Good, maybe people will drink less soda now
McDonald's is getting rid of self-serve drinks and some locations may charge for refills
Submitted 5 months ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world
Comments
Gigan@lemmy.world 5 months ago
LeroyJenkins@lemmy.world 5 months ago
but it affects innocent people who wanna drink soda for fun or protect themselves
derf82@lemmy.world 5 months ago
If that’s the goal, fine. But we know the real reason is profit. If people are getting less, they should pay less.
PiratePanPan@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
Fuck you! I need my Sprite Deluxe with 200% flavoring!
GiuseppeAndTheYeti@midwest.social 5 months ago
No kidding. No one needs 64oz of soda with their meal. McDonald’s is actually one of the few fast food places that saw an increase in customers over the last few years and they’re planning on releasing a $5 meal soon.
Alenalda@lemmy.world 5 months ago
So a happy meal with no toy.
hark@lemmy.world 5 months ago
That’s not the reason why they’re doing this, just like how eliminating the super size option wasn’t to have people eat less junk food. It’s not effective in achieving that. This is just to squeeze more profits out of people, on an item that costs them pennies.
bitwolf@lemmy.one 5 months ago
My friend worked at McD in high school. Drinks are their profit, they don’t have good margins on food and expect people to buy drinks which have the bulk of their margins.
McD is definitely struggling (good riddance)
thefrankring@lemmy.world 5 months ago
That’s a good start.
But I’m assuming people going to McD are unhealthy in the first place.
r00ty@kbin.life 5 months ago
This is pretty much how it is in most of Europe. At least generally in the UK drinks are served by the people working there and the machines are behind the counter.
I remember some years ago burger king sometimes had self serve drink machines. But cannot say I've been inside one in the UK for some time. So may no longer be the case.
The other exception is Costco which seems to work like an outstation of the USA over here. They have the self serve drink machine that is almost always out of syrup and allows refills.
Having said all that it does seem like penny pinching.
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 5 months ago
does seem like penny pinching.
Not even penny pinching. Gouging. You could steal gallons in a cleverly disguised backpack and still not even negate their profit from the 3 bucks or so you paid for a cup.
Taalen@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Here in Finland, since their return in 2013, Burger King has sought to differentiate from other chains by having self serve drinks and unlimited refills.
jonasw@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
The BKs here in germany have all these machines
Foreigner@lemmy.world 5 months ago
France banned soda refills a few years ago to combat obesity. Honestly that makes sense to me.
MaggiWuerze@feddit.de 5 months ago
Yeah, our BK has that s well. Love it because you can mix the different options. I always mix regular with Lemon Fanta (Fanta is drinkable in Europe :D)
PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 5 months ago
At least a couple years ago the burger king on the ring road around bluewater had a self serve machine. could be gone now though
r00ty@kbin.life 5 months ago
Yeah and I'm sure probably 10 or so years ago I saw it in the one in lakeside retail park.
cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 5 months ago
European: you guys have unlimited drinks at mcdonald’s?
European 2: you guys still have self-serve?
samus12345@lemmy.world 5 months ago
“Free ketchup, too??”
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 5 months ago
One of many reasons Americans are generally fat as fuck.
TseseJuer@lemmy.world 5 months ago
yea so how about spreading awareness about health issues that arise from consuming garbage instead of trying to rip on a sick society numbnuts
GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Five guys do unlimited refills, but the cup is 5 fucking quid. Similar tale in Marugame Udon.
And that’s on top of a tenner each for the burger. At least they don’t police whos cup is whos.
noobnarski@feddit.de 5 months ago
Here in Germany some McDonalds and Burger King do have self serve drink machines with unlimited drinks, but they are not that many (I would guess 10-20%). Some other fast food chains are more likely to have them, like Subway.
LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Oh just in case you don’t know a soda costs like 10-15¢
art@lemmy.world 5 months ago
10 years ago when I worked at a movie theater the paper cups ran us about 30¢ each. The soda was about 5¢.
Num10ck@lemmy.world 5 months ago
i think the ice can be the difference
Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 months ago
If they leave a dedicated water fountain I see no issues. You shouldn’t need employee assistance for freaking water.
Norgur@fedia.io 5 months ago
Never travel to Germany with that mindset.
Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 months ago
Yeah, I’ve heard getting water in restaurants is weird in several countries in Europe. Sparkling water is apparently default in some places (italy I think?).
samus12345@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I remember my mom having to order “Leitungswasser” whenever we went to a restaurant when I was a kid. And ice in drinks isn’t a thing there, either (or wasn’t then, at least).
Akasazh@feddit.nl 5 months ago
The soda serving sizes used to be so big in the USA that I always wondered how people quality managed a refill.
Aolley@lemmy.world 5 months ago
when the food has 2 days worth of sodium in it, you get thirsty. Many people don’t drink enough water so then your thirsty and have your liter-of-cola and you can down it easily at that point
3ntranced@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I’m sadly in the demographic of obscene soda consumption.
By no means am I overweight, more underweight actually, but since probably 12 ive averaged about 6 cans of Coke (Sam’s cola ftw) a day. The biggest issue is the teeth wear. I’m 25 now and I only have ~3 or 4 natural teeth, everything else is caps crowns and bridges.
Soda is realistically as damaging as meth just without the psychosis.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Here’s your supersize meal, your seven litre drink, forklifts are in the corner, you can refill over there.
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
Sodas are the reason Americans are so fat on average. Prove me wrong.
Akasazh@feddit.nl 5 months ago
I will not! Tyvm
over_clox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Oh, good. Serves them right, for limiting the ‘free WiFi’ to only browse their menu.
I can find better places to get fucked in the ass, thank you.
thezeesystem@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Why I now don’t ever go there. The one dollar drinks and the fries was something I went to for a treat every once in a while, now I just not go to any of the fast food or even restaurants
Besides in and out because I know they won’t change anything, they haven’t changed anything sense idk forever
ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I have no idea why anyone still goes to McDogsbreath (I’ll likely hear some reasons in responses to this comment, but I’ve heard them before and don’t buy them). Back in the day I rarely had positive experiences when I was dragged out there reluctantly. Plasticy food of subpar quality, and very uncomfortable, plastic furniture.
And in recent years, between the prices quadrupling, the limited menu for people who don’t like burgers, the shite Wi-Fi, and now them not even being willing to lose 10c on a relatively small % of customers who get a soda refill… Why go there at all! There are so many better fast food options than that disaster of a chain.
Carighan@lemmy.world 5 months ago
A bit surreal since they never had either here in Germany, at least in the 40 years I can actively recall. In fact they’re suspiciously trying to improve themselves here, which feels even more surreal.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 5 months ago
One of the things I haven’t seen yet is that this may push people to upsize their drinks so McD’s can charge more. If you know you can’t get a refill some may choose the larger drink.
Profit.
cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 months ago
this really only works if the business has a good relationship with the customers. we have a pizza place near us that has been around for like 50 years and they have a self serve soda machine but they also charge .25 cents for refills. it’s not much but it still helps them out and the majority of people have no problem with it.
BigTrout75@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Just like the good ole days
Dhrystone@infosec.pub 5 months ago
I wish had a dime for every time I’ve seen a homeless person walk into a McDonalds, Jack In The Box or similar, just fill up their skanky ass cup (I even saw one take a cup out of the trash can outside first) from the machine and walk out, of course without paying. Like it or not this move makes sense. I don’t mind asking an employee for a refill.
m13@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I boycott McGenocide months ago and it was surprisingly easy. There’s much better food to eat out there.
BigMacHole@lemm.ee 5 months ago
OBVIOUSLY they’re ALSO going to drop prices since they don’t have to give free refills now! THANK YOU Benevolent McJob Creators!
timmymac@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Who goes there anymore. The only reason to go in the past was the price. That’s been jacked up so fuck them.
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
That’s not surprising as it was likely to be abused on day one
Gamers_Mate@kbin.run 5 months ago
The problem with cold drinks is they cannot sell it hot enough to give 3rd degree burns so the free refills must go.
Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Never been a thing at McDonalds here in the UK.
aesthelete@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Don’t care. Self serve machines are basically covered in diarrhea anyway. Everytime I awkwardly and semi-accidentally turn something into a combo I grimace as I use the taps some kid was just wiping their snot on.
Just getting over a brief cold which could’ve easily been caused by using a self-serve tea machine at a habit burger.
MrQuallzin@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Don’t have them in my area
Cringe2793@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Wait you guys have free refills at McDonald’s?
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
I rarely get McDonald’s, but one of these ones was built near where I live a couple years ago (replacing an old one). It is always a complete ghost town inside. No one eats there. They have all the parking and all the seats. Just none of the customers.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 5 months ago
I stopped going to corporate fast food and my life got easier. If you are a hungry person like me, a couple of mental rules I set up.
If I actually want to eat out, I need to be motivated enough to go out and get it myself. (No more doordash/grubhub/uber/ anything).
If I’m willing to spend my hard earned money, I will only spend it on good, local food. No more McDs, I go to my local burger joint now. No more dominos, I go to the sticky tabled pizza joint.
If neither of those sound good, then I’m not actually hungry enough.
mister_monster@monero.town 5 months ago
I started living this way too. Honestly, fast food doesn’t even have a value proposition anymore. It’s not cheaper than some local family run taco or burger truck/shack, and significantly crappier. Also, the lady or guy handing you your food keeps the money after paying the cook and what not, if they’re not the cook themselves. I’d rather that than it go to frozen patty distributors and stock buybacks or whatever they’re up to these days.
It’s marginally cheaper than a run of the mill sit down joint.
Also soda… I don’t understand why anyone drinks that shit. I used to, then I stopped, and now when I try it it’s gross honestly. Syrup with bubbles in it. You want some, make some ginger ale, its easy and delicious. You cut up some ginger, cook it in a pot with sugar and water, let it cool, put it in a pressure bottle and pitch yeast, it’s ready in a couple of days.
I’ve never ordered door dash or any of that stuff, as soon as I heard about it o was put off by the idea.
You’ve got the right idea man. No lazy food. If it’s not worth effort you’re not actually hungry.
tyrant@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Where I am “fast food” big chain stuff is only a buck or two cheaper than the good local brewery sit down place. It’s weird.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 5 months ago
I ditched soda a few years back and I’m glad I did. I had really bad headaches but after cutting soda they have more or less gone away.
I drink la Croix and sparkling water. People make fun of it for no flavor, but I say back to them no, your taste buds are shot because you drink fizzy syrup so anything less than pure sugar tastes like nothing
MrVilliam@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Now that fast food is no longer cheaper than a sit-down restaurant, it just means that fast food has no use case anymore. You’re better off picking up a grab&go type thing from the grocery store. Fast food used to be cheaper, more consistent, and faster, but with the concession that the quality wasn’t great. Now it’s expensive, it completely sucks in unpredictable ways, and it isn’t actually that fast. It’s like the industry only exists for people who are on a road trip and also want to punish themselves for some reason.
Jaysyn@kbin.social 5 months ago
If you're not traveling, $7 at my local Publix's deli can buy you some decent sushi or a fish & vegetable entree w/ either salmon or talapia that cooks in 17-18 minutes.
Num10ck@lemmy.world 5 months ago
stoners and idiots will keep them afloat for decades.
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
I’m super disappointed also in what these burger chains offer. All of them have small shitty burgers full of sugar.
Started making my own burgers. It takes 10 minutes! Mix meat and a bit of salt and pepper and make the pieces really thin. Fry in pan. It’s delicious.
jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 5 months ago
Don’t make them thin, at least 1cm or even 2, then it’ juicy and delicious and don’t overcook them. If you can get safe meat (grind it yourself) then go with medium raw, it makes the burger absolutely stunning!
BmeBenji@lemm.ee 5 months ago
My life has definitely gotten better since I started doing this. Local restaurants are almost universally better anyways
paige@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
I did the same thing when the pandemic was over, although I’m never really sure where to go in my neighborhood so in effect I hardly ever eat out
LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 months ago
I have like, five resturaunts in my list.
jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 5 months ago
Somehow this is a really good idea. I’m delegating “Coupang Eats” from my phone, it’s too easy yo use.