McDonald’s Phasing Out Self-Serve Soda Machines

Self-serve soda machines will soon be a thing of the past at McDonald’s locations. Tuesday, officials with the Golden Arches announced they’re phasing out customer-facing soda dispensers in the future. Over the next nine years, McDonald’s will remove the machines from locations, meaning customers will get their drinks from the counter. They’ll then have to return to the counter for a refill before hitting the road as well.

McDonald’s says the change is to encourage consistency amongst its locations, but didn’t say whether or not sanitation or financial reasons had an impact on the decision.

The change comes shortly after the chain announced it will soon test a smaller version of its stores. Launching a new brand called CosMc’s, it’s said the testing will feature drastically smaller restaurants, though it’s unclear what that all entails.

“CosMc’s is a small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald’s, but with its own unique personality,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the company’s June earnings call. It was on that same call Kempczinski attributed higher-than-expected sales numbers to the success of the viral Grimace Shake campaign.

“Grimace has been everywhere the past few months. All over the news, and more than 3 billion views on TikTok,” the executive said added. “This viral phenomenon is yet another proof point of the power of marketing at McDonald’s today.”

What is the Grimace Shake?

The Grimace Shake was a new drink made by McDonald’s to be included in Grimace’s Birthday Meal, which also included either a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets with a side of fries.

“Our fans have amazing childhood memories of their birthdays at McDonald’s…and Grimace’s Birthday is all about paying homage to the amazing, fun moments we all share,” McDonald’s chief marketer Tariq Hassan said in a press release. “We’re excited to put a modern spin on these memories to continue to drive McDonald’s relevance with a new generation. Grimace is the perfect lovable icon to have McDonald’s meet our fans at the intersection of nostalgia and culture.”