In this article, McDonald’s will close three locations of its drinks-focused spinoff brand, CosMc’s. The fast-food giant introduced its first CosMc’s location over a year ago in Bolingbrook, a Chicago suburb, and later expanded to six more in Texas. McDonald’s has transformed larger namesake restaurants into CosMc’s and built smaller prototype locations.
According to the company, the smaller stores have performed better in testing. Consequently, McDonald’s will shut down three larger CosMc’s locations and open two additional small restaurants in Texas. The specific locations for these changes were not disclosed, although the CosMc’s website mentions an upcoming store in Allen, Texas.
On Thursday, McDonald’s shared early insights from the pilot program. The top-selling food item is the savory hash browns, followed by McPops, the chain’s mini filled doughnuts. Popular drinks include the Island Pick-Me-Up Punch, Churro Cold Brew Frappe, and the Sour Energy Burst.
The CosMc’s trial will continue for the “foreseeable future,” as stated by the company. McDonald’s introduced CosMc’s to tap into the growing “afternoon beverage pick-me-up occasion.” The menu features both McDonald’s classics and new items inspired by beverage and snacking trends, like iced turmeric spiced lattes, tropical spiceade, and pretzel bites.
The brand name, CosMc’s, is derived from CosMc, a McDonaldland character from 1980s and 1990s advertisements. CosMc is an alien who loves McDonald’s food. While McDonald’s long-term plans for CosMc’s remain unclear, it represents a small portion of the company’s vast U.S. presence, which includes over 13,500 restaurants. McDonald’s aims to gain insights into its CosMc’s customers and introduced a loyalty program tailored to CosMc’s last year.
