McDonald's Is Making a Huge Change to Its Beverage Service

For nearly 20 years, McDonald's dine-in customers in most locations have enjoyed the leisure of filling up their own soft drinks at beverage stations, but soon that will be coming to an end. The chain announced this week that it will be gradually phasing out self-serve fountain drinks in dining rooms entirely, and has already started in some locations. 

Going forward, customers will be required to ask for refills at the counter, a transition that McDonald's says will be completed by 2032.

"This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that's McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant," the company said in a statement. 

McDonald's did not elaborate on any financial or health factors that may have influenced the decision, as many fast food chains have streamlined operations to minimize person-to-person contact in the wake of the pandemic. Inflation has also had an impact on the bottom line for many companies, which is why in addition to disappearing beverage stations, McDonald's Dollar Menus are also shrinking.

However, in places such as Illinois, where some franchises have already made the shift, store owner-operators have said that food safety, theft prevention, and a lack of dine-in customers were leading factors. The new crew-pour employs automated beverage systems to mechanically fill drink orders, according to USA Today.

"It’s an evolution towards convenience and (the result of) the growth of digital service," said Mikel Petro, who operates 15 McDonald’s locations throughout central Illinois with his family.

But while it may be an adjustment for some customers, the move is hardly surprising. In recent years, many fast food companies have been pivoting to mobile ordering, relying on technology to automate tasks and speed up production.