They say all good things must come to an end, and that’s exactly what this latest news is bringing – the end of self-serve soda fountains at McDonalds.
The news comes from the top of Corporate according to several franchise owners, and the plan is to retire self-serve fountain stations across all locations by 2032.
Some locations are already making the switch from self-serve to “crew pour”, testing the waters with the new method, like in Illinois where employees are now filling drink orders for customers that dine-in.
Several huge elements for the push to have employees fill drink orders, are the digital, mobile order, and third-party delivery orders, which sees less customers dining in, and employees needing to fill drink orders as a result behind the counter once the proper equipment is installed. Theft concerns are another big reason for the push.
After the initial crew pour, customers will still be able to do free refills on their own…for now.
The owner of 15 McDonalds locations in Illinois, Mikel Petro says, “It’s an evolution towards convenience and (the result of) the growth of digital service.”
Petro’s McDonalds locations will be making a full-switch to crew pours in 2024 which is when the self-serve stations will be banished from the restaurants.
Another franchise owner, Brad Davis, has locations that are also testing employees filling drink orders. He says: ““It was an adjustment for customers and staff,” Davis said. “But we didn’t get too many complaints on it.”
The self-serve fountain has become ubiquitous in many chains, restaurants, and convenience stores since the early 2000’s. Customers have relished in the ease, excitement and luxury of mixing and matching their beverages so it’s going to be interesting to see what happens when this ability to service one’s own drink…gets taken away.
In an ironic way, crew pours are advertised as keeping up with digital times, however, it seems like a step backwards in convienance.
