McDonald's to shutter CosMc's locations after short-lived test, will add drinks to menu

Core Insights - McDonald's is closing all five of its CosMc's pilot locations after 18 months, despite initial enthusiasm and long drive-thru lines [1][4] - The company plans to incorporate insights gained from the CosMc's test into its existing restaurant menus rather than expanding the CosMc's brand [5][6] Group 1: Strategy and Insights - The main goal of the CosMc's test was to gather insights to better understand consumer preferences for customization and emerging beverage categories [2][5] - A new dedicated beverage category team will be established to scale the effort across the US based on the learnings from the pilot [7] Group 2: Market Context - The beverage market is becoming increasingly competitive, with Taco Bell launching its own drink initiative, Live Mas Café, putting pressure on McDonald's to adapt quickly [11] - CosMc's was intended to explore the growing drive-thru beverage category, which is currently dominated by competitors like Dutch Bros, Scooters, and Swig [4]