McDonald’s Is Closing Its CosMc’s Restaurants — But the Beverages Are Here to Stay
McDonald’s has announced it will permanently close all five of its CosMc’s test restaurants by the end of June 2025. However, the fast-food giant isn’t shelving the concept entirely. Instead, McDonald’s will begin testing a lineup of CosMc’s-inspired beverages at its standard U.S. locations this summer.
Originally launched in December 2023, CosMc’s was a beverage-forward, small-format concept aimed at capturing the fast-growing drink and snack market dominated by competitors like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Swig. The test included one location in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and four in Texas.
While the CosMc’s pilot is ending, McDonald’s says the program achieved its core goal: experimentation. The initiative served as a “Learning Lab”, allowing the company to test bold drink flavors, streamlined ordering technologies, and flexible menu options without disrupting its core restaurant operations.
What’s Next for CosMc’s Drinks?
Though the standalone CosMc’s stores will close, the innovative drink menu lives on. Starting this summer, select McDonald’s locations across the U.S. will begin testing CosMc’s-inspired beverages. These include unique and trendy offerings like:
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Matcha Iced Latte
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Turmeric Spiced Latte
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Frozen Sour Cherry Energy Drink
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Prickly Pear Slushy with Popping Candy
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Blackberry Mint Green Tea
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Shaken Espressos, Cold Brew, and Frappes
The company also hinted that dedicated beverage category teams are now in place to scale these innovations across more locations in the near future.
Why McDonald’s Tested CosMc’s
Afternoon sales at McDonald’s have traditionally lagged between meal times. CosMc’s was designed to target this “snack and sip” crowd, offering quick-service drinks and small bites like pretzel and hash brown bites, McPops (filled doughnut holes), and specialty sandwiches like the Creamy Avocado Tomatillo and Spicy Queso Egg Sandwich.
“This is a $100 billion category that’s growing faster than the rest of casual dining, and with superior margins,” said McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski during the initial launch. “It’s a space we believe we have the right to win.”
However, Kempczinski later noted that some of the drink recipes were too complex to efficiently integrate into standard McDonald’s kitchens, leading to the decision to scale the concept differently.
The End of CosMc’s — But Not Its Impact
The CosMc’s app will also be discontinued as part of the broader wind-down. Despite its short life, the experiment provided invaluable insights.
“We’ve learned so much, so quickly from the CosMc’s test,” McDonald said in a press release. “The insights we’ve gathered have given us a whole new way to get closer to our fans.”
Named after the nostalgic McDonaldland alien character CosMc from 1980s and ‘90s ads, the concept won’t vanish completely. Its influence will live on in a revamped McCafé experience, where fans can expect bolder, trendier, and more customizable beverages.
What Comes Next: CosMc’s-Inspired Beverages Across McDonald’s U.S. Restaurants
Although the CosMc’s stores are shutting down, McDonald is confident that the flavors and ideas developed there have a permanent place in its future.
Starting in late June 2025, a new lineup of specialty beverages will begin appearing at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide. These drinks will carry the creativity and customization that defined CosMc’s, but in a format designed to scale.
This strategic move reflects McDonald’s commitment to entering the specialty beverage space more aggressively, offering midday drink and snack options to help offset afternoon sales lulls.
“With our new dedicated category team focused on beverages, we know we can bring more delicious and innovative drinks to more fans,” the company said.
The integration of CosMc’s-style beverages into the main McDonald’s system could significantly impact the brand’s competitive positioning against coffee and drink chains such as Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Swig, and even Taco Bell’s growing Live Más Café initiative.
CosMc’s Legacy: Innovation With a Nostalgic Twist
The name CosMc itself comes from a lesser-known McDonaldland character, an alien who appeared in McDonald’s commercials between 1986 and 1992. That nostalgic branding, combined with futuristic drink options, created a buzz online and gave the project an immediate cultural hook.
While the stores were small, the impact was big. McDonald’s now has firsthand data on consumer preferences, drink preparation logistics, and the viability of beverage-led quick-service concepts.
The decision to close CosMc’s stores may seem abrupt, but in reality, it’s a classic case of test, learn, adapt—and McDonald’s is betting big on the next phase.
Conclusion
Though the CosMc’s restaurants are closing, McDonald’s is far from done with beverages. With a renewed focus on innovation and customer preferences, the brand is poised to reshape its drink offerings in 2025 and beyond.
Stay tuned — your next McDonald’s run might include more than just burgers and fries. It could feature a taste of the galaxy, straight from CosMc’s.
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McDonald’s to Shut Down CosMc’s Test Stores but Bring Beverages to Nationwide Menu
