McDonald’s may offer any size soft drink for a dollar, but soon, customers won’t be able to fill their cups themselves as the restaurant chain is planning on phasing out the do-it-yourself fountain drink stations.
The news comes from a report in The State Journal-Register of Illinois, which said that the fast-food giant made the decision, citing hygiene, theft, and consumer eating habits.
The current plan would see the stations removed from franchises within a decade.
For those worrying, McDonald’s says it is still offering refills for free, even after the machines are gone by 2032.
“Free refills are a big draw for people,” Kim Derringer, who operates three McDonald’s franchises in Springfield, Illinois, told The State-Journal Register. “I don’t see anything taking that away.”
In Illinois, several franchise owners have already started to remove the soda fountains, instead having employees fill customer’s cups for them, the State-Journal Register reported.
The notion isn’t entirely new, as other fast-food chains like Chick-fil-A already operate their soda system in a similar fashion.
Local franchise owners in the state shared with the media outlet that the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the company to prioritize minimizing human contact to prevent the spread of illness.
The new “crew pour” system is also expected to eliminate theft, as customers won’t be able to ask for a water cup and fill it with another drink, the franchise owners shared.
Eventually, the report said that McDonald’s will transition to an automated system, where customers will have their beverages poured for them without the need to touch any buttons.