Joined Nov 2008
L5: Journeyman
Forum Thread
Is it ok to fill an McDonalds Ice Coffee Cup with Soda?
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?
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?
125 Comments
Your comment cannot be blank.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I mean yeah, it's technically "stealing" but if you take a few extra napkins they probably "lose" the same amount.
I mean yeah, it's technically "stealing" but if you take a few extra napkins they probably "lose" the same amount.
When you consider a frappe, you also have to consider the labor since one of the employees will have to put it into a blender and blend it up for a minute or two. Whereas, self serve soda costs very little to make and very little to maintain since it's "self serve". An employee just needs to make sure the machine has syrup throughout the day.
Note, milk and cream certainly costs more than carbonated water and soda syrup. I have friends and family who own restaurants and eateries. They tell me how soda costs them almost nothing and is nearly all profit. Despite being a money maker for restaurants, I still don't think coffee's cost is lower than soda.
When you consider a frappe, you also have to consider the labor since one of the employees will have to put it into a blender and blend it up for a minute or two. Whereas, self serve soda costs very little to make and very little to maintain since it's "self serve". An employee just needs to make sure the machine has syrup throughout the day.
Note, milk and cream certainly costs more than carbonated water and soda syrup. I have friends and family who own restaurants and eateries. They tell me how soda costs them almost nothing and is nearly all profit. Despite being a money maker for restaurants, I still don't think coffee's cost is lower than soda.
By the way though, coffee also has costs too besides the coffee beans. And, I think they kind of even themselves out since coffee and frappes require blenders, coffee makers, cream/milk, sugar, filters, cups, whipped cream, etc.
Also consider though, how many ppl at McD's order coffee and how many order soda. I'm pretty sure the number of soda drinkers far outnumber the coffee drinkers despite its coffee's apparent popularity. So, I think if you break down the numbers (cost to the store and gross profit of sales) for coffee sales and soda sales, I think soda is more profitable since they sell more soda and it requires less "labor" to serve and maintain. You say it takes the McD's employee 30 secs. to make a frappe. Well, how much time does it take the employee to pour a cup of soda for the customer or hand them an empty cup for the self serve soda machine?
The bottom line though is that if you order a McD's frappe, you shouldn't feel that it entitles you to free soda as well. That makes absolutely no sense.
http://www.bloomberg.c
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/10/n.../index.htm
http://usatoday30.usat
I'm just not seeing the fanfare over $1 large drinks buoying McDonald's profits and sales.
You make a good point with the number of soda drinkers vs. blended coffee drinkers. And yet, McDonald's and analysts cite the frappe as responsible for growth and profit recently:
http://www.bloomberg.c
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/10/n.../index.htm
http://usatoday30.usat
I'm just not seeing the fanfare over $1 large drinks buoying McDonald's profits and sales.
Well yeah. But my heart bleeds for them when it does happen.
And so, other fast food joints are following suit. Because, they also see it as a money maker and a way to get consumers to go to the business and perhaps order other items on the menu. So, I do agree that the premium coffees and frappes are responsible for McD's recent growth and profit. However, it doesn't belie the fact that soda is a money maker for them too. Soda is just one of those stagnant, unchanging money makers for them. And with large corporations, their main goal is always to increase profits and growth from previous years. That's what they care about.....increased growth and market shares in the industry.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The process is a shovel of ice, a squirt of creamer (imagine those large ketchup containers with the push down squirt nozzle on top), squirt of syrup, and fill it with coffee and stir once or twice with a spoon and cap on the lid.
The process is a shovel of ice, a squirt of creamer (imagine those large ketchup containers with the push down squirt nozzle on top), squirt of syrup, and fill it with coffee and stir once or twice with a spoon and cap on the lid.
The process is a shovel of ice, a squirt of creamer (imagine those large ketchup containers with the push down squirt nozzle on top), squirt of syrup, and fill it with coffee and stir once or twice with a spoon and cap on the lid.
But, I'm curious....what is your response to my Olive Garden analogy with the endless pasta bowl promotion? Would you think it's okay to order a regular pasta entree but expect to get the endless bowl of pasta with it too?
If I went to a bar and ordered a Gin & Tonic, should I expect to get free soda refills after I finish my drink?
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I guess I'm wondering where it lies because if we were to strictly follow the idea if for example I fill it with water, ice, or carbonated water (yeah I know no one uses that tab on the machine. Its just nasty by itself), then it would also be stealing water or ice.
LOLOL I just thought if I really was an extremely poor college student, I prolly could fill it with carbonated water, sugar and throw in a couple lemon slices. (Seriously though, even I wouldnt go that far)