Dollar items are vanishing at McDonald's. The next thing to go is self-serve drinks.
The burger chain told Insider it was phasing out soda-fountain machines in dining rooms across the US. The news was first reported by The State Journal-Register, citing several franchisees in Illinois. Restaurants in Illinois have already started the process, along with stores out West. Acrylic Liquid Dispensers
"McDonald's will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032," McDonald's said in a statement. " This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that's McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant."
Self-serve soda fountains allow fast-food consumers to refill their drinks multiple times. At a remodeled McDonald's in Orange, California, the self-serve beverage station has already been removed. Customers at that store must ask for refills at the counter.
The owner-operators interviewed by the Journal-Register said several factors contributed to axing the soda machines from dining rooms, including food safety, theft prevention, and fewer dine-in customers.
"The crew pour system — which actually will use automated beverage systems to mechanically fill drink orders — minimizes human contact," the Journal-Register reported. "Crew pour also eliminates theft and emphasizes the brand's new focus on creating a more relaxed dine-in experience complete with servers delivering meals to the table."
McDonald's, like the rest of the industry, has also seen more consumers order food for takeout with the increase of digital ordering since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dispenser Syringe Needle "It's an evolution toward convenience," Mikel Petro, a franchisee who owns 15 McDonald's in central Illinois, told the Journal-Register. He also said it was the result of "the growth of digital service."