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McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

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Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#41

Post by schlauerfox »

paleotrope wrote: post #26

Funny how self serve soda machines have really taken off in the last 5 years or so in most of the newer franchise operations. I can't help but think they (McDs) are struggling to hire people to keep those stations orderly and frankly the last few times I went into a mcds those stations are all disgusting and disordered. I would add that all the mcds I've been in recently are actively hostile to the dine in experience…

I'm glad it's unappealing because it's a deathtrap for health, but growing up it was a friendly place for kids with the clown and cartoons, even some animatronics and interactive electronics here in los angeles, later the playplaces, now in their struggle to fight starbucks of all things they look like tombs, mausoleums of their fun past. Good riddance I guess? Can't deny they're consistent and everywhere and addictive.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#42

Post by OfSanguineFire »

paleotrope wrote: post #26

Funny how self serve soda machines have really taken off in the last 5 years or so in most of the newer franchise operations. I can't help but think they (McDs) are struggling to hire people to keep those stations orderly and frankly the last few times I went into a mcds those stations are all disgusting and disordered. I would add that all the mcds I've been in recently are actively hostile to the dine in experience…

The dirtiness of fast-food restaurants is something that shocks me every time I go to the US. Things like sticky, rubbish-strewn floors even behind the counter that, as a food-preparation area, especially ought to be kept clean. The staff themselves are often slovenly and morbidly obese.

McDonalds on other continents are noticeably cleaner, and considering that McDonalds has standardized the entire process and technology of operating their restaurants, what is the reason for this discrepancy? Surely it cannot be blamed on the recent staff shortages, as I have noticed this phenomenon since the late 1990s.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#43

Post by [deleted] »

OfSanguineFire wrote: post #42
paleotrope wrote: post #26

Funny how self serve soda machines have really taken off in the last 5 years or so in most of the newer franchise operations. I can't help but think they (McDs) are struggling to hire people to keep those stations orderly and frankly the last few times I went into a mcds those stations are all disgusting and disordered. I would add that all the mcds I've been in recently are actively hostile to the dine in experience…

The dirtiness of fast-food restaurants is something that shocks me every time I go to the US. Things like sticky, rubbish-strewn floors even behind the counter that, as a food-preparation area, especially ought to be kept clean. The staff themselves are often slovenly and morbidly obese. McDonalds on other continents are noticeably cleaner, and considering that McDonalds has standardized the entire process and techno…

[deleted]

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#44

Post by boomboomsubban »

qbrass wrote: post #37
boomboomsubban wrote: post #13

I wonder what the primary reasoning is. They mention health concerns, theft, and delivery orders but all three seem like fairly weak reasons to justify the increase in labor and the cost of a new cup each time. Also, I don't think I've been in a McDonald's since they've started offering self serve soda. For some reason, when I stopped being interested in the playroom, I completely stopped going inside, even though I…

They automated drink filling behind the counter so they don't need your free labor any longer.

As I mentioned, I haven't been in a McDonald's in years, don't they still need someone to initiate the refill and hand you the drink?

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#45

Post by randomdata »

blhack wrote: post #29
w-ll wrote: post #5

Didn't Dean Kamen invent those to get funding to make water purifiers.

You're talking about the "coke freestyle" machines. Yes that story is true for those machines, but McDonalds doesn't use them. (Burger king does)

McDonalds did have them for a few years. Allegedly they went back to the tried and true because the maintenance costs were too high.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#46

Post by qingcharles »

tshaddox wrote: post #35
judge2020 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is mostly due to understaffed (cough underpaid staff at) locations needing to help in the kitchen so often that having a cashier only increases frustration for customers that are waiting in line and don’t see it moving. Easier to place a sign saying “order at kiosk” to make sure the kitchen has enough staff to keep up.

I haven't experienced it at a McDonald's, but twice in the last 2 years I've attempted to walk into big chain fast food restaurants during normal business hours only to find the doors locked, even though I can see workers inside and the drive-through window is open. I suspected this is because they're understaffed and/or swamped with orders and can't be bothered to also open the dining area. One such time was at a Ta…

In Chicago this happens regularly for the reason you've stated, and also because there are so many fights inside McDonald's restaurants in Chicago.

The solution I use is to order on the app and then they have to give you your food, either by bringing it out or by pushing it through the drive-thru window.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#47

Post by sliken »

paleotrope wrote: post #36
sliken wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is of course why you can fill a cup in 1 second, but takes several seconds to fill with a drink. Also the ice comes out forcefully enough that you have to do the ice first if you don't want to make a mess.

Nice theory but I don't think that's true. They mix the syrup and soda water at or right before the nozzle. The ice just gets dumped from a gravity feed hopper. If the soda water was dispensed faster it would bubble over even more so then now. And the same exact dispensers are used behind the counter. Why would you hamstring your employees the same way.

Speed of filling isn't related to liquid velocity, but velocity x stream size. Bubbling isn't related to change in volume, but liquid velocity (and turbulence). You could double the width of the stream and fill it twice as fast with no more bubbles.

You can bet that if ice cubes cost 4x the soda that they would make difference decisions on the drink machine.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#48

Post by orwin »

OfSanguineFire wrote: post #42
paleotrope wrote: post #26

Funny how self serve soda machines have really taken off in the last 5 years or so in most of the newer franchise operations. I can't help but think they (McDs) are struggling to hire people to keep those stations orderly and frankly the last few times I went into a mcds those stations are all disgusting and disordered. I would add that all the mcds I've been in recently are actively hostile to the dine in experience…

The dirtiness of fast-food restaurants is something that shocks me every time I go to the US. Things like sticky, rubbish-strewn floors even behind the counter that, as a food-preparation area, especially ought to be kept clean. The staff themselves are often slovenly and morbidly obese. McDonalds on other continents are noticeably cleaner, and considering that McDonalds has standardized the entire process and techno…

I think the real divergence in quality between McDonald US and Europe date from Hennequin's tenure. He pushed for higher prices, and this helped tremendously in the long term.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#49

Post by upon_drumhead »

OfSanguineFire wrote: post #42
paleotrope wrote: post #26

Funny how self serve soda machines have really taken off in the last 5 years or so in most of the newer franchise operations. I can't help but think they (McDs) are struggling to hire people to keep those stations orderly and frankly the last few times I went into a mcds those stations are all disgusting and disordered. I would add that all the mcds I've been in recently are actively hostile to the dine in experience…

The dirtiness of fast-food restaurants is something that shocks me every time I go to the US. Things like sticky, rubbish-strewn floors even behind the counter that, as a food-preparation area, especially ought to be kept clean. The staff themselves are often slovenly and morbidly obese. McDonalds on other continents are noticeably cleaner, and considering that McDonalds has standardized the entire process and techno…

So when a franchise is only a couple of restaurants and the owner is present, you generally end up with a well run and clean place. Over time, franchises turned into a huge investment opportunity and you have folks that have hundreds of places, so there's no owners there and the entire experience suffers.

Re: McDonald's to retire self-service soda fountains by 2032

#50

Post by paleotrope »

sliken wrote: post #47
paleotrope wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice theory but I don't think that's true. They mix the syrup and soda water at or right before the nozzle. The ice just gets dumped from a gravity feed hopper. If the soda water was dispensed faster it would bubble over even more so then now. And the same exact dispensers are used behind the counter. Why would you hamstring your employees the same way.

Speed of filling isn't related to liquid velocity, but velocity x stream size. Bubbling isn't related to change in volume, but liquid velocity (and turbulence). You could double the width of the stream and fill it twice as fast with no more bubbles. You can bet that if ice cubes cost 4x the soda that they would make difference decisions on the drink machine.

Isn't the bubbling/foaming due to the CO2 coming out of soda water?
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