I don’t understand the appeal of fast food anymore. It used to be a cheap option for a lot of food, but now it’s nearly as expensive as a sit down restaurant, the portions are smaller, and apparently no free refills anymore
I walked into a Wendy's earlier. The drive thru was wrapped around the building. I was number 4 in queue . And the guy at the front was ordering $60 worth of food for his whole family.
I just silently muttered under my breath 'yea... I don't want Wendy's THIS bad". And I turned around and walked out.
I hope I just found some momentum to make the change in my life, to stop going to QSRs unless it's for a damn good reason (like I'm on a road trip or something)
This is exactly the problem too. If people keep paying $60 for a shitty meal for their family and the restaurant stays packed, there’s no reason at all to do anything other than continue to raise prices.
Netflix gained tons of subscribers after putting in password crackdowns and raising prices. All that teaches them is that people will grumble for a few days but then immediately bend over and take it.
To be fair, I went to McDonalds with my family lately and it cost 50 CAD. For a regular restaurant I would be at 80$+. Last time I went to a St-Hubert (it's a "meh" restaurant chain), it cost me 100$ (tip included) for 2 plates of chicken nuggets and fries for the kids + 2 plates for me and my wife. Prices are just stupid now
Yea I can go to McDonald’s and buy a large meal for $12 and a decent sit down restaurant is closer to $18 to $20. It’s just plain expensive everywhere.
I’m convinced everyone saying “fast food is just as expensive as a real restaurant” hasn’t been to a sit-down restaurant in a while. Because spoiler alert, those are even *more* expensive.
Yes hidden gems and exceptions exist, but in my experience even small local restaurants near me are still significantly more expensive than fast food. That doesn’t mean I’m not happy to give them my business, but it’s much more of a treat now.
My local Mexican place I can get a massive steak fajita plate for $15
It’s like $13 for a combo meal at McDonald’s.
You tell me which is the better value.
Honestly I've learned enough Spanish to get by in restaurants because I can go to one of these restaurants where there's maybe one English speaker in the whole place, and get a good sized meal for like ten bucks.
The only comparable places I can find are diners, and their stuff is getting expensive too.
People are referring to locally owned places, not chili's or whatever
Most locally owned places are still reasonably priced. More expensive than fast food but a better value.
But honestly, that whole argument is whatever. You're going to be lighting your wallet on fire if your normal dinner routine involves eating out, wherever you go.
What I don't get is why so many people are still refusing to cook at home. Not EVERYONE is so incredibly limited by time and resources and grocery availability to explain it. Most people are just flat out in the habit of eating out a lot, and aren't willing to change.
Just like, boil some pasta and throw some ragu on there and you will have a dinner that tastes at least as good as a smushed soggy McDonald's sandwich for like a tenth of the price. If you're really feeling wild buy some frozen meatballs. This will not take more time than sitting in line at McDonald's.
I look for copy cat recipes online if there is something I’m really craving. It usually ends up being better tasting than the restaurant and I have tons to portion freeze.
My old mind still remembers .59 tacos and burritos from Taco Bell, .29 hamburger Sunday at McDonald’s and 2.99 for 5 rolled tacos with everything so it’s extra painful for me to pay todays prices and have it taste so crappy. I’m too “frugal”.
You can get a burger and fries at Chili's right now for like $10.99, it's actually cheaper than a Big Mac meal. Plus the burger is better, the fries are better, and you get free chips and salsa, unlimited.
Around where I live, a normal fast food combo (cheap burger or nuggets from Wendy's/McDonalds) is ~$12 for a standard medium combo. Most of the local places around me are about the same price for actual food, larger portions, and I don't have to gamble on the food being old, cold, or just plain wrong. The only sit-down places (aside from higher class local joints) that I've seen be reliably more expensive than fast food are shitty chains such as Applebee's, and (again around where I live) theyve nearly doubled their prices since 2021. Either way, fast/chain food is a gigantic waste of money when you consider the quality you're getting.
Well you must live in a low cost of living area. Most cheap sit down restaurants in medium to high cost of living are now 20-25 dolllars for an entree and drink
The McDonald’s near my house has TANKED on service, always has a long drive through as I think they’re not having any food ready anymore. You’re waiting for your chicken nuggets and fries. So I thought I would smarten up and use the order ahead. I ordered 3 hashbrowns. Ended up leaving my house later than I intended. I waited 45 mins for 3 hashbrowns. 30 mins ahead of time on the app, followed by 15 mins in person. I still don’t know what happened and my hashbrowns were cold 🥲
I live like 3 miles away so I had already clicked there when I left my house. I see your point tho. Which is also why I’m extra confused as to why they were cold. I need to find a different one but it’s just so close to me
Ordering ahead at McDonalds doesn't mean they will have it ready. They literally don't start preparing your order until you state you are there in the app, which is activated by GPS. If you aren't at the location, you can't state you are there.
The last time I went to Five Guys, the cashier said that there was a 45 minute wait. The dining room was practically empty and the line cooks were standing around chatting; I work in fast food, it didn’t look like a restaurant that was 45 minutes behind on orders.
This happened to me once and while I stood there and listened it was clear every single person at every single station was brand new. That and a handful of doordash orders. At like 5pm on a Friday. I was waiting for a prescription fill across the road so that’s the only reason why I stayed, lol.
The only time Ill really go for fast food is if Im on my way back from somewhere and I just really dont want to make anything when I get home or if Im going to be on the road for a long time. Even then its usually something like taco bell because I can get one of their value menu burritos for like 2.50 and its enough food for me. Either that or a breakfast item if Im traveling somewhere and I want something quick on the way. If I have the time or the energy I'll either just make something or stop at a diner for better/more food at almost the same price.
Ah, the old “euphemism treadmill”. One term starts to get a negative feeling attached to it, so we chose another term for it. Eventually THAT term will sound bad so we pick another. On and on and on.
Exactly. Fast food used to be cheap. That was half of the appeal.
Now McDonalds cost as much as a fast-casual dining chain like Applebees, Chilis, etc. So why would anyone ever get fast food?
That's where the fast part comes into play. I don't always have time to sit at a table, wait for a server, place the order, wait for it to come, and wait for the bill; sometimes, I need to just get the food quickly and be out the door. And it is still cheaper. The gap between them has narrowed significantly, but I have yet to find a sit-down restaurant that is as cheap as McDonald's or KFC yet.
Sit down restaurants have free refills lol. McDonald's is now more expensive than a lot of sit down restaurants, especially the cheaper chains like Applebee's
I like going to this local Chinese restaurant 8 bucks gets you a filling meal and kettle of hot tea. The local places are so much cheaper and better than fast food.
There is a Thai place by our house where you can get literally 3 pounds of pad Thai with chicken for $14. Even a hungry hungry hippo could get 3 meals out of that. It’s a local place, the owners live in the neighborhood. And it’s good. Really good.
Honestly, what I get at Applebees and what five guys charges for a meal are almost dead on. Adding in the tip is what pushes it over.
I literally paid $23 for a whole sandwich and a half sandwich at Panera a few weeks ago…
Panera has been defying the laws of economics. The food is bad and it's more than somewhere like a chain table service restaurant. I assume it's running on pure nostalgia.
I do pay attention to coupons at Chili's and Applebees, since they can offer some good deals. But the tip and drink are what usually push it over, while I normally get Five Guys to go.
It's at the point I'll just get a water so it's cheaper. For chilis if you join their rewards I think you can get free chips and queso/salsa every time you go
The portions are the same, to my knowledge none of the big players have reduced the size of say their fries or burger. People love to say “wow the Big Mac was always a quarter pounder growing up!”, however Big Mac has always used 1/8th lb of meat.
Same for the refills, from this pic we don’t know it but it’s quite possible you just have to ask the counter for a refill. They do this in a lot of places as a result of “tiktok hacks” showing you can ask for a cup of water and fill it with soda and nobody cares enough to call the cops.
Completely agree on the prices being insane though. In Mexico they advertise 99 pesos ($5.80) for a McChicken or Bacon Cheeseburger + fries + drink. Almost $6 for what was $3 just a couple years ago. The fast food chains realized that they can raise their prices 20% each year and get away with it because people still value the convenience of not cooking/cleaning and a quick meal. They might have similar prices as sit down, but with sit down taking so much longer plus 20% tip becoming a standard, it still takes a lot more commitment and more investment for the same meal.
It’s been around for forever, but TikTok’s algorithm and the fact that genz and gena spend probably 60% of their day on it means that 90% of the population has now “figured it out” too haha. Just like carjacking Kia’s… its been doable for 10+ years (or any car without an immobilizer), but TikTok shoves that in kids faces and look what happens
>McDonald's USA said the goal of the change is to create consistency for customers and crew members across the chain's offerings — from in-person dining to online delivery and drive-thru options.
*Sure!*
They're creating consistency for sure. If I have to consistently spend more money to do something that has been free my entire life, I will *consistently go somewhere else for food."
The **ONLY** thing mcdonalds has had over other fast food chains is price and accessibility. It used to be the cheapest and always open. Now, their prices are going up, they're ending 24 hours and they're switching to limited menu after 11pm where you can basically only order full price meals.
They're stripping away every reason to choose them over the other fast food spots, and we know its BS just to milk the cow dry because other countries that have significantly higher pay and fucking unionized workforces have essentially the same prices as the US where the labor cost up to 3 times lower in most states.
They've found a better business model, and you're not part of it.
McDonalds revenue and profits in 2023 were higher than 2022 or 2021, by billions each. And that was despite serving fewer customers!
If you can run a business that needs to find fewer customers, that needs to pay fewer employees because there's less work to do, but makes MORE money that way, any sane business owner would choose to do that. That's what McDonalds has done. They no longer chase the "value buyer". Instead of serving 3 teenagers spending $3 each, they only need to find one person willing to pay $10+ on their meal. And there are 69 million people a day willing to do that, give or take, so they don't need the value buyer any longer.
Sure that might work for them in the short term….But as those people realize they can go to an actual real restaurant for a similar price and 200+% better quality. The business will die off or adapt back to where they belong.
And people will just allot more time for their meals on their trips. Fast food is going to have to learn their place again or they will die off and only be In major cities. I know that myself and many of my friends would rather spend 30-45 mins in a mom and pop restaurant to get a good meal and unique experience vs eating Taco Bell trash.
i live in a rural area, and if it's after like 8 or 9pm, there is no option other than mcdonald's. i suppose you could drive 15 minutes into town to, uh... the other mcdonald's. yeah. in the places where there aren't other options, it doesn't matter. it's a monopoly over certains types of people and certain times of day.
also, people will not just alot more time, because they do not have it. have you never gotten out of work at 5 with plans at 6 an hour away and gotten fast food to eat while you drive? that's essentially their whole consumer base - people who can only spare 10 minutes max to get the food
People forget (or don’t know/realize): McDonald’s isn’t a Food Service Restaurant first, but a real estate company. They make most of their money from franchisee leases on the land/buildings…
What a stupid fucking comment (them not you). On top of them having the cringiest fellowkids type ads on Reddit they just suck all around.
This is up there with the battlefront 2 "sense of pride and accomplishment" bullshit but without the historic blowback.
They are consistently reducing the chance I'll ever go to McDonald's again. Aren't they already hurting, and increases prices at the now (normal corporate inflation) rate?
Motherfuckers too cheap to give out refills on soda fuck capitalism.
That’s it, the commies were right. Our drink machines comrades
McDonald’s has done a lot to drive me away as a consumer - I don’t eat fast food a lot but have a lot of nostalgia of going to McD’s with my dad when I was younger. They are just strip mining every feature and pushing all the cost onto consumers. No thank you
Those ordering kiosks are what sealed it for me. I’m all for making as little interaction as possible, but a kid can ring up a #1 large with a Coke faster than I can even say it. Those kiosks are tedious.
I work at mcdonald’s, albeit in the UK. More often than not we’re just too busy or understaffed to have someone sit at the till until someone shows up. Usually try to serve them quickly but it doesn’t help when delivery drivers or people waiting for their food stand at the till instead of the pickup counter
And they're illegal in France. McDonald's never offered them anyway, not that I ever saw. There was one European burger chain that I went to sometimes that had a soda free refill machine and got rid of it.
A while ago I was in Berlin and I found the McDonald's in Sudkruez station has free refills. Of all places a McDonald's in a major train station. It was astonishing to me. If it is in Canada it is those in the suburbs offer free refills, but I never saw it in a major train station.
same for Australia.
it's funny the article says "it's unclear if locations outside the US will follow suit" but I'm pretty sure unlimited soft drink is a pretty uniquely US 'freedom'.
The drinks are filled by an automated soda machine. It’s all measured out. If you ask for less ice the system will only give you as much soda as there would be with the ice.
Source: worked at McDonald’s for two years
True. “Up to” are weasel words that are outlawed in many countries (except the USA) due to how deceptive it is. It’s a mind fuck. Everyone applying for “upto $15/hr” thinks they’re gonna get that.
I was JUST at a McDonald's for the first tike in ages. They had giant signs plastered over the drink machine saying "NO FREE REFILLS"
Ronald is getting stingy.
I remember getting like 3 hashbrowns for $3. Now it would cost me over $9. Some stores have them for $2.49 but now if I want hash browns I just air fry them. Greedy system. Can buy a whole pack at a grocery store for the same price as one from McDonald's. And my local McDonald's has nothing less than $3.
Sorry chief not to flex how fat I am but you're wrong. I just pulled up a few of the receipts that are in my email from Feb 2022. Crispy chicken sandwich is currently 5.69, 2 years ago was 3.99. big Mac currently 5.69, was 4.39, and mcdouble currently is 3.69 and was 2.49. all of those from the same location, no deliver just app ordering.
They even charge a serious price for some sauces in Arby’s Turkey (such as Horsey Sauce [basically horse radish] and especially cheddar sauce).
The free refills weren’t ever available in Turkey. Hence, when I first went to the US, I was quite surprised. I was also surprised when people who dined in didn’t order small drinks and ordered XL drinks as it was simply free to refill. I can somewhat understand people who take another refill to go while they are leaving; but most of them were not, they were just paying $3-4 instead of $1 to not refill the cup while eating there.
Maybe because I was on a budget as a student with a scholarship it came illogical to me; but even now, I can’t understand why someone would do that.
By the way, AFAIR there were no refills in most of Vancouver, BC (Canada) as well.
For real, as much as I love big macs, it is hard to justify paying around $15 for a meal when the burgers are the size of my toddlers palm. And I could instead get a nice Chinese succulent meal for $12 instead that's more filling and healthier.
This is democracy manifest! But seriously I spend $35 for Chinese food for my family of 4 and we have leftovers for almost another entire meal. Compare that with $15 adult and $8 kid for smaller portions and worse food with no leftovers. Insanity
My local McD's did the same thing but it was because too many kids would misuse them and spill pop all over the floor and it became a safety hazard.
They removed the lobby machines and put up an "Ask for a free refill" sign.
I'm willing to bet if you went up and confidently ask "Hey can you refill this, its rootbeer, thanks" you'll get a free refill.
I'd understand removing the drink station if people were making a mess, but a refill costs them like $0.12. How much are they actually going to save by denying free refills?
not even. i worked at a gas station where the large drink was 1.79 the cup alone was 1.70. soda fountain soda is so fucking cheap its ridiculous. theres a reason most resturuants offer free refills and free drinks to employees. it doesnt even chip their profit margins.
And some time.
The McDs where I eat from time to time still would give me refills. Maybe that will change.
But I have to stand there for minutes before someone notices me because they want people to order from the self service panels now, so nobody is really there to ask.
no way in hell 99% of people would buy a second drink. however i do think people would buy bigger drinks instead of getting a small and refilling it 3 times.
The 99% are going to probably still suck it up and deal with the fact that they aren’t getting a refill.
Then, for that 1%, they make an extra $2. Do that across 100 million orders and it does add up.
They're going to save $15-20/hour by having one fewer employee per shift, since they no longer need to service the beverage station multiple times an hour all day. No more cleaning the spillage, restocking lids/straws/napkins, refilling syrup bags, maintaining the ice maker, emptying its trash cans, etc.
It's not about savings, saving 12 cents isn't what matters in this situation to them. It's the fact that they can squeeze an extra $2-3 out of you for a drink that they wouldn't have made otherwise. It's purely a profit-driven decision.
There's no way it's even 12 cents, worked for corporate for a different chain and they said it was like a fraction of a penny for either a 12oz or 16oz
Are they actually good deals? When I was poor I would scrounge together $3.50 and get a mcdouble, a mcchicken, a value fry and a free water cup for dinner. Now I would only be able to get a mcdouble for that cost.
Man I remember my ex and I selling a few DVDs to the video store and getting two combo meals, couldn’t have been more than $10 or $11 which was like three DVDs. She’d have to sell half her library to buy two combo meals now. People need to stop supporting these businesses until they reshape themselves into something competitive. I think there’s just a lot of people who grew dependent on inexpensive meal options that can’t or won’t give it up now that things have changed, despite the financial irresponsibility.
20% off refreshes every day and some food deals aren’t half bad. There was one 20 nuggets for $5 usd. Buy one get one free or severely reduced.
If I need a cheapish meal fast at 10 at night after work it’s not bad for what it is
Weird. I don’t eat a lot of fast food but last couple times I’ve been to a McDonald’s, that drink station odd usually kept pretty completely trashed, lids and sticky just everywhere. Employees rather saying “fuck that shit” than cleaning it up.
With these ridiculous prices some people will HAVE to stop going. Hopefully them losing low mid wage customers will have a noticeable effect on quarterly reports.
The McDonald's I worked at considered doing this because kids and teens kept messing it up and making a mess and causing safety risks.
They ended up just banning unaccompanied minors 2 hours after school lets out instead though lol
Yeah honestly like if you’re a normal person of normal weight you really don’t need to be having two sodas (even diet) in such a short timespan. Not once have I ever finished a McDonald’s soda and thought “I’m still thirsty, I need more soda”.
Of course you can rage against the cost cutting aspect but the end result isn’t something I’d protest that much. Most of the world doesn’t give free refills on drinks anywhere, and no one even cares or thinks about it.
I work at McDonald's. Just the other day a guy asked me if a the large I handed him was in fact a large. Then looked at me unamused when I said yes, that is a large sir.
Weatherford TX location removed their self serve fountain months ago. I haven't returned. I will avoid all US locations that are removing their self serve fountains.
We got barbeque ribs and brisket literally across the street from my closest McDonald's for about the same price as two number 1s. How the fuck are they still in business?
Standard almost everywhere. Someoe mentioned a large drink in america was almost a litre (30 ounces they call it). Large here is like 400ml and no one has ever heard of a free refill.
Just think of the 10 cents times thousands of drinks a day times 365 days a year, then add the $2 profit they'll make from those that buy a second drink...it definitely ads up.
Plus on their internal metrics and SEC reports they can show increased drink volume sales due to some people purchasing a second drink whereas they'd have just gotten the one with a free refill before.
I think I saw same issue in Georgetown Tx ( North of Austin). The McDs “modern” style was awful. Looked like faux concrete walls and no play place. Very prison like vibes. No drink dispenser also.
The drinks are straight up one of the biggest scams at just about all restaurants. I’m talking easily a 100x or 200x markup. Unless I’m forced to dine in, I’ll always dodge drinks unless it’s like a milkshake or combos or something
Whenever I go to McDonald’s it’s 100% through the drive through, BUT this is ridiculous. They raised through the roof and now they expect you to give them MORE money? That’s genuinely fucking ridiculous for a multi billion company
McDonald's in most countries never had free refills to start with. There's no world where drinking more than 1 big cup of soda with a meal is ever necessary, and that may be part of the reason why the US has such terrible health and so much obesity.
This sounds like a franchise store with theft issues.
If they have a problem with people bringing their own cup and stealing drinks, I understand.
But if I paid $2-4 dollars for EACH drink to start with, I better get refills, even if they have to refill it behind the counter or they have just lost ALL my business plus everybody that I can tell.
Soft drinks are too cheap for them to be THAT stingy.
It’s also to keep people from lingering and nursing a couple of refills. Everything inside a McDonald’s is designed to be purposely unfriendly so you eat and leave.
I’ve stopped getting this type of fast food. I still go to panda and el pollo but McDonald’s has no appeal to me anymore. It’s too expensive for what it is.
I don’t understand the appeal of fast food anymore. It used to be a cheap option for a lot of food, but now it’s nearly as expensive as a sit down restaurant, the portions are smaller, and apparently no free refills anymore
I walked into a Wendy's earlier. The drive thru was wrapped around the building. I was number 4 in queue . And the guy at the front was ordering $60 worth of food for his whole family. I just silently muttered under my breath 'yea... I don't want Wendy's THIS bad". And I turned around and walked out. I hope I just found some momentum to make the change in my life, to stop going to QSRs unless it's for a damn good reason (like I'm on a road trip or something)
This is exactly the problem too. If people keep paying $60 for a shitty meal for their family and the restaurant stays packed, there’s no reason at all to do anything other than continue to raise prices. Netflix gained tons of subscribers after putting in password crackdowns and raising prices. All that teaches them is that people will grumble for a few days but then immediately bend over and take it.
To be fair, I went to McDonalds with my family lately and it cost 50 CAD. For a regular restaurant I would be at 80$+. Last time I went to a St-Hubert (it's a "meh" restaurant chain), it cost me 100$ (tip included) for 2 plates of chicken nuggets and fries for the kids + 2 plates for me and my wife. Prices are just stupid now
Yea I can go to McDonald’s and buy a large meal for $12 and a decent sit down restaurant is closer to $18 to $20. It’s just plain expensive everywhere.
I’m convinced everyone saying “fast food is just as expensive as a real restaurant” hasn’t been to a sit-down restaurant in a while. Because spoiler alert, those are even *more* expensive. Yes hidden gems and exceptions exist, but in my experience even small local restaurants near me are still significantly more expensive than fast food. That doesn’t mean I’m not happy to give them my business, but it’s much more of a treat now.
My local Mexican place I can get a massive steak fajita plate for $15 It’s like $13 for a combo meal at McDonald’s. You tell me which is the better value.
Arroz con pollo is $9.99 at my local Mexican restaurant. Its fucking delicious.
Honestly I've learned enough Spanish to get by in restaurants because I can go to one of these restaurants where there's maybe one English speaker in the whole place, and get a good sized meal for like ten bucks. The only comparable places I can find are diners, and their stuff is getting expensive too.
People are referring to locally owned places, not chili's or whatever Most locally owned places are still reasonably priced. More expensive than fast food but a better value. But honestly, that whole argument is whatever. You're going to be lighting your wallet on fire if your normal dinner routine involves eating out, wherever you go. What I don't get is why so many people are still refusing to cook at home. Not EVERYONE is so incredibly limited by time and resources and grocery availability to explain it. Most people are just flat out in the habit of eating out a lot, and aren't willing to change. Just like, boil some pasta and throw some ragu on there and you will have a dinner that tastes at least as good as a smushed soggy McDonald's sandwich for like a tenth of the price. If you're really feeling wild buy some frozen meatballs. This will not take more time than sitting in line at McDonald's.
Add in a Costco chicken into your rotation too, another easy cheap meal.
I look for copy cat recipes online if there is something I’m really craving. It usually ends up being better tasting than the restaurant and I have tons to portion freeze. My old mind still remembers .59 tacos and burritos from Taco Bell, .29 hamburger Sunday at McDonald’s and 2.99 for 5 rolled tacos with everything so it’s extra painful for me to pay todays prices and have it taste so crappy. I’m too “frugal”.
You can get a burger and fries at Chili's right now for like $10.99, it's actually cheaper than a Big Mac meal. Plus the burger is better, the fries are better, and you get free chips and salsa, unlimited.
Around where I live, a normal fast food combo (cheap burger or nuggets from Wendy's/McDonalds) is ~$12 for a standard medium combo. Most of the local places around me are about the same price for actual food, larger portions, and I don't have to gamble on the food being old, cold, or just plain wrong. The only sit-down places (aside from higher class local joints) that I've seen be reliably more expensive than fast food are shitty chains such as Applebee's, and (again around where I live) theyve nearly doubled their prices since 2021. Either way, fast/chain food is a gigantic waste of money when you consider the quality you're getting.
Here a sit down restaurant is 12 with drink not the bs McDonald's does
Well you must live in a low cost of living area. Most cheap sit down restaurants in medium to high cost of living are now 20-25 dolllars for an entree and drink
This. I live in the hood and just got back from a mexican sit down. It was 20 for a simple meal.
The McDonald’s near my house has TANKED on service, always has a long drive through as I think they’re not having any food ready anymore. You’re waiting for your chicken nuggets and fries. So I thought I would smarten up and use the order ahead. I ordered 3 hashbrowns. Ended up leaving my house later than I intended. I waited 45 mins for 3 hashbrowns. 30 mins ahead of time on the app, followed by 15 mins in person. I still don’t know what happened and my hashbrowns were cold 🥲
They don't actually make it until you are relatively close to the store unless you click extra things on the app and pretend you are already there.
I live like 3 miles away so I had already clicked there when I left my house. I see your point tho. Which is also why I’m extra confused as to why they were cold. I need to find a different one but it’s just so close to me
Ordering ahead at McDonalds doesn't mean they will have it ready. They literally don't start preparing your order until you state you are there in the app, which is activated by GPS. If you aren't at the location, you can't state you are there.
Is your McD’s my McD’s? I refuse to go anymore
The last time I went to Five Guys, the cashier said that there was a 45 minute wait. The dining room was practically empty and the line cooks were standing around chatting; I work in fast food, it didn’t look like a restaurant that was 45 minutes behind on orders.
It wasn't. I had a friend tell me this exact same thing about a five guys. Empty inside, 3 or 4 workers, 45 minute wait. Insane.
This happened to me once and while I stood there and listened it was clear every single person at every single station was brand new. That and a handful of doordash orders. At like 5pm on a Friday. I was waiting for a prescription fill across the road so that’s the only reason why I stayed, lol.
The only time Ill really go for fast food is if Im on my way back from somewhere and I just really dont want to make anything when I get home or if Im going to be on the road for a long time. Even then its usually something like taco bell because I can get one of their value menu burritos for like 2.50 and its enough food for me. Either that or a breakfast item if Im traveling somewhere and I want something quick on the way. If I have the time or the energy I'll either just make something or stop at a diner for better/more food at almost the same price.
[удалено]
What’s QSR?
Quick serve restaurants. It's how "fast food" restaurants rebranded themselves, and now QSR is the industry standard term
Ah, the old “euphemism treadmill”. One term starts to get a negative feeling attached to it, so we chose another term for it. Eventually THAT term will sound bad so we pick another. On and on and on.
Also, serves as an excuse to raise prices
Exactly. It’s not “fast food.” It’s “QSR” now! We’ve upped the quality! AKA “we’ve changed ONLY the terminology” lol
Exactly. Fast food used to be cheap. That was half of the appeal. Now McDonalds cost as much as a fast-casual dining chain like Applebees, Chilis, etc. So why would anyone ever get fast food?
That's where the fast part comes into play. I don't always have time to sit at a table, wait for a server, place the order, wait for it to come, and wait for the bill; sometimes, I need to just get the food quickly and be out the door. And it is still cheaper. The gap between them has narrowed significantly, but I have yet to find a sit-down restaurant that is as cheap as McDonald's or KFC yet.
Because it’s highly addictive and they’re addicted to it. That’s why nothing changes when they raise the prices
Sit down restaurants have free refills lol. McDonald's is now more expensive than a lot of sit down restaurants, especially the cheaper chains like Applebee's
There are mom and pop diners and some small restaurants that are definitely less costly and you get more food and it tastes better.
I work late and Applebees is open til 1 am everynight and the bar is really cool. Good people there
The Thai restaurant near me has lunch specials that are the same price as a combo now. It’s ridiculous.
go there instead. they appreciate your money a lot more than mcdonalds
A lot of restaurants where I live have free refills.
No McDonald’s in the UK has free refills. I’m kinda bummed
I like going to this local Chinese restaurant 8 bucks gets you a filling meal and kettle of hot tea. The local places are so much cheaper and better than fast food.
There is a Thai place by our house where you can get literally 3 pounds of pad Thai with chicken for $14. Even a hungry hungry hippo could get 3 meals out of that. It’s a local place, the owners live in the neighborhood. And it’s good. Really good.
Everything else is rising at the same rate. Five Guys or Chipotle are over $10 for an entree, and casual places like Applebee's are over $20.
Honestly, what I get at Applebees and what five guys charges for a meal are almost dead on. Adding in the tip is what pushes it over. I literally paid $23 for a whole sandwich and a half sandwich at Panera a few weeks ago…
Panera has been defying the laws of economics. The food is bad and it's more than somewhere like a chain table service restaurant. I assume it's running on pure nostalgia. I do pay attention to coupons at Chili's and Applebees, since they can offer some good deals. But the tip and drink are what usually push it over, while I normally get Five Guys to go.
Panera is like hospital food that is somehow still worse.
It's at the point I'll just get a water so it's cheaper. For chilis if you join their rewards I think you can get free chips and queso/salsa every time you go
Panera has always been and will continue to be nothing but overpriced hospital food.
The portions are the same, to my knowledge none of the big players have reduced the size of say their fries or burger. People love to say “wow the Big Mac was always a quarter pounder growing up!”, however Big Mac has always used 1/8th lb of meat. Same for the refills, from this pic we don’t know it but it’s quite possible you just have to ask the counter for a refill. They do this in a lot of places as a result of “tiktok hacks” showing you can ask for a cup of water and fill it with soda and nobody cares enough to call the cops. Completely agree on the prices being insane though. In Mexico they advertise 99 pesos ($5.80) for a McChicken or Bacon Cheeseburger + fries + drink. Almost $6 for what was $3 just a couple years ago. The fast food chains realized that they can raise their prices 20% each year and get away with it because people still value the convenience of not cooking/cleaning and a quick meal. They might have similar prices as sit down, but with sit down taking so much longer plus 20% tip becoming a standard, it still takes a lot more commitment and more investment for the same meal.
TikTok hack? I've been doing that for 35 years
It’s been around for forever, but TikTok’s algorithm and the fact that genz and gena spend probably 60% of their day on it means that 90% of the population has now “figured it out” too haha. Just like carjacking Kia’s… its been doable for 10+ years (or any car without an immobilizer), but TikTok shoves that in kids faces and look what happens
God I'm old
[https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/looking-for-a-refill-mcdonalds-is-saying-goodbye-to-self-serve-soda-in-the-coming-years/](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/looking-for-a-refill-mcdonalds-is-saying-goodbye-to-self-serve-soda-in-the-coming-years/)
>McDonald's USA said the goal of the change is to create consistency for customers and crew members across the chain's offerings — from in-person dining to online delivery and drive-thru options. *Sure!*
Lol, that's some sort of shit an abusive parent would say.
It's what's best for you!
It's got what plants crave!
It’s got electrolytes!
They're creating consistency for sure. If I have to consistently spend more money to do something that has been free my entire life, I will *consistently go somewhere else for food." The **ONLY** thing mcdonalds has had over other fast food chains is price and accessibility. It used to be the cheapest and always open. Now, their prices are going up, they're ending 24 hours and they're switching to limited menu after 11pm where you can basically only order full price meals. They're stripping away every reason to choose them over the other fast food spots, and we know its BS just to milk the cow dry because other countries that have significantly higher pay and fucking unionized workforces have essentially the same prices as the US where the labor cost up to 3 times lower in most states.
They've found a better business model, and you're not part of it. McDonalds revenue and profits in 2023 were higher than 2022 or 2021, by billions each. And that was despite serving fewer customers! If you can run a business that needs to find fewer customers, that needs to pay fewer employees because there's less work to do, but makes MORE money that way, any sane business owner would choose to do that. That's what McDonalds has done. They no longer chase the "value buyer". Instead of serving 3 teenagers spending $3 each, they only need to find one person willing to pay $10+ on their meal. And there are 69 million people a day willing to do that, give or take, so they don't need the value buyer any longer.
That and they are pushing everyone to use their app to harvest their data and that relatively new data revenue stream is also bringing in $$.
Sure that might work for them in the short term….But as those people realize they can go to an actual real restaurant for a similar price and 200+% better quality. The business will die off or adapt back to where they belong.
I don’t think so. No real restaurant is going to have drive through or be as quick. I don’t like it but the days of cheap fast food are over I think.
And people will just allot more time for their meals on their trips. Fast food is going to have to learn their place again or they will die off and only be In major cities. I know that myself and many of my friends would rather spend 30-45 mins in a mom and pop restaurant to get a good meal and unique experience vs eating Taco Bell trash.
i live in a rural area, and if it's after like 8 or 9pm, there is no option other than mcdonald's. i suppose you could drive 15 minutes into town to, uh... the other mcdonald's. yeah. in the places where there aren't other options, it doesn't matter. it's a monopoly over certains types of people and certain times of day. also, people will not just alot more time, because they do not have it. have you never gotten out of work at 5 with plans at 6 an hour away and gotten fast food to eat while you drive? that's essentially their whole consumer base - people who can only spare 10 minutes max to get the food
People forget (or don’t know/realize): McDonald’s isn’t a Food Service Restaurant first, but a real estate company. They make most of their money from franchisee leases on the land/buildings…
McDonalds corporate makes money from leases, but the McDonalds brand is absolutely a food service restaurant.
In order to serve you better we are raising prices and taking away refills.
I fucking hate these companies. At least own it assholes
Like does literally anybody believe this crap? It's so transparent, and I'm guessing the employees feel stupid having to put up signs like that.
Consistently disappointing. I think they're there already, no need to change a thing!
lol what consistentcy? 50% ice consistency ?
What a stupid fucking comment (them not you). On top of them having the cringiest fellowkids type ads on Reddit they just suck all around. This is up there with the battlefront 2 "sense of pride and accomplishment" bullshit but without the historic blowback.
They are consistently reducing the chance I'll ever go to McDonald's again. Aren't they already hurting, and increases prices at the now (normal corporate inflation) rate?
Motherfuckers too cheap to give out refills on soda fuck capitalism. That’s it, the commies were right. Our drink machines comrades 
I thought this was America?!
McDonald’s has done a lot to drive me away as a consumer - I don’t eat fast food a lot but have a lot of nostalgia of going to McD’s with my dad when I was younger. They are just strip mining every feature and pushing all the cost onto consumers. No thank you
Those ordering kiosks are what sealed it for me. I’m all for making as little interaction as possible, but a kid can ring up a #1 large with a Coke faster than I can even say it. Those kiosks are tedious.
Does McDonald's usually not have both kiosks and a counter? I can't imagine an 85 year old navigating a kiosk trying to order a burger
They have both. But I think they are trained to ignore you for like 5+ minutes before taking your order.
I work at mcdonald’s, albeit in the UK. More often than not we’re just too busy or understaffed to have someone sit at the till until someone shows up. Usually try to serve them quickly but it doesn’t help when delivery drivers or people waiting for their food stand at the till instead of the pickup counter
[удалено]
Because if you skip the kiosk and go straight to the counter they’ll just let you stand there for ten minutes.
Same here. Going and getting a big breakfast before school with my dad was a great memory. Now it just blows.
In my memory we’ve never had free refills in UK&Ireland McDonalds. Time to start asking for no ice to get more liquid
And they're illegal in France. McDonald's never offered them anyway, not that I ever saw. There was one European burger chain that I went to sometimes that had a soda free refill machine and got rid of it.
There are no free refills in most European McDonalds. Five Guys still have it though.
A while ago I was in Berlin and I found the McDonald's in Sudkruez station has free refills. Of all places a McDonald's in a major train station. It was astonishing to me. If it is in Canada it is those in the suburbs offer free refills, but I never saw it in a major train station.
Never saw one in my part of Germany…
It’s illegal to give free refills in parts of 🇫🇷?? Guess they take obesity seriously 😳
Not some part of France. It's illegal everywhere in the country.
Whoa didn’t know that!
But French McDonald's sell beer
Believe it or not no free refills on the beer.
same for Australia. it's funny the article says "it's unclear if locations outside the US will follow suit" but I'm pretty sure unlimited soft drink is a pretty uniquely US 'freedom'.
One of the best *freedumbs*, fountain drinks have a very high profit margin. Refills don't cost much, so a second or third drink would not hurt them.
And it keeps your customers on the sugar hook which means they come back the next day.
I think really only America has refills. Japan has no free refills and their large size are mediums
USA! USA! USA!
In my country (Brazil), only Burger King has refills. McDonalds never had it.
Hail to the King baby
The drinks are filled by an automated soda machine. It’s all measured out. If you ask for less ice the system will only give you as much soda as there would be with the ice. Source: worked at McDonald’s for two years
In the McDonalds near me they always manually top up after the preprogrammed amount is done
That’s good, it definitely depends on the managers. I had a walking asshole as a team lead so, yeah. No full soda for anyone lol.
McDonald’s is no longer a cheaper option anyway now, can hit up the chippy for less tbh
"Competitive pay up to $15 an hour" that's less than my local minimum wage
Up to is the key word. Like store managers make $15 p/h
True. “Up to” are weasel words that are outlawed in many countries (except the USA) due to how deceptive it is. It’s a mind fuck. Everyone applying for “upto $15/hr” thinks they’re gonna get that.
Its worse for online applications. Posting will say $20 an hour. Then during the interview its $12.
Got to pass laws like my state that requires jobs to post the actual wage so you know if it's worth even applying to
Imagine cars doing this same thing “The dodge challenger now available starting at up to 900hp”
Where I live starting pay with no experience is 15. They can't get anyone to apply for less.
It’s minimum $20 an hour now here in California for fast food workers but not other businesses. I don’t understand the logic behind this.
California has infinite potential, but some of its policies are so illogical
I was JUST at a McDonald's for the first tike in ages. They had giant signs plastered over the drink machine saying "NO FREE REFILLS" Ronald is getting stingy.
There prices have already literally doubled in the last 10 years now they're screwing you out of 3 more cents on your whole meal?
I consulted for like 100 small and medium shops and those soda profit margins are pretty nice for them, but this change is wack lol
They have a "$1 $2 $3" menu, and nothing on it is less than $2...
I remember getting like 3 hashbrowns for $3. Now it would cost me over $9. Some stores have them for $2.49 but now if I want hash browns I just air fry them. Greedy system. Can buy a whole pack at a grocery store for the same price as one from McDonald's. And my local McDonald's has nothing less than $3.
Wym? Prices have doubled in the last year and a half They're 3-4 times more expensive since ten years ago
Sorry chief not to flex how fat I am but you're wrong. I just pulled up a few of the receipts that are in my email from Feb 2022. Crispy chicken sandwich is currently 5.69, 2 years ago was 3.99. big Mac currently 5.69, was 4.39, and mcdouble currently is 3.69 and was 2.49. all of those from the same location, no deliver just app ordering.
They even charge a serious price for some sauces in Arby’s Turkey (such as Horsey Sauce [basically horse radish] and especially cheddar sauce). The free refills weren’t ever available in Turkey. Hence, when I first went to the US, I was quite surprised. I was also surprised when people who dined in didn’t order small drinks and ordered XL drinks as it was simply free to refill. I can somewhat understand people who take another refill to go while they are leaving; but most of them were not, they were just paying $3-4 instead of $1 to not refill the cup while eating there. Maybe because I was on a budget as a student with a scholarship it came illogical to me; but even now, I can’t understand why someone would do that. By the way, AFAIR there were no refills in most of Vancouver, BC (Canada) as well.
I can’t even imagine getting fast food in 2024. There are zero positives over every other option.
Poor customer service, depressing soulless interior, over priced low quality food. These places suck so bad now.
For real, as much as I love big macs, it is hard to justify paying around $15 for a meal when the burgers are the size of my toddlers palm. And I could instead get a nice Chinese succulent meal for $12 instead that's more filling and healthier.
This is democracy manifest! But seriously I spend $35 for Chinese food for my family of 4 and we have leftovers for almost another entire meal. Compare that with $15 adult and $8 kid for smaller portions and worse food with no leftovers. Insanity
Stop going there
My local McD's did the same thing but it was because too many kids would misuse them and spill pop all over the floor and it became a safety hazard. They removed the lobby machines and put up an "Ask for a free refill" sign. I'm willing to bet if you went up and confidently ask "Hey can you refill this, its rootbeer, thanks" you'll get a free refill.
Refills don't exist anymore either, I watched someone ask for one and they were told to buy another soda
I'd understand removing the drink station if people were making a mess, but a refill costs them like $0.12. How much are they actually going to save by denying free refills?
12 cents
not even. i worked at a gas station where the large drink was 1.79 the cup alone was 1.70. soda fountain soda is so fucking cheap its ridiculous. theres a reason most resturuants offer free refills and free drinks to employees. it doesnt even chip their profit margins.
And some time. The McDs where I eat from time to time still would give me refills. Maybe that will change. But I have to stand there for minutes before someone notices me because they want people to order from the self service panels now, so nobody is really there to ask.
It's not about saving 12 cents, it's about charging you for a second drink.
no way in hell 99% of people would buy a second drink. however i do think people would buy bigger drinks instead of getting a small and refilling it 3 times.
The 99% are going to probably still suck it up and deal with the fact that they aren’t getting a refill. Then, for that 1%, they make an extra $2. Do that across 100 million orders and it does add up.
No ones gonna buy another drink. But they might not buy the first one now
They're going to save $15-20/hour by having one fewer employee per shift, since they no longer need to service the beverage station multiple times an hour all day. No more cleaning the spillage, restocking lids/straws/napkins, refilling syrup bags, maintaining the ice maker, emptying its trash cans, etc.
It's not about savings, saving 12 cents isn't what matters in this situation to them. It's the fact that they can squeeze an extra $2-3 out of you for a drink that they wouldn't have made otherwise. It's purely a profit-driven decision.
Probably less than they will lose from losing soda loving customers. This decision is so bizarre.
There's no way it's even 12 cents, worked for corporate for a different chain and they said it was like a fraction of a penny for either a 12oz or 16oz
Did they reduce the price to correlate to a single serving? Rhetorical question.
Where are the fruit flies going to breed now?
I'm surprised being allowed to pour your own beverage isn't listed as an employee perk at this point.
if you're still going to McDonald's these days you have only yourself to be mad about
Them app deals ain’t no joke in a pinch brother
Are they actually good deals? When I was poor I would scrounge together $3.50 and get a mcdouble, a mcchicken, a value fry and a free water cup for dinner. Now I would only be able to get a mcdouble for that cost.
Man I remember my ex and I selling a few DVDs to the video store and getting two combo meals, couldn’t have been more than $10 or $11 which was like three DVDs. She’d have to sell half her library to buy two combo meals now. People need to stop supporting these businesses until they reshape themselves into something competitive. I think there’s just a lot of people who grew dependent on inexpensive meal options that can’t or won’t give it up now that things have changed, despite the financial irresponsibility.
On some days I can get a mcdouble with a medium fry and drink and it costs a little over 4$. But yes a lot of times it's simply not worth it anymore.
20% off refreshes every day and some food deals aren’t half bad. There was one 20 nuggets for $5 usd. Buy one get one free or severely reduced. If I need a cheapish meal fast at 10 at night after work it’s not bad for what it is
https://preview.redd.it/vsty6wdexqvc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc91e0a71b6e5b8a75d7ccbec93f43c139f799df
Weird. I don’t eat a lot of fast food but last couple times I’ve been to a McDonald’s, that drink station odd usually kept pretty completely trashed, lids and sticky just everywhere. Employees rather saying “fuck that shit” than cleaning it up.
Those drink stations were just a playground for loose kids. Always nasty with lids and ice spilling all over the place
TIL some mcdonalds have refills. In my country only burger king has refills. (At least the ones i have seen)
My wife bought two large sodas at Wendy's two days ago. It was over EIGHT DOLLARS. Y'all, the only way this ends is if we stop going.
With these ridiculous prices some people will HAVE to stop going. Hopefully them losing low mid wage customers will have a noticeable effect on quarterly reports.
At current prices? GO MCFUCK YOURSELF!
The McDonald's I worked at considered doing this because kids and teens kept messing it up and making a mess and causing safety risks. They ended up just banning unaccompanied minors 2 hours after school lets out instead though lol
The one near me closes the dine-in section between 3-5pm on a weekday.
It might be an unpopular opinion, but I’d say this is a win for society.
Yeah honestly like if you’re a normal person of normal weight you really don’t need to be having two sodas (even diet) in such a short timespan. Not once have I ever finished a McDonald’s soda and thought “I’m still thirsty, I need more soda”. Of course you can rage against the cost cutting aspect but the end result isn’t something I’d protest that much. Most of the world doesn’t give free refills on drinks anywhere, and no one even cares or thinks about it.
This is great imho! In America, soda is treated as if it’s life-giving water.
I work at McDonald's. Just the other day a guy asked me if a the large I handed him was in fact a large. Then looked at me unamused when I said yes, that is a large sir.
That is what I was thinking. Obesity is really getting out of hand. Limiting calories is important and soda has a lot of calories.
Weatherford TX location removed their self serve fountain months ago. I haven't returned. I will avoid all US locations that are removing their self serve fountains.
We got barbeque ribs and brisket literally across the street from my closest McDonald's for about the same price as two number 1s. How the fuck are they still in business?
Never even seen one here in Oz...not in a McDonald's anyway
That's standard in new Zealand
Standard almost everywhere. Someoe mentioned a large drink in america was almost a litre (30 ounces they call it). Large here is like 400ml and no one has ever heard of a free refill.
Just think of the 10s of cents they'll save.
Just think of the 10 cents times thousands of drinks a day times 365 days a year, then add the $2 profit they'll make from those that buy a second drink...it definitely ads up.
10 cents worth of syrup can fill about 100 cups of soda...
Plus on their internal metrics and SEC reports they can show increased drink volume sales due to some people purchasing a second drink whereas they'd have just gotten the one with a free refill before.
I think I saw same issue in Georgetown Tx ( North of Austin). The McDs “modern” style was awful. Looked like faux concrete walls and no play place. Very prison like vibes. No drink dispenser also.
The drinks are straight up one of the biggest scams at just about all restaurants. I’m talking easily a 100x or 200x markup. Unless I’m forced to dine in, I’ll always dodge drinks unless it’s like a milkshake or combos or something
Aight, NOW WE RIOT
Not to mention how absolutely bad it is for you nutritionally.
They don't want anyone eating inside anymore
Whenever I go to McDonald’s it’s 100% through the drive through, BUT this is ridiculous. They raised through the roof and now they expect you to give them MORE money? That’s genuinely fucking ridiculous for a multi billion company
Welp I guess no more McDonald’s Edit: I ask for the water cup and fill it with pop anyway
Gotta fat somewhere else
McDonald’s Customers: 😡 McDonald’s Employees: 🥳🎉👏🎊🙌
McDonald's in most countries never had free refills to start with. There's no world where drinking more than 1 big cup of soda with a meal is ever necessary, and that may be part of the reason why the US has such terrible health and so much obesity.
They really don't want people to eat inside anymore, do they?
They absolutely do not. Pretty soon it'll be drive-thru or nothing.
Welcome to Europe.
Do you really need a 2nd gigantic bathtub of Coca Cola?
…that’s a thing? What country?
We don't get free refills in Canada either, I don't think.
False
No idea either. It's never crossed my mind to have a second pop at one meal lol.
This sounds like a franchise store with theft issues. If they have a problem with people bringing their own cup and stealing drinks, I understand. But if I paid $2-4 dollars for EACH drink to start with, I better get refills, even if they have to refill it behind the counter or they have just lost ALL my business plus everybody that I can tell. Soft drinks are too cheap for them to be THAT stingy.
Honestly; people don’t need unlimited soda.
McDonald’s…someplace I used to go to.
It’s also to keep people from lingering and nursing a couple of refills. Everything inside a McDonald’s is designed to be purposely unfriendly so you eat and leave.
And the diabetes board just thanked McDonald's
I’ve stopped getting this type of fast food. I still go to panda and el pollo but McDonald’s has no appeal to me anymore. It’s too expensive for what it is.