McDonald's is getting rid of self-serve drinks and some locations may charge for refills

I stopped going to corporate fast food and my life got easier. If you are a hungry person like me, a couple of mental rules I set up.

If I actually want to eat out, I need to be motivated enough to go out and get it myself. (No more doordash/grubhub/uber/ anything).

If I'm willing to spend my hard earned money, I will only spend it on good, local food. No more McDs, I go to my local burger joint now. No more dominos, I go to the sticky tabled pizza joint.

If neither of those sound good, then I'm not actually hungry enough.

Good, maybe people will drink less soda now

This is pretty much how it is in most of Europe. At least generally in the UK drinks are served by the people working there and the machines are behind the counter.

I remember some years ago burger king sometimes had self serve drink machines. But cannot say I've been inside one in the UK for some time. So may no longer be the case.

The other exception is Costco which seems to work like an outstation of the USA over here. They have the self serve drink machine that is almost always out of syrup and allows refills.

Having said all that it does seem like penny pinching.

European: you guys have unlimited drinks at mcdonald's?

European 2: you guys still have self-serve?

Oh just in case you don't know a soda costs like 10-15¢

If they leave a dedicated water fountain I see no issues. You shouldn't need employee assistance for freaking water.

Oh, good. Serves them right, for limiting the 'free WiFi' to only browse their menu.

I can find better places to get fucked in the ass, thank you.

The soda serving sizes used to be so big in the USA that I always wondered how people actually managed a refill.

Why I now don't ever go there. The one dollar drinks and the fries was something I went to for a treat every once in a while, now I just not go to any of the fast food or even restaurants

Besides in and out because I know they won't change anything, they haven't changed anything sense idk forever

I have no idea why anyone still goes to McDogsbreath (I'll likely hear some reasons in responses to this comment, but I've heard them before and don't buy them). Back in the day I rarely had positive experiences when I was dragged out there reluctantly. Plasticy food of subpar quality, and very uncomfortable, plastic furniture.

And in recent years, between the prices quadrupling, the limited menu for people who don't like burgers, the shite Wi-Fi, and now them not even being willing to lose 10c on a relatively small % of customers who get a soda refill... Why go there at all! There are so many better fast food options than that disaster of a chain.

A bit surreal since they never had either here in Germany, at least in the 40 years I can actively recall. In fact they're suspiciously trying to improve themselves here, which feels even more surreal.

One of the things I haven’t seen yet is that this may push people to upsize their drinks so McD’s can charge more. If you know you can’t get a refill some may choose the larger drink.

Profit.

this really only works if the business has a good relationship with the customers. we have a pizza place near us that has been around for like 50 years and they have a self serve soda machine but they also charge .25 cents for refills. it's not much but it still helps them out and the majority of people have no problem with it.

Just like the good ole days

OBVIOUSLY they're ALSO going to drop prices since they don't have to give free refills now! THANK YOU Benevolent McJob Creators!

Never been a thing at McDonalds here in the UK.

Who goes there anymore. The only reason to go in the past was the price. That's been jacked up so fuck them.

I boycott McGenocide months ago and it was surprisingly easy. There’s much better food to eat out there.

That's not surprising as it was likely to be abused on day one

I rarely get McDonald's, but one of these ones was built near where I live a couple years ago (replacing an old one). It is always a complete ghost town inside. No one eats there. They have all the parking and all the seats. Just none of the customers.

Don't have them in my area

Wait you guys have free refills at McDonald's?

The problem with cold drinks is they cannot sell it hot enough to give 3rd degree burns so the free refills must go.

Don't care. Self serve machines are basically covered in diarrhea anyway. Everytime I awkwardly and semi-accidentally turn something into a combo I grimace as I use the taps some kid was just wiping their snot on.

Just getting over a brief cold which could've easily been caused by using a self-serve tea machine at a habit burger.

I wish had a dime for every time I’ve seen a homeless person walk into a McDonalds, Jack In The Box or similar, just fill up their skanky ass cup (I even saw one take a cup out of the trash can outside first) from the machine and walk out, of course without paying. Like it or not this move makes sense. I don’t mind asking an employee for a refill.