The West Allis Cousins is debuting a new menu item: Milkshakes

Cousins is experimenting with serving milkshakes, and it's all part of the restaurant's makeover in West Allis.

With milkshakes on the menu and a drive-through, customers might have to double check that they are indeed at the West Allis Cousins Subs.

The new Cousins that opened at 65th Street and Greenfield Avenue succeeds the Cousins that was in a nearby strip mall. Opening in its own new building June 24 has meant that the new Cousins can offer new things, like the drive-through. And customers are taking to it, said Justin McCoy, Cousins vice president for marketing.

Already, 30 percent of its business happens at the West Allis Cousins' drive-through window, he said. There are already drive-throughs at Cousins Subs in Hales Corners, Brookfield and Waukesha where customers know that ordering is done the same way as standing in the restaurant.

However, the new West Allis Cousins has something those communities don't have. That's milkshakes.

Test marketing

"West Allis is the third one in greater Milwaukee where we are testing shakes using only Wisconsin dairy products," McCoy said. Customers also can get floats, with a scoop of ice cream with root beer or any flavor of soda they want, he said.

It has only been a little over a month and already 15 percent of customers order the chocolate or vanilla shakes or a float, McCoy said.

"The response has been very strong," he said. "There has been a steady increase."

The shakes were introduced about a year ago at the Glendale Cousins and just a few months ago in Menomonee Falls, he said.

New look

The new building also enables the West Allis Cousins to sport the sleek new Cousins look as well as offer patio seating that it could not in the strip mall.

The new look, both inside and out, features wood and earth tones for a warm feel. The open and bright interior design is meant to satisfy long-time customers and attract millennial and X-gen young families, McCoy said.

The decor also tells the Cousins' story, he said. It was founded in Milwaukee in 1972 and bakes its bread and cuts vegetables for its sandwiches daily and grills to order, he said. Customers also can glance up to discover information on the Cousins Make it Better Foundation, a way Cousins gives back to the community, McCoy said.

Finally, although WiFi isn't new to Cousins, more people than ever can be seen working away at their laptops at the West Allis Cousins as if they were sitting in a Starbucks, he said.

Although the new Cousins Subs is more of a neighbor of the downtown, Dianne Eineichner, executive director off Downtown West Allis, applauded the new restaurant: "We are happy to see that Cousin's was able to expand to their own storefront and grow the business to have a drive-through and a modern look. We look forward to working with them on future projects here in the downtown."