McDonald's Is Discontinuing These Menu Items—but It's Not All Bad

McDonald's just announced a big change that'll impact several of its store locations.
The news follows insights shared earlier this year by McDonald's CEO about plans to introduce CosMc's-inspired beverages to its menus.In 2023, McDonald's debuted a new spin-off restaurant focused on specialty beverages in Illinois. Although customers reported hours-long wait times, bribes, and what seemed like an endless line of cars, that didn't dampen the mood—fans were overall very excited to be at the world's very first CosMc's.
Named after a long-forgotten mascot from McDonaldland, CosMc's opening signaled a new turn for the Golden Arches. With a vibrant menu that featured several first-of-their-kind drinks, like the Churro Cold Brew Frappé, CosMc's debut solidified McDonald's position as a worthwhile competitor to beverage giants like Starbucks and Dunkin'.
But now, that's all about to change. McDonald's has announced it will be closing all five of its CosMc's locations—but there is a silver lining to all this.
According to a statement by McDonald's, CosMc's locations will start closing on a rolling basis beginning late June, and it will also discontinue service on the CosMc's app.
With an extensive beverage menu that ranges from iced tea to coffee, lemonade, smoothies, and frappés, CosMc's offerings are bold, eclectic, and, to no surprise, quickly became fan favorites. If you aren't able to try any of its innovative drinks like the Popping Pear Slush, a prickly pear-flavored slushie topped with popping candy, before it closes, there is some good news.
Although CosMc's stores are closing, McDonald's said that the concept behind CosMc's was as a "launchpad for learning" that was developed to "test new, bold flavors" and explore McDonald's potential in the specialty beverages sector.
"Building on the insights gained from the pilot standalone locations," the announcement reads. "CosMc's-inspired flavors will be landing at McDonald's as part of the upcoming US beverage test, seamlessly blending out of this world tastes into the McDonald's experience."
The news confirms what McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski had revealed during the fast food giant's 2025 Q1 Earnings Call earlier this year, when Kempczinski briefly mentioned that McDonald's will be expanding its beverage menu.
It's hard to tell whether McDonald's will roll out CosMc's beverages one-to-one in its stores, but the announcement signals a new beginning for the Golden Arches. Here's hoping we'll soon be able to grab otherworldly sips like the Iced French Toast Galaxy Latte alongside the new McCrispy Strips, all from one place.
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McDonald's to suffer massive boycott from customers

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Yahoo

14 hours ago

• Yahoo

McDonald's Changes That Completely Fell Flat With Customers

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The launch occurred during a severe famine in Africa that affected some 12 million people. Humanitarian groups quickly condemned the campaign as tone-deaf and insensitive. Following the backlash, a McDonald's spokesperson acknowledged the appearance of insensitivity, but the chain did not immediately remove the McAfrika from its Norway menus. While McDonald's officials welcomed famine-aid organizations to place donation boxes and fundraising appeals in its Norwegian restaurants, this wasn't enough to stop the criticism. To this day, the ill-timed McAfrika launch is considered among the biggest mistakes ever committed by the fast food chain. Unbelievably, the controversy resurfaced in 2008 when McDonald's Australia attempted to a launch the similarly named McAfrica burger as part of a limited-time promotion connected with that year's Olympic Games. 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As pressure mounted from the controversy, McDonald's faced a public relations dilemma. By the early 1990s, the McD.L.T. was canceled. Over the following years, McDonald's joined other fast food chains in the eco-friendly trend to serve menu items in durable paper containers instead of polystyrene packaging. The rise and fall of this McDonald's burger became an emblem of the turning point in how fast food companies approach environmental responsibility; today an original McD.L.T. container is exhibited in the National Museum of American History. A few fans still praise this sandwich — "It really was probably the best burger McDonald's has ever had," wrote one commenter on Reddit — while acknowledging that it had to go for the sake of the planet. Although McDonald's has experimented with diverse food items, one handheld meal that never gained traction was the McHotDog. Originally sold at select locations in the U.S. in 1995, it was introduced despite strong objections from the chain's founder, who died more than a decade before the launch. Ray Kroc didn't think McDonald's should sell hot dogs, because he believed that the sausages' mystery-meat reputation is not compatible with the chain's quality standards. Kroc even made this clear in his autobiography, "Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's." Despite Kroc's overt misgivings about dishing out frankfurters beneath the golden arches, McDonald's corporate management gave the McHotDog a shot — and it quickly became one of the biggest flops in McDonald's history. But while the chain's U.S. customers clearly didn't want this product, McDonald's hot dogs continually made sporadic appearances over the years at international locations, reportedly surfacing in Germany and on the restaurant's breakfast menu in Japan. Nonetheless, McDonald's never successfully established hot dogs as a permanent menu item. For most customers, the McHotDog remains a forgotten oddity, probably proving that Kroc was right all along. McDonald's has dabbled in varied seafood offerings, and one of its most curious was the McLobster. First introduced in 1993 and reportedly limited to markets in New England and eastern Canada, the McLobster was a sandwich similar to a lobster roll, made with Atlantic lobster meat, lettuce, and a light sauce, all served in a long bun. The McLobster had its fans, and for quite a few years it occasionally appeared as a seasonal item on McDonald's menus in states like Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, as well as Canada's Atlantic-coast provinces. However, the sandwich never went national. This is likely due to the price of lobster varying considerably depending on the season and region, making it a difficult food to order regularly for a fast food chain known for uniformity. In 2017, McDonald's Canadian management specifically cited price concerns as the reason why the McLobster would not be offered at any restaurants that year, leaving aficionados of the sandwich high and dry. For years, McDonald's deep-fried apple pies were a customer favorite. With their golden-brown, crispy crust and sweet filling, they were a staple dessert of the chain from the 1960s through the early 1990s. But in 1992, McDonald's made a controversial change: At most U.S. locations, employees started baking apple pies instead of frying them. This new cooking technique was meant as part of an effort to provide healthier menu items, but sweet-toothed diners were not pleased. Fans of the original pies lamented the loss of the crispy texture and piping-hot filling of the deep-fried apple pies. Luckily for them, some McDonald's locations continue to sell the fried versions, such as a historic McDonald's in Downey, California, as well as the chain's restaurants in Hawaii. Although McDonald's has tweaked the recipe of its baked apple pies over the years — switching to a lattice crust and adjusting the filling ingredients — critics argue that the newer version never measured up to the deep-fried pies. In 1991, McDonald's debuted the McLean Deluxe, a low-fat hamburger aimed at health-conscious consumers. Billed as a 91% fat-free alternative to standard burgers, the McLean Deluxe featured a patty made with lean beef that was blended with carrageenan — a seaweed-derived thickener — to retain moisture and texture. Initially, the McLean Deluxe seemed poised for success. McDonald's spent a fortune (reportedly at least $50 million) developing and marketing the new item, positioning it as a health-boosting revolution in fast food. But almost immediately, the McLean Deluxe ran into trouble. Customers complained that the burger lacked flavor, and couldn't sufficiently satisfy their hunger. Other diners were less than enthusiastic about consuming seaweed in their fast food. People stopped buying the McDonald's McLean Deluxe, and by 1996, it was quietly removed from McDonald's menus. Though the chain attempted to lead a charge into the realm of healthy fast food, this failure showed that flavor can't be sacrificed beneath the golden arches — even in the name of nutrition. There was a time when McDonald's french fries were arguably the best in the fast food business — but many say that McDonald's fries don't taste as good as they used to before 1990. That year, the company made a major behind-the-scenes shift in its use of cooking oil, ditching beef tallow and switching to vegetable oil. Nutritionally, the change seemed like a good idea. Beef tallow is high in saturated fats, while vegetable oil primarily contains unsaturated fat, making it a seemingly heart-healthier option. However, many customers felt betrayed when they noticed the change in flavor. The new fries lost savory depth, and yearnings for the original version quickly took root. In fact, restaurants where you can still order beef tallow fries remain in demand today. McDonald's did try to recapture the previous taste by adding beef flavoring to the oil blend, but critics still argue that the former fries were better. Yes, McDonald's really tried selling pizza, but there's a good reason why many people aren't aware of that. The largely untold truth of McDonald's pizza began in the mid-1980s, as part of an ambitious attempt to diversify the chain's menu. By the early 1990s, McPizza had expanded to hundreds of test locations. However, it wasn't long before the idea started to unravel. The process of making a McPizza took significantly more time than preparing burgers or fries, which slowed down operations in the chain's famously fast-paced kitchens. Many franchisees found the required ovens inconvenient to install. Extensive marketing efforts didn't help. The taste of McPizza is fondly recalled by some folks, but it never stood out in a crowded market among huge names like Pizza Hut and Domino's. By the early 2000s, McDonald's had pulled McPizza from most locations. People now remember McPizza as either a quirky novelty or a misguided experiment. The failed launch provides proof that although McDonald's is a colossal brand, not every type of food belongs under the golden arches. Read the original article on Mashed.

USA Today

a day ago

• USA Today

What's next for Bahama Breeze? Owners say big change is coming.

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