There’s never a dull moment for McDonald’s fans. From debuting the first new menu addition since 2021 to extending summer hours late into the night, McDonald’s loves to keep its fans on their toes. But not all news is good news. McDonald’s latest announcement isn’t one that will make you want to jump for joy. In fact, for some McDonald’s fans, the end of an era is upon us.

Keep reading to find out why McDonald’s major announcement is disappointing, to say the least, and the silver lining that might help soften the blow.

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What announcement did McDonald’s make?

Arm from drive thru hands a CosMc's red drink to an arm reaching from a carThe Washington Post/Getty Images

Last week, McDonald’s made the shocking announcement that CosMc’s, the restaurant chain’s spinoff, will be closing its doors for good after just two years. The chain, named after an obscure alien McDonald’s character, opened in 2023 with a focus on specialty drinks. CosMc’s was developed in response to popular beverage chains, like the increasingly popular Dutch Bros., among others.

The menu included unique and customizable drinks of the sweet variety, along with some snacks, and the goal was to draw customers in to help combat the unavoidable afternoon slump. Unfortunately, not as many people wanted personalized sweet drinks in the afternoon as McDonald’s initially thought.

Will all the CosMc’s be closing?

Yes, sadly, all the CosMc’s restaurants will be closing. There are currently five CosMc’s locations sprinkled across Bolingbrook, Illinois; Forth Worth, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Allen, Texas. The existing locations are considered pilot stores, which is why there were only a handful of them in select cities, as opposed to nationwide, like traditional McDonald’s stores.

When will the CosMc’s close?

There’s no exact date for when the five CosMc’s stores will close, but we can expect to see the locations close their doors for good in June. “As part of this next testing phase, starting in late June, we will be closing all stand-alone pilot CosMc’s locations on a rolling basis and discontinuing the CosMc’s app,” McDonald’s said in a recent statement.

What’s the silver lining?

Even though CosMc’s is soon to be no more, your favorite menu items may be sticking around—here’s hoping the Sour Tango Lemonade and Blueberry Ginger Boost make the cut!

“Building on the insights gained from the pilot stand-alone locations, CosMc’s-inspired flavors will be landing at McDonald’s as part of the upcoming U.S. beverage test, seamlessly blending out-of-this-world tastes into the McDonald’s experience,” said McDonald’s.

More will be revealed about the future of the most beloved CosMc’s beverages. But for now, you’ll want to make sure to head to CosMc’s while you still can, because they won’t be around much longer.

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Source:

  • McDonald’s: “The Next Horizon: CosMc’s-Inspired Beverages Will Be Landing at Hundreds of McDonald’s in the U.S. As Part of Upcoming Beverage Test”
Bowls, containing colorful sauces, are arranged on a light countertop.via mcdonalds.com

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