McDonald’s Ends Its Era of Self-Serve Soda – What Customers Should Expect
The golden era of McDonald’s self-serve soda fountains is coming to an end. After over two decades of letting customers control their own refills and craft their perfect soft drink combinations, the fast food giant is quietly removing these beloved machines from restaurants nationwide. This shift represents more than just a change in service style, it signals a fundamental transformation in how America’s most visited restaurant chain operates.
The transition isn’t happening overnight, though. McDonald’s is slowly but surely phasing out self-serve soda fountains by 2032, giving both franchisees and loyal customers nearly a decade to adjust to this new reality.
The Timeline of Change
The transition started in the summer of 2024, and several franchise owners in Central Illinois revealed to The State Journal-Register plans for the drink stations to be completely gone by 2032. Some locations have already made the switch, while others are still planning their transitions. Franchise owner Kim Derringer said that late 2024 would be the earliest any of her restaurants would fully become crew-poured-only. Many of McDonald’s newer restaurants are already being built without soda fountains, accelerating the nationwide shift.
Why McDonald’s Made This Decision
McDonald’s is transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032 for several strategic reasons. 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. It has to do with the changing landscape of fast-food restaurants after the pandemic. Customers have stopped dining in as often and instead visit the drive-thru or order delivery. Consumers are also more concerned about germs and viruses in food service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New Automated System
Restaurants will migrate to a “crew pour system,” where workers will use automated systems to refill customer drinks and bring them to them, instead of customers going up to the machines and refilling themselves. The crew pour system – which actually will use automated beverage systems to mechanically fill drink orders – minimizes human contact. Many locations have systems that automatically fill drink orders once they are entered into the point-of-sale system, ensuring the correct size and type of beverage without manual work. This technology promises greater consistency in drink preparation and faster service for customers ordering through multiple channels.
The Refill Policy Question
The most concerning aspect for many customers involves what happens to free refills. 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. Uber Eats driver Nathan Selkirk told Marketplace in May 2024 that he was already seeing his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s charge for refills. Based on this trend, it seems like the free refills will go as more self-serve soda machines are removed, but each location can decide whether or not to charge for refills. Alex Susskind, a professor of food and beverage management at Cornell University, told Marketplace that if McDonald’s serves 25 million guests per day in America, it would cost the company $250,000 a day if only 20% of those customers dine-in and 50% of those customers get a free refill. That would equate to $90 million a year.
Industry Impact and Customer Reactions
McDonald’s tends to be a leader in the industry. And very often, when they make big changes, other restaurants follow suit. McDonald’s is very smart about their costs, according to industry experts. Another accused the company of “Price gouging in the open.” Social media has erupted with customer complaints about the changes. This practice has provoked outrage all over the digital landscape, with McDonald’s customers happy to share their displeasure with what they are labeling as pure greed by a quintessential American company. Meanwhile, customers at other establishments, like Wegmans and Panera Bread, have also noticed that the self-serve machines at some locations have disappeared amid the pandemic. And some restaurants at mall food courts in Western New York and Pennsylvania have been putting their soda machines behind the counter.
This transformation marks the end of a McDonald’s tradition that began in the early 2000s. While the company insists the changes will create better consistency and service, many longtime customers feel like they’re losing a small piece of freedom that made their McDonald’s experience special. As we move toward 2032, it’s clear that the fast food industry is prioritizing efficiency and profit margins over the simple pleasures that once defined casual dining.
What do you think about McDonald’s decision to eliminate self-serve fountains? Will this change how often you visit the Golden Arches?
