The days of unlimited soda mixing at McDonald’s are coming to an end. After nearly two decades of allowing customers to fill their own cups and create unique flavor combinations, the global fast-food giant has embarked on a sweeping transformation that will eliminate self-serve beverage stations from all its U.S. locations by the end of this decade. This shift represents more than just a change in how drinks are served; it’s a fundamental reimagining of the McDonald’s dining experience that could reshape the future of fast food.
The End of an Era: McDonald’s Phases Out Self-Serve Stations by 2032
McDonald’s is slowly but surely phasing out self-serve soda fountains by 2032, at which point employees will start pouring beverages. Twenty years after McDonald’s first introduced self-serve soda machines, the days of self-serve refills are now numbered.
Over the next 10 years, McDonald’s will remove the self-serve beverage stations that have been a staple of their dining rooms for nearly two decades. The transition has already begun in several locations across the country, with restaurants in Illinois having already started the process, along with stores out West.
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. Instead of the familiar self-service setup, customers will have to get their refills from servers at the counter.
What’s Driving the Decision: Business Strategy Behind the Change
It has to do with the changing landscape of fast-food restaurants after the 2020 pandemic. Customers have stopped dining in as often and instead visit the drive-thru or order delivery. These days, guests aren’t dining in as much. The decision to move away from self-serve machines reflects the changing nature of how customers are buying their food – more are now getting take-out or going to the drive-through.
“It’s an evolution towards convenience and (the result of) the growth of digital service”, according to franchise owner Mikel Petro who operates 15 McDonald’s restaurants in central Illinois. Consumers are also more concerned about germs and viruses in food service due to the 2020 pandemic. We saw during the early days of the 2020 pandemic how the coronavirus forced buffet owners to change their practices or shut down operations entirely.
The Financial Impact: Cost Considerations
The economics behind this decision are significant. If McDonald’s serves millions of guests per day in the U.S., and let’s say 20% of customers dine in, and 50% of those guests get a free refill, if McDonald’s pays 10 cents per beverage, that will cost the company $250,000 a day. That translates to more than $90 million a year. “That is real money. All these figures are estimates, and they are significant in my opinion”, according to industry expert Cornell professor Alex Susskind.
Free Refills: The End of a McDonald’s Tradition?
Perhaps the most significant concern for customers is what happens to McDonald’s long-standing free refill policy. Without the drink dispensers, in-restaurant customers can’t pour themselves their own drinks – and individual franchises have the power to decide if they will charge for refills.
Based on this trend, it seems like the free refills will go as more self-serve soda machines are removed, but each location can decide whether or not to charge for refills. She also stressed that people needn’t worry about free refills going extinct. “Free refills are a big draw for people,” she said. “I don’t see anything taking that away.”
However, reality is proving different. At least one McDonald’s location has reportedly started to charge for over-the-counter refills. An Uber Eats driver recently told the news site Marketplace that a Pittsburgh McDonald’s had already eliminated the self-serve machines and started asking customers to pay for refills.
Customer Reactions: Mixed Responses to the Change
Reaction online has been somewhat mixed, with those in favor of the change concerned with the hygiene of the current system, and those against the switch concerned with personal preference on ice-to-drink ratios and flavor customization. Soon after, McDonald’s customers expressed disappointment on social media and complained about having to pay for refills at the counter now.
“What is the world coming to?” one customer lamented in a recent X post. Despite the logistical and financial reasoning, customers are far from pleased. Social media has been abuzz with complaints. “What is the world coming to?” lamented one user on X. Another accused the company of “Price gouging in the open.”
Some customers are particularly upset about losing the ability to customize their drinks. Now how am I supposed to make a drink combining all the different soda fountain options? one user wondered, highlighting how self-serve stations allowed for creative beverage mixing that won’t be possible with crew-served drinks.
Industry Impact: Other Chains May Follow McDonald’s Lead
Darren Tristano, CEO of Foodservice Results, which conducts research on the food service industry, said he thinks other fast food chains will follow McDonald’s lead. “McDonald’s is a leader and most other fast food chains are fast followers”.
Customers at other establishments, like Wegmans and Panera Bread, have also noticed that the self-serve machines at some locations have disappeared amid the 2020 pandemic. CEO of consulting firm FoodserviceResults told Marketplace.org that if McDonald’s does axe free refills, other fast-food chains could follow suit. “McDonald’s tends to be a leader in the industry. And very often, when they make big changes, other restaurants follow suit. McDonald’s is very smart about their costs”.
The Economics of Beverages: Why Drinks Matter to Franchisees
After all, beverages are one of the few items those entrepreneurs can rely on to make a buck. According to food industry experts cited by the Marketplace program that airs on many public radio stations, “profit margins on soft drinks are high, ranging between 90 (percent) to 95 (percent) or more.” Every successive free refill cuts into that substantial profit margin.
It does, unless you’re a franchisee trying to stay afloat amid rising labor costs, increasing prices of food and rent, and monthly fees from McDonald’s, charges that include but are not limited to 8 percent of gross sales. As some discontinue free drink refill policies, they’re regaining a reliable source of profit in a difficult business environment.
This approach ensures that franchisees remain profitable even as they absorb rising costs, a critical factor in sustaining long-term growth. Added to that are slowing sales growth rates as consumers reduce spending. They’re cutting back so much that a recent poll found 78 percent now consider fast food meals “a luxury.”
Technical Challenges: The Complexity of Removing Soda Fountains
Why is it taking so long to remove them all? I mean… 9 years? The answer lies in the technical complexity involved. It’s not a simple process to remove them. How soda machines work is that there’s a box of syrup for each flavor located in a separate location from the machine that’s wired to it through the wall or basement. The syrup mixes with the carbonated water produced by the machine. That’s why occasionally if you get a cup of soda with no flavor, it means they need to change the syrup.
The infrastructure changes required are substantial. Restaurants need to reconfigure their plumbing systems, redesign counter spaces, and potentially renovate entire dining areas. In McDonald’s case, other factors playing a role include the possibility of theft, the amount of space these machines take up, and the restaurant’s new emphasis on a “relaxed dine-in experience,” which includes servers bringing meals to the table.
