me how superhero shows are now when the shows and story lines are in the same “universe”.
Taking a look at the menu, we can see the menu is heavily centered around beverages, coffees, specialty drinks and smaller pick me up food items. Examples include Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade and S’mores Cold Brew. Much like Dunkin or Starbucks, the chain also offers addons for drinks like popping boba, flavor syrups, energy or Vitamin C shots, and so much more.
Food wise, we can see the menu is very streamlined and only features two sandwiches, lots of baked goods, ice cream (hopefully the machines actually work…). The menu also offers a few classic McDonald’s classics such as the Egg McMuffin sandwiches and the M&Ms McFluffy.
Considering this is supposed to be competition to Starbucks, I have to say I was expecting to see more new sandwich options or possibly some wraps. Seems as though many of the items are recycled from McDonald’s and there are not as many new offerings. Perhaps since this is a test run, the menu will grow in the future once the concept takes off. I can not see this chain even trying to compete with Starbucks with the limited food menu it does have. Hopefully we’ll see a few more options added or at least some seasonal menu items introduced before the concept expands further.
CosMc’s is starting small with its first and only location as of now in Bolingbrook, Illinois. By the end of 2024, 10 additional locations are planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas. The company hopes to grow this number if all is successful with the test pilot locations.
I am very glad that they did not decide to go full on boring and go with McCafe which is their current in house coffee concept some locations have. I am glad they are branching out and trying something new. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what happens with the McCafe concept if CosMc’s really takes off. Could we maybe see co-branded CosMc’s and McDonald’s locations soon? Only time will tell!
We’re officially back after being on the road experiencing even more of what Pennsylvania has to offer! This time we are in the Harrisburg Hershey area. From chill vibes in the hotel to the sweet eats, to exploring caverns, this trip had it all. So without further ado, let’s dive into today’s review!
Hampton Inn Harrisburg-East (Hershey Area)
Customer Service – 5/5
I’ve got to say Hampton Inn is starting to become one of my favorite Hilton brands and my go to hotel brand. Much like Holiday Inn Express, every time I visit a Hampton location the service is always on point and I never have issues with the service I get. Unlike Holiday Inn Express, Hampton always seems to go that one extra step and really blows you away. I’m not sure if it’s just because Hilton standards are different from IGH, but I’m seeming to like Hilton more and more every time I go.
Upon checking in, the front desk agent was very polite, respectful, talkative (in a good way) and overall on point! I’ve mentioned this in previous reviews and I’ll say it again. I absolutely love seeing fellow front desk agents out there just doing amazing at their jobs! It was honestly nice to be on the receiving end this time instead of the giving end.
Later on in the evening, the room next to ours (we had the adjoining door so we could hear into the next room slightly) went out for a while. While they were out, the alarm clock in their room kept going off for about 30 mins. I waited a bit to call since I wanted to give the neighbors the benefit of the doubt and I also didn’t want to be that person that complains. When I did call, the front desk agent was once again on point and came upstairs and took care of it right away.
Sadly for this front desk agent, he would later have to come back upstairs again around 10:30pm. The neighbors when they got back were blasting their tv all night long, talking overly loud (almost to the point where it was screaming) and making a lot of noise. Being I work at a hotel, I know what it is like having to deal with situations like these all the time. When I did call, the front desk apologized and shortly after, I heard them in the hallway knocking on their door. I heard them ask the room to politely turn the tv down and keep the noise down a bit. After that, I didn’t hear a peep out of them the rest of the night. The front desk handled that like a champ!
Rooms – 4.8/5
Out of all the rooms I have stayed in so far, this has been one of the best rooms I’ve stayed in. From top to bottom everything in the room was brand new being the hotel was recently renovated. One thing I love about this brand is their attention to every detail in their room designs. In addition to being very well kept and updated, the rooms were also spotless! As someone who works in the hotel industry, one of the first things I always look for and expect is cleanliness. Got to say, Hampton never disappoints when it comes to this. Only minor issues I noticed with the room were a few small areas that were just cosmetic and didn’t affect the room at all (just two tiny areas that had wallpaper peeling & the back of the bathroom door needed a bit of touch up paint). Other than those few very minor things, this room was perfect and well worth the price!
Amenities – 5/5
Of course what’s not a hotel stay without the free breakfast in the morning. I do have to say Hampton Inn’s breakfast is definitely far superior than Holiday Inn Express since it’s more consistent, the food selection is larger and their breakfast is always cooked and prepared perfectly.
I always make sure I hit the waffle maker section of the breakfast area. There’s nothing better than a fresh waffle topped with a vast amount of toppings. I always make chocolate chips, peanut butter or sprinkles. Usually I top half with chocolate chips then the other half with peanut butter. Of course I can’t resist the maple syrup either!
On a quick side note, I totally found it pretty cool and astonishing how the staff wrote positive messages on the bananas for the guests! This is the first hotel I have stayed at that did this. It just goes to show the level of care the staff have for guests and providing excellent guest service. Nice touch Hampton!
Final Thoughts & Rating
Overall, this entire stay was flawless and perfect just like I expected it to be. Customer service was beyond excellent, the rooms were nearly perfect and breakfast was on point as always.
Rating the hotel on a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate this location a 4.9/5! But hang on, that’s not the end of the review! Up next, we’ll be covering all the restaurants I stopped at during the trip as well as a brief review on Indian Echo Caverns.
Restaurant Reviews
The Original Golden Eagle Diner – 2/5
This was definitely an interesting diner from slot machines, a full bar and weird decor stuck somewhere between the 1960s & 1970s. Yes you heard that correctly, this diner has a full service bar which operates around lunch time and diner. However, I believe they do use it at breakfast only for mimosas and other breakfast cocktails.
Overall, the experience was not very good and I honestly wouldn’t recommend this diner. Cleanliness was a major issue from the very start. The silverware I got was not clean so I sent it back and got another set, only another dirty set. I once again asked for another set and it too was dirty. I had to combine pieces from the sets. I had to have a completely clean set. The issues didn’t stop there with cleanliness, the table I was seated at was a bit dirty to the point I had to take the sanitizing wipes they had on the tables for Covid, to reclean my table. Lastly, being I was on the road, I used the restroom prior to leaving and it was totally disgusting! It was as if nobody ever cleaned it for a long time. It was so gross!
As far as food goes, don’t expect much either. The food was really bland, and didn’t taste that good. I was expecting better because the reviews were so good for this place. Sadly, that was not the case as I ordered what I expected to be pancakes but instead got overly sugary, cake like “pancakes” which did not even taste like pancake batter.
Lancaster Brewing Company – 5/5
This honestly wasn’t my first time eating at Lancaster Brewing Company. It was back during (year) when I stayed at Holiday Inn Express in Lancaster, PA. One thing I enjoy about LBC is the wide selection of food available and their large drink selection (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
I’m not much into drinking alcohol however, I did try their Peanut Butter Beer they had on tap as well as bottled. It actually tastes a lot like peanut butter and isn’t overpowering like I thought it was.
During my last visit, I ordered the LBC burger which is 1/2 pound of our signature chuck/sirloin house blend, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and house-cut fries. LBC has very good cuts of meat and burgers. One thing I also enjoy about their burgers is when you ask for it to be cooked well done, they cook it perfectly. Sometimes when they cook them well done, they tend to overdo it and cause the burger to have a burnt taste. This visit however, I didn’t go for a burger and went with a thin crust pepperoni pizza which was absolutely amazing!
Indian Echo Caverns
Our last stop of our trip found us at Indian Echo Caverns just outside of Hershey with beautiful sights hidden within plain sight thousands of feet underground. The caverns have a long history dating all the way back to the 1700s. The temperature in the caverns is a consistent 52 degrees which feels absolutely amazing on a hot summer day or freezing winter day. Let’s take a look at some photos:
And with that, this officially concludes our PA road trip in the Harrisburg Hershey area. Thank you for your patience during the past few weeks with no new content. Stay tuned for loads of new content on its way. I recently started a new job in the casino industry working on the hotel side, so expect lots of casino related content, more crazy hotel stories and travel tips. Additionally, (Zach) Hyrax recently went on a Florida trip. From Universal Studios to SeaWorld, his trip had it all. Stay tuned for the blog posts all about it!
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, it forever changed all our lives even to this day as we still try to exit the pandemic. If you were one of the many people working during the heart of the pandemic, it definitely was interesting, challenging and a unique time. Being labeled essential to go and do an everyday job was definitely an adjustment. It honestly still blows my mind to this day. In today’s post, I will be talking about my experiences in the restaurant industry and what it was like working down lock down.
Let The Madness Begin:
I was very fortunate and lucky to be employed the entire time during the pandemic mostly without issues. I can recall everything changed at the drop of a hat. At first, it seemed there was nothing to worry about and the pandemic wouldn’t even come to our area. Sadly it did and with it came the end of normal as we knew it.
I worked at a chain pizza place on a busy highway that connects the beach towns to the mainland. When the normalness ended, I remember at night the entire strip being pitch black dark, dead quit and no cars even in sight. I honestly felt like I was in a ghost town or a zombie movie. It was crazy to me how to see everything go from normal to nothing in a matter of days. On the strip we were on, the restaurant was one of the only places open. Now imagine this, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, and all the major fast food places are either all closed or close before dark. It was mind blowing to me how our pizza place was open and running like normal while everything else was closed. How is this so, you may ask? Well, we did not have a dining room, we only had a small lobby area where the counter was. Essentially we were a take out or delivery only place which gave not only us an advantage but the other chain pizza places that were in the area.
Of course it was to be expected it was going to be busier since there were curfews, more people at home, no school and everything else was closed. However, we didn’t imagine it was going to be as crazy busy as it was. To put how crazy it was each day, imagine it is Super Bowl Sunday, now multiply that by 10 or 20 each day! On average we got 200+ orders each day. It would be non-stop, just constantly bombarded by orders. At first, we all got very overwhelmed since we were not used to this heavy volume everyday and all at once. However, after a few days of doing it, we noticed the peak times and patterns so, in turn we were able to adjust and got used to it very quickly.
Wait! I’m Essential?
Another thing that took some adjusting was the whole idea of essential workers and being labeled “essential”. I remember thinking “I’m essential? But I only make pizza”? Yea it was really weird being put in the same category as first responders and health care workers. It honestly never made sense to me and still really doesn’t to this day.
I guess it’s as the saying went then “Everyone plays their part”. When you think about it, it honestly is true. We’d be making food and taking care of those working around the clock, as well as those working other important/essential jobs. Of course this came with some hardships though, such as working 9-10 hour shifts, doubles (sometimes), working 5 to 6 days in a row, etc. However luckily for me though, I had really good bosses and a great team. We made sure we took care of each other by making sure we each took breaks, eat, etc. My bosses also made sure if they had to give us crazy hours, they made it up to us by giving us multiple days off in a row as well as rotating us around so we didn’t all get burnt out. I’m extremely grateful for my amazing trio of managers for really being good bosses the entire time before, during and after the entire lockdown situation. They really made working there enjoyable and created a positive working environment.
Craziness & Horror Stories:
Now of course it wasn’t all fun games the entire time, there were definitely some horror stories mostly from customers but a few from co-workers too. You thought hotels were crazy?? Buckle up, these stories are just as crazy!
Doordash Rage
At this point when this story takes place, we were already months into the pandemic and masks are well beyond established. For me, it was just another busy night hustling through all the orders and working hard to keep up. It was the midst of a huge evening rush and this Doordash driver tried to enter the store without a mask and when he was asked to either put one on or wait outside he refused! (Typically if people who didn’t wear masks, we told them to wait outside then when their food was ready, we would just crack the front door open and hand it to them). What happened next at the time was just so insane to me since this job was my first real taste of the craziness the hospitality industry brings daily. So the dasher started screaming, yelling and cursing to the point where one of my managers had to tell him to leave. When my manager kept repeating himself over and over again, the last time he told him to get out and never come back. Needless to say we never saw that Doordash driver ever again.
Sticker Madness
Everytime we boxed an order, we had to use these rectangular stickers that sealed the boxes shut to prove the food went straight from oven to box and wasn’t tampered with. Now the crew I worked with was all guys… So of course if you give a bunch of guys a roll of stickers, you can’t expect them to not mess around with each other.
See! What did I tell you! We not only did this to mess with each other, we also would do this to any food we would make for us (yes, we got free food). Say for example if someone got a small pie, we would take the stickers and cover every square inch of the box so it was impossible to open. It was always funny to be on the pranking end and not the receiving end. It was stupid little things like this that prevented us from going crazy and staying positive during all the craziness.
Supply Chain Struggles:
Of course it’s to be expected there’s going to be disruptions when everyday life comes to a stretching hault. I remember us not struggling too much with supply chain issues. However, we did face some problems once and a while. There were a few times where getting Pepsi products was a struggle. For example there was one period of time where we actually had to go to the supermarket to buy pepsi products since we weren’t getting any in at all. You may be asking why we didn’t just order larger quantities of this was an issue. Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy although I wish it was.
The only other major supply chain issue I remember facing was when there was a national wing shortage and getting wings in was very difficult. This became a challenge for us since we were seeing higher volume in orders, this meant we were going through things faster than normal. At one point I remember it was only mid-week and we almost ran out of wings. There were a few times we actually did run out of wings. I remember when we were able to get wings in, they were more expensive to get in since demand was high and supply was low. As much as we didn’t want to, we had to at some points only offer the 6 and 8 piece wings instead of offering all the larger sized orders like the 16pc, 32pc, and 60pc.
Final Thoughts:
Overall the pandemic was a very crazy time yet also an interesting time. We saw the world change right before our eyes with the snap of a finger. I think one thing everyone got out of the pandemic was reflecting on and being more thankful for the everyday things they had. I know I definitely became more thankful for the little things.
I hope this post gave you a brief look into what my experiences were during the pandemic.
This past semester at my college I had the amazing opportunity as President of the Hospitality Club to help take the lead in opening our own student run café. It was an absolutely amazing and fun journey which I enjoyed every minute of. I proudly present Java Junction:
What Is Java Junction?
Java Junction was created by a vast team of professors, student leaders (such as myself), college professionals and others. Our goal was to take the vacant space left behind from our colleges old food service company, Canteen, and create a new space where students, professors and the community could all gather, enjoy a nice refreshing beverage and snack. Once our costs are covered, all profits go directly back to the business clubs (Hospitality Club, Business Club, Accounting Club, Legal Club, PBL, etc.), help support scholarships for students, and help support the business department in obtaining resources to further help students succeed.
When students and professors support Java Junction, they are not only supporting the café, they are also helping fellow students. This is where our mission statement For The Students. By The Students was created from. It is the single most important line that helps drive the café and the decisions we make.
Reflections & Reactions:
From the very moment I heard my Professor’s idea to take the old unused café space and turn it into a new café, I was instantly excited and wanted in on it. I will say the entire experience was full of challenges that not only pushed me as a student, it was also very rewarding and well worth the experience. Not only did I gain valuable experience, and grow my skills, I was also able to get college credits while doing so. In order to get credits, us students had to write a brief journal each week about things we learned, insight we gained and reflect on the week.
I remember when we first got approval for the space and the café, there were some interesting discoveries we made. First, the previous operators left the café in a not so clean state and there were many things not up to code. I was honestly surprised by this and shocked with how some of these items went unnoticed and were not addressed promptly. This was good though since I learned certain things I did not know previously.
During week 5 of the experience, the café was in a transition state where we had to deep clean, repair any equipment and update the café so it was up to code and could pass health inspection. It was at this time we didn’t have Ecolab supplies, soap or any basic essentials to clean. I had to “borrow” the Clorox wipes that were in the lobby to clean the café. When I was trying to clean, all I had was cold water and hand soap. I will say it was definitely interesting and reminded me of a challenge I would get as an engineering student where I had limited supplies and had to make something work.
As time moved on, we got our Ecolab supplies, got the necessary updates and FINALLY passed the health inspection. I put such an emphasis on finally since it took us at least 3 or 4 tries to pass.
Progress Photo Gallery:
Grand Opening:
During week 10 of the experience, it was grand opening week and it went very well. It honestly exceeded my expectations of what I thought would happen. Recalling my journal from that week, I wrote the following about the opening:
“This week at Java Junction was both very busy and exciting since it was grand opening week. Prior to the grand opening, there were many steps that had to be completed. First, we had to stock all of our supplies, unpack any foods that were still in storage as well as prepping anything we needed to. After these tasks were done, focus was shifted to completing the POS system set up, setting up all the grand opening décor and getting ready for ribbon cutting. Also this week at Java Junction, I kept up with my marketing and promotional efforts for the café. The designs I created for the loyalty cards for our loyalty program were sent over to the C.R. team for approval, we are in the process of getting a social media account, branded merchandise, QR codes and flyers. (I can’t wait for these items!) Overall all the marketing efforts thus far, and work we have done has paid off tremendously. I can’t wait to keep marketing the cafe and expanding it as it reaches its full potential”.
My Role at Java Junction:
I briefly mentioned this above, however for those who aren’t as familiar with my responsibilities and things I do at college, I want to explain them a little bit more. I currently serve as President of Hospitality Club and sit on the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program Advisory board. As president I am responsible for promoting the club, leading events, assisting professors with club tasks, etc. Being in this role, tied in perfectly with the creation of Java Junction. One of my specialties is marketing and promotion. Let’s take a look at some of the marketing I have done so far for the café:
Lessons Learned:
Mission & vision statements are a must. A vision statement is what goals or what you want to achieve from your business or operation. The Mission statement on the other hand, is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, identifying the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation. These two statements go hand and hand are key elements to creating your business plan, branding and marketing.
Always listen to your guests and customers. They are the lifeline of your business and it is crucial to keep guests and have them coming back. One thing I did for Java, was any time a student or Professor made a suggestion, I made sure I wrote it down in a notebook so that way when we did a food order or sat down to discuss things about the cafe, I could do my best to make their suggestions a reality.
Conduct your research! What do I mean by this? Well, in order to understand your business model or how to operate the best, conduct a survey or collect data on your target market and competitors. Use this data to help yourself out. For our cafe, I sent out a survey to the entire college to get suggestions, input and menu suggestions. This really paid off a lot! I was able to get a lot of helpful points and suggestions that I was able to use to create the cafe.
Have fun and enjoy yourself! Starting your own business takes a lot of time and effort. You have to enjoy what you’re going to be doing and have a passion for it otherwise what’s the point? My advice to anyone starting their own business is to make sure you enjoy it, have passion and are energetic about it. As the owner, it all stems down from you. If you aren’t into it and are just a wet sock (so to speak), your staff will also be.
Don’t be afraid to be creative and innovative.
6. Take every opportunity you get! Don’t be afraid to take an opportunity just because you don’t think you’re qualified or are afraid you won’t get it! I always say go for it! What’s the worst that can happen?
In our latest review, we took a weekend trip out to PA where we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Lancaster – Mount Joy and toured The Turkey Hill Experience. In today’s second part we’ll be focusing on the restaurants we ate at during the trip. So without further ado, let’s dive into today’s reviews!
Metro Diner – Bensalem, PA
Customer Service – 5/5
From the very moment I entered to the time I left, all the staff I encountered were very pleasant and on the ball. I think if you’re working at a diner or lunchent you need to have the personality and right people skills for it.
The waitress I had definitely had superb service skills, was very friendly and attentive. If I were a local to this area, I would definitely return here. Another important part of a restaurant is its food and beverage. Speaking of that, let’s dive in!
Food & Beverage (F&B) – 5/5
Overall the menu had a lot of variety and unique items on it such as chicken and waffles with ice cream on top! I’ve seen lots of variations with chicken and waffles but this one had a very interesting spin to it. Their variation was as follows: Half a fried chicken and a Belgian waffle, topped with powdered sugar and sweet, strawberry butter. Served with our signature sweet and spicy sauce.
I honestly have never seen a plate of chicken & waffles with strawberry butter. This picture doesn’t do justice! The portions are huge but well worth every bite!
As much as I wanted to order this amazing dish, It was a little too much for me since it was early in the morning when I stopped in for breakfast. I ended up ordering a short stack of pancakes and bacon. Remember how I mentioned before how portions are very large? Well… these pancakes were so big they barely fit on the plate! When I went to put butter and syrup on one of the pancakes it was partially flooding off the plate. Definitely worth it though! I even had some leftovers I was able to enjoy later on in the day.
Today’s Pizza & Mamma Rita Italian Restaurant – Mount Joy, PA
There honestly isn’t too much to say about this restaurant being it is just like any other normal pizzeria you would go to. This review is going to be a little brief and not as in depth but nonetheless, we’ll still rate it like we normally do.
Customer Service – 5/5
The staff working the counter/restaurant were very friendly, professional and helpful. I really honestly don’t have much more to comment on since the service was excellent.
Food & Beverage (F&B) – 5/5
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the restaurant. I just googled it and saw it was just a short distance from the hotel. I’ve been to many pizza places while on vacation, most were good and some were not. I honestly have to say the pizza here was pretty good and I would definitely recommend it.
As someone who has worked in the restaurant business before making pizzas, I know the science to a good pizza. When making a pizza the two most important factors that affect your dough are time and temperature. You need to make sure the dough proofs up, but don’t over proof and you also need to make sure it is the perfect temperature. The pizza I had was excellent! The dough was not too thick and also wasn’t too thin to the point where the pizza fell apart. There was just the right amount of sauce and cheese and the pizza was cooked perfectly!
Taylor Chip Cookie Co. – Lancaster, PA
This by far was one of the best parts of the weekend gateway and well worth the stop. For those that know me personally, they know I love my cookies! I’m literally always eating cookies all the time. This stop was like a no-brainer for me.
Taylor Chip Cookie Company is a local cookie store that bakes a variety of gourmet cookies from scratch using the freshest and highest quality ingredients. (That’s their secret to a great cookie!) They currently own and operate two locations in PA and offer nationwide delivery through their website.
Customer Service – 5/5
Overall, the store had very friendly and helpful associates. Once again, I really honestly don’t have much more to comment on since the service was excellent.
Food & Beverage (F&B) – 6/5
These cookies are just too good so they break our rating scale! There are so many options for cookies to choose from including: Chocolate Chip, P.B. Fudge, M&M, Brookie and so many more! For a full list of their cookies, check out their website: https://www.taylorchip.com/.
I purchased half a dozen cookies in order to take home as many cookies as I could in order to try most of them. I purchased M&M, Chocolate chip, Brookie, Double Choco Brownie, Snickerdoodle, and Loaded P.B.
Out of all the cookies I tried, I personally liked the M&M cookie the best. But all the cookies I got were amazing. I definitely recommend trying them all.
Pro Tip: If you heat the cookies in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes. They actually will taste better if you do this, especially if you eat them the next day.
Touristician 