McDonald's abruptly shuts five locations and fans are confused: 'Well that was quick'
McDonald's is closing its five remaining CosMc's restaurants for good just 18 months after launching.
The fast food empire will shutter the locations next month after attempting to compete with chains like Dutch Bros. and Starbucks with the drink-focused spinoff.
Named after a retro McDonald's mascot, the fast food giant had been using CosMc's as a test for customers interested in colorful, customizable drinks and signature brews.
The chain hoped the spinoff would draw in loyal fans, but instead many did not know it even existed.
'Hard for something to be a success if nobody heard of it,' a Reddit user wrote in a post.
'It's right down the road from us....ALWAYS dead. Hardly ever more than 2 cars in line and no one in the lanes. Stupid idea, stupid locations,' a customer responded.
'Well that was quick,' another user said of the closures.
CosMc's was operating in Illinois and Texas, and was described by CEO Chris Kempczinski as a 'small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald's but its own unique personality.'
McDonald's began closing the CosMc's locations earlier this year, shutting three in January.
CosMc's restaurants were the talk of social media after the company opened its first location in December 2023. The concept was initially a success, and customers from France and the UK flew to Illinois to try one of its unique drinks.
Some of the fun menu options include a Sea Salted Carmelactic Shaken Espresso and a French Toast Galaxy Latte.
Experts from Cybersyn concluded the restaurants were off to a strong start, with each store generating about $1.6 million in sales within the first 8 months of operation.
While it's unclear how much money CosMc's has made this year, McDonald's has been on a bumpy ride regarding its finances.
The chain suffered a 3.6 percent sales dip in the first quarter of this year - the biggest drop since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, the company is looking to lure back customers through perks such as the McValue meal deal.
Although there will no longer be any CosMc's restaurants, some of its menu items will live on. Kempczinski said the chain is testing new customizable drinks inspired by the soon-defunct spinoff with some franchisees later this year.
Social media users were either unaware of the spinoff's existence or unsurprised the concept failed
CosMc's is not McDonald's only failure. The chain previously made headlines for attempting to sell a meat-free burger in America.
The burger, dubbed the McPlant, was axed in 2024 following years of unsuccessful tests in California and Texas.
Canadian McDonald's restaurants tested a McVeggie earlier this year with the potential of bringing it to the US.
The company has not revealed the results of the McVeggie run, and it has not announced plans to bring it to the US.
The chain's competitors have also run unsuccessful tests, including Chipotle's Farmesa Fresh Eatery spinoff.
the future of Taco Bell beverages.'
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