McDonald’s Shuts Down Its Standalone Beverage Experiment
So, McDonald’s tried something new — they opened a few standalone stores called CosMc's, focused just on drinks like fancy coffee and energy drinks. This started in late 2023, and honestly, it seemed like a smart idea since coffee and specialty drinks are super popular right now, especially with younger folks. They had some cool drinks like the Churro Cold Brew Frappe and Berry Hibiscus Sour-ade, plus some light snacks like Egg McMuffins. But even with the buzz, it didn’t really catch on like they hoped. The stores didn’t get enough regular customers, and sales dropped. Plus, it turned out customizing drinks was a bit complicated for the staff and customers. So, McDonald’s decided to close all these CosMc’s locations by mid-2025.
What Happens Next?
Closing CosMc's doesn’t mean McDonald’s is quitting the beverage game. Far from it. They’re planning to take the best drinks from those stores and put them into their regular McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. They even set up a special team just for drinks now — focusing on coffees, energy drinks, and other popular beverages. This way, they can keep up with what customers want without needing separate stores. It’s kind of like learning from the experiment and using that knowledge to improve their main menu.
Why This Matters
This move shows how McDonald’s is paying attention to what people want and trying to stay ahead in a really competitive market. Coffee and energy drinks are big business, and places like Starbucks and Dutch Bros are tough competitors. Instead of trying to build new kinds of stores, McDonald’s is using their huge number of existing restaurants to offer better drink options. This helps them keep customers happy and hopefully bring in more people who love specialty drinks but want the convenience of McDonald’s.
In short, even though the standalone CosMc’s didn’t work out, McDonald’s isn’t backing down from innovation. They’re just switching gears to focus on what makes sense for them — mixing fresh ideas with the strength of their big network. It’s a smart way to keep things moving forward in the fast-changing world of food and drinks.
