McDonald’s closes 3 CosMc’s locations a year after opening, but promises more to arrive

McDonald’s is closing some of its newly-opened CosMc’s spinoff locations just a year after launching its first, the business announced.

In a press statement released on Thursday, McDonald’s said it will close three of its seven total locations opened since December of 2023. However, this isn’t necessarily a sign the tiny-format side quest is going under, as two recent locations will be built in their sted.

Some CosMc’s stores were built from the ground up to be just that, while a few other locations were actually larger, former McDonald’s locations being repurposed for the experiment. According to the business, the concept works much better in the smaller spaces originally built to accommodate the more limited beverage-and-snack lineup.

“Since opening CosMc’s, we have had the advantage of testing out different location sizes and setups – from revamping larger restaurant spaces to building smaller prototype locations that focus more on the drive-thru and digital encounter,” McDonald’s said in the statement. “We learned that the smaller format stores allow us to test recent, distinctive circumstances that are reflective of our customer base.”

Here’s what we recognize about the closing locations and the upcoming of CosMc’s.

What is CosMc’s?

CosMc’s is a recent spinoff restaurant concept from McDonald’s. McDonald’s CEO and president Christopher Kempczinski  described it as “a tiny format concept with all the DNA of McDonald’s but its own distinctive personality.”

The theme leans into the space-based, futurism-of-the-history aesthetic associated with a mascot named CosMc, who appeared in ads in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

The menu features teas and lemonades, coffees, slushies, frappes and signature fruit vigor-style drinks called “Galactic Boosts.” Some highlights include a Turmeric Spiced Latte, S’mores Cold Brew, Churro Frappe and Sour Cherry vigor Burst.

The food menu is a little more limited but equally distinctive, featuring a Spicy Queso Sandwich, a Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich, Pretzel Bites, Savory Hash Brown Bites, a snack box and stuffed pastry bites called McPops. There are also cookies, sundaes, McFlurries, ice cream and three traditional McMuffin options.

In its first month of operation, the Bolingbrook, Illinois location reported that CosMc’s doubled the number of total visits and tripled the number of visitors per square foot compared to an average McDonald’s.

How many CosMc’s are currently open?

Since Dec. 7, 2023, CosMc’s opened one location in Illinois and six in Texas. The inaugural location is in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and the rest are spread across the Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and San Antonio areas of Texas.

Which CosMc’s locations are closing?

CosMc’s did not explicitly disclose which locations were set to close and did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Comparing the CosMc’s “locations” page from previous weeks to now, however, shows that the following stores were removed from the “locations” list:

• 7304 Denton Hwy, Watauga, TX
• 300 East Abram St Ste 150, Arlington, TX

Another Texas location: 861 W Stacy Road in Allen, is still listed as “coming soon.”

When and where will the recent CosMc’s locations open?

McDonald’s has yet to release the exact location and opening information. The business said it will open two recent smaller format stores in Texas in 2025.

CosMc’s recap: favorite customer products so far

After a year of operations, CosMc’s has been able to suss out their most popular and best-selling items. According to the statement, these include:

Favorite drinks:

• Island Pick Me Up Punch
• Churro Cold Brew Frappe
• Sour vigor Burst

Favorite bites:

• Savory Hashbrown Bites
• McPops