McDonald's is getting rid of self-serve drinks and some locations may charge for refills (2024)

By Caitlin O'Kane

/ CBS News

McDonald's is transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations and some locations may start to charge for refills that were once free.

The fast food giant will slowly remove self-serve beverage stations – fountain drink dispensers – and be completely rid of the stations by 2032.

The change, a representative for McDonald's told CBS News via email, is intended to make customer experiences consistent no matter where you order – on the app, in the drive-thru, in the restaurant or other methods.

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, the McDonald's rep said.

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," he told CBS News via email.

Some social media users have shared photos of the barren countertops at their local McDonald's where the self-serve drink station once sat. Others expressed outrage over the change, with a Reddit thread on the matter racking up nearly 350 comments. "Seriously, this is such a bad idea. This is a huge reason I would choose McDonalds over another option. Shooting themselves in the foot with this one," one person wrote.

"This is the last straw," another quipped.

One person said in the Netherlands, they never had free refills at McDonald's – and other people from Europe agreed.

Others pointed out that's up to individual franchises to decide – so some locations might not charge for refills.

In 2023, McDonald's reported global comparative sales increased 9% for the year and had grown more than 30% since 2019.

Still, the company announced earlier this year that foot traffic to its restaurants had slowed as inflation increased. Many fast food chains have boosted prices in recent months, but to try and lure people back into its stores, McDonald's introduced last week a $5 meal promo.

CBS has reached out to McDonald's for more information on how many franchises are expected to charge for refills. The majority of McDonald's 14,300 restaurants are franchises. The company employs a whopping 2 million people at the restaurants and another 150,000 employees at its corporate offices.

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

McDonald's is getting rid of self-serve drinks and some locations may charge for refills (2024)

FAQs

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

McDonald's is transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations and some locations may start to charge for refills that were once free. The fast food giant will slowly remove self-serve beverage stations – fountain drink dispensers – and be completely rid of the stations by 2032.

What does it mean when McDonald's is removing self-serve beverage stations for customers? ›

Plus, some locations may start to charge customers for refills. In-restaurant customers won't be able to pour themselves a drink, which a McDonald's spokesperson told CBS is meant to make the experience more consistent no matter where the customer orders.

Is McDonald's charging for refills? ›

McDonald's is gradually phasing out its free drink refills policy. Customers would no longer be able to help themselves to self-serve soda fountains, which the company plans to discontinue entirely by 2032. What has been the norm for twenty years is slowly coming to an end.

Why did McDonald's stop self-serving drinks? ›

So why did McDonald's make this decision? There are several reasons, including the challenge of keeping self-serve machines clean, the decreasing number of dine-in customers, and a change in the customer experience for those who do choose to eat their McMeals in the restaurant's dining areas.

Is McDonald's getting rid of self-serve soft drink stations? ›

McDonald's is getting rid of one of its biggest perks. The fast food chain is eliminating its self-serve soda machines by 2032 at its US restaurants, the company said, explaining that the change will make the experience consistent for customers and crew across the chain.

What is the McDonald's golden rule? ›

ways that you'll learn more about over time, but one of the most important is to practice the “Golden Rule”, which is to treat others they way that you want to be treated. This is just the start, as you will continuously learn more ways to impress the customer throughout your entire McDonald's career.

Why is McDonald's moving toward kiosks? ›

By streamlining the ordering process with a queue management solution, McDonald's self-service kiosks have eliminated long queues and reduced waiting times, allowing customers to enjoy their meals more quickly.

What is McDonald's getting rid of in 2024? ›

UPDATED: May 24, 2024 at 11:47 a.m. McDonald's reportedly plans to get rid of self-serve soda machines and, at some locations, do away with free refills. The fast-food giant plans to remove all its beverage stations from stores by 2032.

Is it true that McDonald's gives free refills on fries? ›

All you need is to flag down an employee and ask them to fill up your fry container. The policy isn't an "official" one, so not every location honors it, but multiple people have shared that the hack has worked for them.

Does McDonald's have $1 drinks? ›

The chain has begun phasing out self-serve beverage machines — something that it's giving franchisees years to do — and now, McDonald's plans to drop its popular $1 sodas. The chain has promoted $1 drinks since 2017, but a number of its franchisees have stopped offering them, according to Restaurant Dive.

Why is McDonald's getting rid of free refills? ›

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 eats into that profit, which generally offsets the higher food cost and operating ...

What are McDonald's getting rid of? ›

McDonald's is doing one of its menu rejigs. Goodbye to the Double Big Mac, some sort of crispy BBQ number and a terrible looking McFlurry. Room must be made for two regulars on the ever rotating burger carousel, including one inspired by the Philly cheesesteak. I've always said these haphazard creations never work.

Can I bring my own cup to McDonald's? ›

McDonald's restaurants are accepting clean Reusable Travel Mugs for hot Premium Roast Coffee and Tea nationwide.

Does McDonald's have a drink refill policy? ›

McDonald's is transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations and some locations may start to charge for refills that were once free. The fast food giant will slowly remove self-serve beverage stations – fountain drink dispensers – and be completely rid of the stations by 2032.

Is McDonald's getting rid of dining rooms? ›

McDonald's future includes restaurant designs with smaller or no dining rooms (and high-tech drive thrus) to reflect that new reality. Digital sales (i.e. orders made on its app or through its partners like Uber) now make up 40% of its total sales, according to its most recent earnings report.

Is McDonald's getting rid of co*ke? ›

McDonald's plans to eliminate self-service soda stations at all its restaurants. The Chicago-based fast food chain plans to eliminate the machines at its U.S. restaurants by 2032, it confirmed this week. Say goodbye to refilling that co*ke. McDonald's is getting rid of self-served soda.

What is McDonald's removing? ›

McDonald's reportedly plans to get rid of self-serve soda machines and, at some locations, do away with free refills. The fast-food giant plans to remove all its beverage stations from stores by 2032. Some restaurants that offer complimentary beverage refills may stop doing that as well.

What does McDonald's do with unused food? ›

As a result, our restaurants waste less than 1% of edible food stock. Unfortunately we can't send cooked food to be eaten elsewhere as this would breach our food safety policies, but we do send all leftover food for composting, rendering or anaerobic digestion.

Do McDonald's employees have the right to refuse service? ›

Federal law in the U.S. indeed says businesses have a right to refuse service to anyone. Here's the catch: They can refuse service unless the company is discriminating against a particular class under federal, state, or local law.

What does self-serve mean in a restaurant? ›

A self-service restaurant is any dining establishment where diners serve themselves food or drinks and pay for the food before dining. There are many styles of self-service restaurants. With fast food dining, diners order from a cashier or a self-service kiosk.

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