- McDonald’s is shutting down all of its CosMc’s locations. The doors will begin closing at the end of June. Some of the most popular drinks at the Starbucks competitor will make it onto the main menu at McDonald’s.
CosMc’s, the McDonald’s spinoff meant to compete against Starbucks, is calling it quits.
The fast-food chain has announced plans to close all five CosMc’s locations next month after less than two years in business. It’s a big turnaround for the side business that last year reportedly received more than twice as many visits as a typical McDonald’s over the same time period.
McDonald’s had planned to open 10 CosMc’s locations, but in January of this year, it closed three locations, opening two others in new locations. All locations will be closed in late June.
“What started as a belief that McDonald’s had the right to win in the fast-growing beverage space quickly came to life as a multi-location, small format, beverage-focused concept,” the company said in a statement. “It allowed us to test new, bold flavors and different technologies and processes—without impacting the existing McDonald’s experience for customers and crew. By creating a Learning Lab—in a way that only McDonald’s can—the CosMc’s team was able to test-and-learn in real customer-facing environments, which allowed for greater agility and speed.”
Some of the most popular CosMc’s drinks will make it onto the menu at standard McDonald’s. The company did not say which those would be, but the most popular offerings as of late January were the Sour Cherry Energy Burst, the Churro Cold Brew Frappe, and the Island Pick Me Up Punch.
CosMc’s revolves around a character introduced in 1987—a robot, of sorts, with a green head, a fishbowl-like body, and arms and legs. In his commercial, he tells Ronald McDonald and Grimace that he “popped in from outer space on a trade mission,” but proceeds to swap less than desirable objects for a burger and fries. He’s ultimately stopped via a giant magnet, but joins the gang for a picnic.
