A customer perk often overlooked at one of America’s biggest chain restaurants is quietly being phased out.
The changes have been happening slowly at McDonald’s restaurants across the nation — including Texas — as the fast-food giant’s modernization plan introduces computerized kiosks where customers can order.
And customers are not happy with the move, as many took to a Reddit post starting on April 27 to show their displeasure and share locations where the machines have already disappeared.
“I was in one of these on a road trip,” one commenter wrote. “I’ve stopped at this McDonald’s many times before, so I was shocked at how very stark and empty it was, with kiosks to order from and employees just popping out from the back to drop orders and leave customers to grab their own stuff. Weird vibe.”
So when do the soda fountains disappear? Here’s what to know.
This photograph shows the logo of US fastfood chain McDonald’s in Paris on January 8, 2025.
McDonald’s self-serve soda fountain removal part of dining room modernization plan
The shift has been years in the making, with the move announced in 2023, and the Chicago-based company plans to remove them all by 2032, The Associated Press reported at the time.
Consumer Affairs reports that several factors are driving the shift, with operational efficiency the main one, in hopes of better controlling inventory, reducing waste and streamlining cleanup.
Other factors include hygiene concerns that popped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the company is looking to reduce its storefront footprint and implement new technologies.
Are free refills still available at McDonald’s?
Yes. Customers will need to ask a crew member for a refill rather than serve themselves.
USA TODAY Network has reached out to McDonald’s to confirm if the phase-out has already begun and when it will be complete in the Lone Star State.
How many McDonald’s locations are in Texas?
Texas leads the nation in the number of McDonald’s locations, with 1,261 in the state, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.
In the nation, there are 13,827 locations.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: McDonald’s in Texas phase out self-service soda machines
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