Recently McDonald’s announced it is phasing out its self-service drink fountains. Why is McDonald’s doing this? First, many of its stores are being renovated due to an increase in customers tending to favor drive-thru, takeout, and delivery as opposed to dining in. Second, it gives McDonald’s more control over its beverage portions, cleanliness, and inventory, in addition to reducing maintenance costs. Third, it prevents theft, such as customers who ordered water (and given a designated cup) and then getting a soft drink at the fountain instead, or customers who purchased a coffee and then use their coffee cup to get a soft drink. There have even been incidents of people purchasing soft drinks at a McDonald’s in some areas, then hanging on to the soft drink cup and use it to get a refill at another McDonald’s location.
McDonald’s is not the only restaurant implementing such a change. Wendy’s is also phasing out its self-service drink fountains.
This is not good news for the customers who like to dine in. Imagine you decide to dine in, order your meal (including a beverage- say a Diet Coke). Instead of being given a designated cup, you have to wait for the person who took your order to get your beverage as well. Then some time after you sat down to enjoy your meal, odds are you might be getting a refill. And instead of walking up to the drink fountain to do so, you have to stand in line behind other customers (there’s no telling how long you might be waiting), and tell the person behind the counter what type of drink you had. Then the person gets your refill. Such a scenario will most likely be lengthy and chaotic.
I have come up with a possible solution: place the drink fountain behind a different counter (with someone to take of the drinks), have the customer gettheir cup from the order taker, and go to the drink fountain counter to get their beverage. There would still be a line, but for those wanting refills, they don’t have to stand in line behind other customers ordering food, complaining about something, etc. And any issue of theft, inventory, etc. would no longer be a problem.
Meanwhile, I should point out that Wendy’s is closing or has closed 300 of its locations, mainly due to these locations underperforming.
And Wendy’s is not alone in doing so. Pizza Hut is closing 250 of its locations, while Papa John’s is closing around 300 of its locations, both of which are doing so due to these locations underperforming as well.
Thus, the times are a-changing.
Source: Clash Daily
