McDonald’s spinoff CosMc’s is shuttering its five locations.
The fast-food giant said Friday that the five stand-alone CosMc’s locations it operates will shut their doors starting in late June as part of the "next testing phase."
"Building on the insights gained from the pilot standalone locations, CosMc’s-inspired flavors will be landing at McDonald’s as part of the upcoming US beverage test," McDonald’s also said.
Customers place their orders at CosMc's, a concept restaurant recently launched by McDonald’s on Dec. 11, 2023, in Bolingbrook, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
The announcement of the upcoming CosMc’s closures comes nearly a year-and-a-half after McDonald’s first debuted the beverage-focused spinoff with its initial location in the suburbs of Chicago and subsequently opened a handful of others in Texas.
"The main goal of the CosMc’s test was to create a launchpad for learning for the McDonald’s System – and the insights we’ve gathered have given us a whole new way to get closer to our fans," McDonald’s said.
CosMc’s allowed McDonald’s to "test new, bold flavors and different technologies and processes – without impacting the existing McDonald’s experience for customers and crew," according to the company.
An aerial view shows a CosMc's restaurant, a concept recently launched by McDonald’s on Dec.11, 2023, in Bolingbrook, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
The spinoff, which largely focused on customizable beverages, will stop operating its loyalty program, mobile app and online ordering on June 23 as part of the planned closures, according to a notice on the CosMc’s website.
McDonald’s had previously indicated it would include some CosMc’s-inspired drinks in an upcoming beverage test it plans to conduct in the U.S.
In early May, CEO Chris Kempczinski said the fast-food giant would embark on a "beverage test in the U.S. in some of our existing McDonald’s restaurants that will incorporate new menu items inspired by CosMc’s."
The McDonald's logo is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on Jul. 22, 2024 in Burbank, California. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
That beverage test is slated to take place "later this year in partnership with our franchisees," with the McDonald’s CEO saying the company would "share more details on this in the morning months, as we continue to test, learn, and position ourselves for growth in this space."
There were over 13,500 McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. as of the end of March. Of those, roughly 95% were run by franchisees.