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Anyone else noticing McDonalds watering down their sodas?

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C

CartridgeBlower

Member
...more so than they usually do?

I know this sounds anecdotal, and it might be (hence why I'm asking), but I've been to three McDonalds in my area the last couple weeks and both my friend and I noticed that AT ALL 3 MCDONALDS their soda machines were very watered down.

Now normally this wouldn't be that interesting. But we both couldn't help but wonder that since McDonalds has kept their $1 any size soda promotion...that this could be their way to counter giving away more soda at less price. The promotion is popular, bringing in more business, so they keep it...but at a cost. Again, tinfoil hat maybe, but that's why I'm asking. Anyone notice something similar?
 
D

Deleted member 13876

Unconfirmed Member
Ordered a Fanta yesterday and it was definitely very watery. Had been years since I went, so I don't know if this is recent or not, but I definitely don't remember it being this bad in the past.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
The mix has been different ever since they moved to the automated machines, but that was long before the promotion, and I wouldn't call it watery either.

Shame though, they used to have the best coke.
 
Arkos

Arkos

Nose how to spell and rede to
Dude arent the profit margins on soda super high? I doubt they'd try to water it down. Probably just low on something or it sat too long before you got it if they poured it
 
B

baxter2231

Member
No but burger king may at least the ones i go to. The soda there always tastes terrible and nothing like any where else and this is 2 locations. Though my McDonalds is cheap with ketchup, so is kfc, bk is cheap with napkins. Wendys is good on all that though. Also kfc seems to run out of chicken and the tables are always sticky.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
McDonalds doesn't do shit to their machines. Coke servicemen are the only ones allowed to adjust anything on those and probably the only ones with the tools to do so as well. What happens is the bags of syrup that mix into the soda water do not perfectly blend to the very last cup so that the machine instantly switches to dispensing clear flavorless soda water. It happens gradually due to the higher levels of suction required to get the syrup out toward the end of the bag, and it can take several minutes to reload the machine depending on where the extra bags are kept and what type of valve system the unit uses.

So if it starts going out in the middle of a busy time you have to have one person reload the machine while another runs back and forth filling drinks from the other station. If sales haven't been good enough to maintain high payroll or if somebody is too stoned to come to work that day, they will be too short on crew to pull this off, and will rather just hope it doesn't become utter shit by time they have a second to get it switched. That is only if the ones working that position have enough experience in food service to have a mind and an eye for syrup levels.

In short, working fast food sucks and McDonalds doesn't have some crazy soda conspiracy.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
Absolutely. I always get surprised when I order a sprite or whatever at an actual restaurant and I can actually taste the kick behind it because normally I only have soda at Mcdonalds, the rest of the time I drink water. They definitely water that stuff down by a ton.
 
S

Sykotik

Member
My local Taco Bell has been this way for months. Pepsi tastes like watered-down Baha Blast. Baha Blast is watered-down. I think a lot of our local fast-food places have faulty machines, even some convenience stores.
 
G

GoldenEye 007

Member
There is a McD near me where I don't know if the Coke is watered down, but it just tastes off. Like it's a mix of regular Coke and diet or something.

Really weird.
 
D

Dishwalla

Banned
You have to find the McDonalds and the Burger Kings and the Taco Bells which let you pour your own soda, not the ones that do it for you behind the counter. Then you can as much or as little ice as you want.
CartridgeBlower said:
Only for their $1 large sodas, which up until this point were a decent deal. And this was all with no ice.
Click to expand...

You go to MCD's just to get soda? That's goofy. Why not just go to the fountains at 7-11 or something?
 
D

Darryl

Banned
usually fountain sodas are completely random whether they're good or not but mcdonalds seems to always have the consistently worst ones while wendys always seems to be on the better end.
 
shira

shira

Member
CartridgeBlower said:
...more so than they usually do?

I know this sounds anecdotal, and it might be (hence why I'm asking), but I've been to three McDonalds in my area the last couple weeks and both my friend and I noticed that AT ALL 3 MCDONALDS their soda machines were very watered down.

Now normally this wouldn't be that interesting. But we both couldn't help but wonder that since McDonalds has kept their $1 any size soda promotion...that this could be their way to counter giving away more soda at less price. The promotion is popular, bringing in more business, so they keep it...but at a cost. Again, tinfoil hat maybe, but that's why I'm asking. Anyone notice something similar?
Click to expand...
mcdonalds1drink.jpg

free refills
seniors saving their cups
 
D

Deleted member 13876

Unconfirmed Member
Dice said:
McDonalds doesn't do shit to their machines. Coke servicemen are the only ones allowed to adjust anything on those and probably the only ones with the tools to do so as well. What happens is the bags of syrup that mix into the soda water do not perfectly blend to the very last cup so that the machine instantly switches to dispensing clear flavorless soda water. It happens gradually due to the higher levels of suction required to get the syrup out toward the end of the bag, and it can take several minutes to reload the machine depending on where the extra bags are kept and what type of valve system the unit uses.

So if it starts going out in the middle of a busy time you have to have one person reload the machine while another runs back and forth filling drinks from the other station. If sales haven't been good enough to maintain high payroll or if somebody is too stoned to come to work that day, they will be too short on crew to pull this off, and will rather just hope it doesn't become utter shit by time they have a second to get it switched. That is only if the ones working that position have enough experience in food service to have a mind and an eye for syrup levels.

In short, working fast food sucks and McDonalds doesn't have some crazy soda conspiracy.
Click to expand...

Thanks for elaborating on that.
 
old

old

Member
This is probably more a franchise thing. All 3 could have done it because they're all owned by the same owners.
 
T

Transhuman

Unconfirmed Member
When I order soda water (carbonated water), 10% of the time they struggle to find it on the machine until I tell them where to find it.

"Soda-water, no ice", and then half-way home I realize not only did they put ice in, but it's just plain water.
 
C

crozier

Member
Yep. Another thing I have noticed is that they NEVER ask you whether you'd like ketchup for fries. Drives me nuts because I forget to ask for it half the time.
 
S

smr00

Banned
I only buy their sweet tea so i wouldn't know.

But their fries over the years (at least here) have become so salty and over seasoned you can't eat them. I always tell them no salt/seasoning on my fries if there isn't a big line when i go.
 
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