2023-09-13 13:29:16
The restaurant chain plans to eliminate self-serve soda machines in its U.S. restaurants by 2032, McDonald’s confirmed this week. It is unclear at this time whether sites outside the United States will follow suit. Indeed, McDonald’s Canada did not respond to Noovo Info’s requests to know if the Canadian branches would follow.
In an email sent Tuesday to The Associated Press, McDonald’s USA said the goal of the change was to create consistency for customers and team members across all of the chain’s offerings – from in-person dining to online delivery and drive-thru options.
The company did not say whether additional factors, such as finances or sanitation, impacted the decision to part with its self-service machines. For years, McDonald’s customers have used the machines to refill and refill their drinks without going to the cash register.
Several locations in Illinois are beginning to phase out self-serve dispensers, according to the State Journal-Register, which first reported the news.
Analysts have also pointed to changes in consumer behavior since the COVID-19 pandemic, including an uptick in online delivery sales at fast food restaurants. As a result, some chains have considered improving drive-thru service or strengthening connections with food delivery apps.
McDonald’s digital sales accounted for nearly 40% of sales for the second quarter of 2023. Revenue rose 14% to $6.5 billion for that period, the chain reported in July, and net income closely by 40%. doubled to $2.3 billion for the quarter, beating analysts’ expectations.
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