I read the news last week that McDonald’s will phase out all self-serve drink stations. The implementation will be gradual as restaurants have until 2032 to be in compliance.

McDonald’s is supposedly making the wide-sweeping change for the sake of consistency across the entire brand. Why it can’t be consistent by having self-serve drink stations in all dining rooms I don’t know.

Beau and Sloan sip drinks inside a downtown Spokane McDonald’s. The self-serve stations are going away.

But I do have some thoughts about all this…

1. It is true, McDonald’s fountain sodas just hit differently.
2. I won’t miss the messes and “graveyard sodas” that are produced when my kids try to use the self-serve stations.
3. I will miss filling up my cup after we eat inside the dining room for the drive home.
4. New McDonald’s restaurants continue to pop up in Spokane and they are all very minimalistic—including early adoption of no self-serve drink stations.
5. This is just another reason why I constantly say that eating at Burger King is better than McDonald’s.

Do you have thoughts about the change? I think it does decrease the value of dining at McDonald’s but at the same it might cut back on some cavities. Overall though, I would have to say I’m Not Loving It. Don’t Blink.