McDonald’s flashy experiment with CosMc’s—a drink-focused spinoff aimed at the TikTok crowd—has fizzled faster than a flat Sprite, as the fast-food giant announced it’s shutting down three of its six Texas locations after just one year. But don’t worry, folks—it’s not all bad news. Or so they say.
Launched on December 7, 2023, CosMc’s offered “fun drinks” and “signature brews,” trying to marry nostalgia with a sugar rush. Despite initial buzz and lines so long that police had to play traffic controllers, the concept seems to have hit a cosmic speed bump.
McDonald’s insists this isn’t a failure, but rather a “learning opportunity.” In a chipper press release, they explained, “The smaller format stores allow us to test new, unique circumstances reflective of our customer base.” Translation: the big ones didn’t work, so we’re downsizing and hoping no one notices.
Two new locations are planned for Texas in 2025, though no one’s saying where yet—or what will happen to the abandoned CosMc’s. Maybe the next space mission will come scoop them up?
CosMc’s, named after a forgotten alien mascot from the ’80s McDonaldland days, leaned hard into retro vibes with its neon purple exteriors and celestial-themed aprons. The menu featured concoctions like Sea Salted Caramelactic Shaken Espresso and Sprite Moonsplash, beverages that sound like they came out of a sci-fi fever dream. Social media loved it, briefly, but enthusiasm waned once people realized they were essentially paying premium prices for space-themed coffee.
Retail analyst Neil Saunders summed up the concept as “wacky and colorful,” targeting the TikTok generation. And sure, for a hot second, it worked. When CosMc’s first opened, fans reportedly flew in from France and the UK just to try the drinks. Imagine traveling thousands of miles for a Sour Tango Lemonade. That level of dedication is something, even if it’s misguided.
But even with the hype, it turns out you can’t run a business on nostalgia and Instagram posts alone. While McDonald’s promises new, smaller locations and ongoing “testing” of the concept, the closure of three original CosMc’s feels less like a pivot and more like damage control.
For now, the alien mascot CosMc will have to take his retro charm and “trade missions” back to the drawing board—or maybe just another galaxy.