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Forum Thread

Is it ok to fill an McDonalds Ice Coffee Cup with Soda?

628 181 October 23, 2012 at 02:54 PM in Grocery
So its been bugging me but I dunno if someone could answer this.

My friends and I like to hang out at a McDonalds because we're hooked on the Iced Coffee as its cheap.

I typically order a large Ice coffee but sometimes I finish it early. I went to fill it with soda and a lady (another fellow customer) gave me a comment about how I shouldn't be doing that and should purchase a fountain drink cup (McDonalds has that $1 any size fountain drink going on)
I ignored her but its been bugging me.

Is it appropriate to just empty the left-over ice out of the cup and fill it with something from the Self-Serve Fountain Drink dispenser? (I understand its ok if I fill it with water)

What do you guys think?

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Joined Jul 2005
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> bubble2 10,159 Posts
z2g
10-23-2012 at 04:07 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:07 PM.
OP,
Why would you think that if you purchased a coffee (iced or hot), it would qualify you to get free refills for soda? That makes no sense.

That'll be like going to Olive Garden and ordering a regular pasta entree and expecting the "endless bowl of pasta" to apply to your entree too!

Besides, as the customer stated, it's only a $1 for the fountain drink! My goodness!LMAO
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> bubble2 4,465 Posts
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cgrady | Staff
10-23-2012 at 04:11 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:11 PM.
No, it's not ok - you didn't pay for soda or any other drink that comes with refills.
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Joined Jun 2006
Jambi-rific in Seattle!
> bubble2 31,436 Posts
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Zoe Moon
10-23-2012 at 04:13 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:13 PM.
Quote from cgrady :
No, it's not ok - you didn't pay for soda or any other drink that comes with refills.
The blue smilie in your siggy looks constipated. Just saying. Attachment 1498134
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Last edited by Zoe Moon October 23, 2012 at 04:23 PM.
Joined Jan 2006
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> bubble2 18,931 Posts
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Landers
10-23-2012 at 04:17 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:17 PM.
Quote from z2g :
OP,
Why would you think that if you purchased a coffee (iced or hot), it would qualify you to get free refills for soda? That makes no sense.

That'll be like going to Olive Garden and ordering a regular pasta entree and expecting the "endless bowl of pasta" to apply to your entree too!

Besides, as the customer stated, it's only a $1 for the fountain drink! My goodness!LMAO
This.

You could probably just ask them too, but honestly it's just a buck.

Quote from ILove.Asian.Girls888 :
I'm sure it'd be against policy or something, but if they don't say anything then go right ahead.

You know thinking like this, this is why I love America... In other countries you do not see much of this morality and such nonsense... If this was China all the soda would be gone before you knew it... Then again, in other countries the soda fountains are behind the counter...
Are you saying that the US has a better general sense of morality than eastern countries? laugh out loud
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Last edited by Landers October 23, 2012 at 04:18 PM.
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cgrady | Staff
10-23-2012 at 04:18 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:18 PM.
Quote from Zoe Moon :
The blue smilie in your siggy looks constipated. Just saying.
I could change it, but
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> bubble2 5,510 Posts
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Ryu-bom
10-23-2012 at 04:45 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:45 PM.
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Joined Jan 2008
HER SPOILED HIGHNESS
> bubble2 9,504 Posts
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ALVSGIRLY
10-23-2012 at 04:50 PM.
10-23-2012 at 04:50 PM.
Quote from Zoe Moon :
Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks. Support your local coffee house. It's cheaper and it saves small businesses, plus the coffee tastes better.

http://www.delocator.net/index.php

/rant
Thanks! I love starbucks sometimes but it's so inconsistent!
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> bubble2 10,159 Posts
z2g
10-23-2012 at 05:19 PM.
10-23-2012 at 05:19 PM.
By the way, let's consider the business standpoint too regarding this issue. Coffee certainly cost more than soda for most fast food joints. When restaurants have a self-serve soda machine in their business, their cost for the soda is very small since they are buying the soda syrup and mixing it with their own carbonated water. I think the cost of that paper cup with the lid and straw may be more than the actual soda!

Hence, they can sell a soda with free refills and still make a decent profit. Actually, that's what fast food joints want you to do when you have a coupon for a sandwich or burger. They hope you will buy sides and a drink to make up for the discounted or free sandwich/burger.

That said, if someone purchased an iced coffee, the profit margin for that drink probably wouldn't be as much as the soda since an employee has to blend it up (for frappes) and add a cherry and whipped cream on top. When you then "steal" soda (which it certainly is!), then you cut into their profit margin even more so.

More importantly though to this discussion, WHY IS THE OP HANGING OUT AT A MCD'S?!?!?!?LMAO A nice cafe or dessert place, I can understand. Students and ppl in general do this. But, a McD's?Confused OP must still be in high school!
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knowngni
10-23-2012 at 06:05 PM.
10-23-2012 at 06:05 PM.
The Mc'Donalds we go to is one that is open 24/7 so it one of the study places to go to past 11PM that's still open. (Vending machine food is horrible and insanely expensive in any campus library Frown )

We typically grab snacks off the dollar menu and play cards if we're not studying. I guess I'll just refill it with water from now on or just switch to $1 soda since it is cheaper than buying a $2.40 large iced coffee.
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Last edited by knowngni October 23, 2012 at 07:05 PM.
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johnlawwhiskey
10-23-2012 at 07:18 PM.
10-23-2012 at 07:18 PM.
Quote from knowngni :
So its been bugging me but I dunno if someone could answer this.

My friends and I like to hang out at a McDonalds because we're hooked on the Iced Coffee as its cheap.

I typically order a large Ice coffee but sometimes I finish it early. I went to fill it with soda and a lady (another fellow customer) gave me a comment about how I shouldn't be doing that and should purchase a fountain drink cup (McDonalds has that $1 any size fountain drink going on)
I ignored her but its been bugging me.

Is it appropriate to just empty the left-over ice out of the cup and fill it with something from the Self-Serve Fountain Drink dispenser? (I understand its ok if I fill it with water)

What do you guys think?
It's wrong. You purchased a drink that gives you the contents of the drink only, with no refill options. If you want soda, you should purchase a soda as well. If the McDonalds employees aren't hassling you about it, then you can likely get away with it, but that doesn't make it right. The more important question here is how in the world can you have all of the caffeine in iced coffee and then still crave more caffeine? LOL
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> bubble2 325 Posts
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xxalanxx
10-23-2012 at 07:34 PM.
10-23-2012 at 07:34 PM.
Quote from Zoe Moon :
Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks. Support your local coffee house. It's cheaper and it saves small businesses, plus the coffee tastes better.

http://www.delocator.net/index.php

/rant
I got it cheaper at SB w/ livingSocial Deals and free refills
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> bubble2 628 Posts
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Original Poster
knowngni
10-23-2012 at 08:02 PM.
10-23-2012 at 08:02 PM.
Quote from johnlawwhiskey :
It's wrong. You purchased a drink that gives you the contents of the drink only, with no refill options. If you want soda, you should purchase a soda as well. If the McDonalds employees aren't hassling you about it, then you can likely get away with it, but that doesn't make it right. The more important question here is how in the world can you have all of the caffeine in iced coffee and then still crave more caffeine? LOL

Mmm I dunno if you've had the Iced coffee before but first thing you'll notice is when they prepare it a good 2/3's of the cup is ice unless you order light ice (which then becomes either half cup or 1/3 depending on how much the employee scoops in). So while their large coffee is a 32oz drink, I'm pretty sure there's only about two cups worth of coffee in it. But after drinking it, I really don't feel anything at all so I do question the caffeine content.

If I go to a local cafe or something have and 2 cups of coffee or brew it myself, it would perk me right up, 5 is about where I get jittery so I know my limits.

If I had to judge, the only thing McDonald's iced coffee has going for it is an OK taste with a large size but its weaker compared to getting a real cup of coffee since it gets watered down quite heavily from the ice. (Sometimes I do wonder if its decaf they're using lol)

But yeah regards to the soda, its why I bothered asking, since I did brood over what the lady said to me where most people would ignore it and continue on their merry way. I feel more comfortable getting multiple people's opinion before deciding something when someone tells me what public etiquette should be.
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Last edited by knowngni October 23, 2012 at 09:26 PM.
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OhNoItsDEVO
10-23-2012 at 08:41 PM.
10-23-2012 at 08:41 PM.
I appreciate your use of the word "brood"
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wuzzy | Staff
10-23-2012 at 08:43 PM.
10-23-2012 at 08:43 PM.
I always fill up.
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nope89
10-23-2012 at 09:16 PM.
10-23-2012 at 09:16 PM.
Well McDonalds offers free refills of hot coffee so since we're going into winter you could always settle for just lots of coffee.
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