McDonald’s is still trying with its beverage-first concept, CosMc’s

Can the drinks-focused concept revive store growth in the US? Probably not.

1/13/25 9:59AM

No doubt you remember where you were on December 7, 2023, the day McDonald’s introduced its beverage-first, mostly Texas-based spin-off chain, CosMc’s. But now, just over a year on, the fast-food icon is revising the restaurant concept slightly, shutting down three of its biggest locations and opening two smaller ones.

While the chain has been almost exclusively confined to the Lone Star State in the trial phase (the first store opened in a Chicago suburb; the subsequent six have all been set up in Texas), McDonald’s execs are clearly keen to continue their “journey through the beverage galaxy” in search of profit pools.

No more towns left to conquer

Though it may not feel like it, Mickey D’s closing stores in America has become a lot more common, with the 85-year-old chain’s restaurant tally stalling in recent years.

After growing relentlessly for decades, the number of stores with the golden arches above their doorway fell for the first time in 2015. Over the next six years, McDonald’s would go on to shed 912 net restaurants in the US, including 244 in 2021 alone, after the company reportedly looked to close struggling stores to boost its average sales figures.

Clearly, if you’re a McDonald’s executive tasked with finding new ways to grow the company’s footprint, you have a tough gig — especially on your home turf in the US. Does the answer to reinvigorating store growth lie in one of CosMc’s best-selling drinks, like the “Island Pick-Me-Up Punch” or “Sour Cherry Energy Burst”? Considering that the CosMc’s experiment has been going for just a year and it’s already getting downsized… maybe not.

Perhaps it’s just time to bring back the PlayPlaces!

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JetBlue is raising its bag fees as fuel costs squeeze airlines

JetBlue will reportedly hike its bag fees, as the cost of jet fuel continues to climb amid the war in Iran. It’s the latest example of carriers finding ways to push rising costs onto travelers.

Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that if fuel prices remain elevated, fares would need to rise another 20% for his airline to break even this year.

As CNBC reported, when one airline raises fees, others tend to follow.

Earlier this month, JetBlue hiked its first-quarter outlook for operating revenue per seat mile to between 5% and 7%, saying that strong Q1 demand helped “partially offset additional expenses realized from operational disruptions and rising fuel costs.” Now, the carrier appears to be making moves to further boost revenue to offset those costs.

Earlier on Monday, JetBlue rival Alaska Air lowered its Q1 profit forecast. The refining margins for the carrier’s cheapest fuel option — sourced from Singapore and representing about 20% of Alaska’s overall supply — have spiked 400% since February.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.