McDonald's national and international presence attests to its global superpower in the fast-food sector. The brand has more than 1,500 stores in France alone and more than 14,000 in its native United States. Despite this power, the company doesn't always come up with good ideas. This subsidiary, which flopped only a year and a half after its first opening, is a testament to this.
You may have never heard of CosMc's, and you won't see the name in France anytime soon. It's a restaurant concept promoted by McDonald's specializing in beverages. By offering sodas, iced teas and coffees, and other hot treats that can be sipped, the brand hoped to compete with the giant Starbucks. A few sandwiches, cakes, and snacks are also on the menu, but this clearly wasn't enough to convince consumers.
A commercial failure for McDonald's
Indeed, after announcing a project in the summer of 2023, and the ambition to open around ten restaurants in a year, the opposite phenomenon is occurring. McDonald's has announced the closure of several large stores. While some have been replaced by smaller – and therefore less expensive – premises, others have simply been closed. Of the 5 restaurants still present, there will soon be none left, since they too will close in the coming weeks.
In an official communication, the firm explains: “As part of the next test phase, which will begin at the end of June, we will gradually close all CosMc’s standalone pilot sites and will stop using the CosMc’s app.”
Too bad, the concept didn’t have time to cross the Atlantic to land in Europe. Instead, France is increasingly welcoming other brands, such as Popeye, which is making a name for itself in the fried chicken sector. The French also seem to be crazy about donuts, these American pastries that are now sold under several banners, including Krispy Kreme and, more recently, Dunkin’ Donuts. These last two really overshadow Starbucks, which proudly established itself in the country in 2004.
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