Coalition of Franchisee Associations

May 23, 2025

CosMc's Failure to Launch

McDonald's is closing its concept CosMc’s restaurants.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

No surprise here.

Anonymous said...

Open another brand take the "Mc" out of it just confuses customers; just curious what did they learn?

Anonymous said...

They learned their big beverage focus is not a money-making proposition. Highly educated people not knowing a damn thing about restaurants and operations. Hence our trending results. Now they will want to bring parts of this failure into the McDonald's operations and cause additional decline in cash flow. Beware it is coming.

Richard Adams said...

The names change, but the obsession with upscale drinks continues at McDonald's headquarters. It started when Starbucks was the darling of Wall Street, and all Wall Street analysts had to walk around their office with a Starbucks cup in hand.
Keep in mind that every CEO and EVP at McDonald's desperately wants to be a restaurateur, but they lack the necessary skill set and experience. Developing a line of fancy drinks should be easy. Right?
.

Richard Adams said...

Having said that, McDonald's really needs a full line of drinks (as long as they doen't slow service). With the best drive-thru in the business, drinks are important and a real opportunity..
My drink of choice is an unsweet ice tea. When I'm out driving around I always stop in for the largest size avalible. And yes, I usually intend to just get the drink but a small sandwich or fry sneaks into my bag,
But don't expect me to sit in a long line for my ice tea.
.

Anonymous said...

Being in the business of selling and expensive customized line of drinks is not easy, and increased wait times substantially. Dutch Bros had 20 min waits for a single drink, but their customers are trained for that. Starbucks turned into that, and worse and look how long it, an expert in the field, is taking to turn it around. Selling those drinks might be profitable, but not if you have spend the $$$ that Starbucks does to get back to it (and it already has the equipment), and not if it adds 20 minutes to the time that it takes to buy a Big Mac and fries. Let's not forget that the MCD money and brand value is in the burgers and fries and fountain beverages. That is what customers want from McDonalds and always will. Chris K and the suits see that as a problem when it really is a huge asset that competitors would kill for.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone think the SLT gives a damn about productivity and or the effects their plan has had on us being a Quick Service Restaurant. The answer is no!!!
Fresh Beef cooked as ordered started this mess, while telling us to believe the customers don't mind being parked. Maximum run sizes for cooking and holding times getting cut in half or more. No productivity. In fact, when the Owner Operators suggested holding the quarters at the grill...Idea was shot down. All this taking place after our British CEO, while chasing employees and many others made a commitment in reducing hours by 20%. This was part of the financials of BBV2020, yet our leadership has not pushed for recovery of these lost commitments. Such underhanded empty promises of the SLT.

Anonymous said...

The suits love being big execs at a public traded company, they just hate that it is McDOnalds. They sooooo want to be bigwigs at a lefty-cool company like Starbucks. But they can't, so they have to turn McDonalds INTO Starbucks at all costs (to operators, not to themselves). Of course, it will hurt shareholders but not until after they have golden parachuted out. They will keep shareholders and Wall Street quiet until then with the obsessions with Dutch Bros and Starbucks drinks while they plot their exit$

Richard Adams said...

The stupidest phrase ever uttered in McDonald's press coverage was used twice.
* Once, after the national rollout of "Made for You".
* Again, during the introduction of fresh quarter meat.

Both times, the corporate spokesperson said: "Our guests don't mind waiting a little longer if they know the product is being made especially for them."

Another corporate person who's never worked in a restaurant, or in retail.

Where are these customers who don't mind waiting? I've never met one.
.

Anonymous said...

Perfectly stated. Wonder why the customers keep leaving? Because we have lost our speed...The Big Wigs will tell you the OEPE is better......Serving off orders is not faster it is a mess on accuracy. Sad stories all over again and again.