{"id":2245399,"date":"2024-05-15T18:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T22:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcdonalds-makes-big-change-as-costs-rise-will-remove-popular-free-option-from-meals\/"},"modified":"2024-05-15T18:06:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T22:06:01","slug":"mcdonalds-makes-big-change-as-costs-rise-will-remove-popular-free-option-from-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcdonalds-makes-big-change-as-costs-rise-will-remove-popular-free-option-from-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"McDonald&#8217;s to Remove Free Option from Meals Due to Rising Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmcdonalds-makes-big-change-as-costs-rise-will-remove-popular-free-option-from-meals%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2245399&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>McDonald&#8217;s is phasing out free drink refills to reduce costs, followed by other chains. Uber Eats driver Nathan\u200d Selkirk noted the change in a Pittsburgh McDonald&#8217;s. The\u200c decision corresponds to fast-food price increases, largely due to rising labor costs and regulatory impacts like California&#8217;s $20\u200c minimum wage law. This move sets a trend for the industry. McDonald&#8217;s decision to eliminate free drink refills to cut costs, with other\u200d chains likely to follow, \u2064is linked to \u2063escalating fast-food prices\u200c driven by higher labor costs and regulations such as California&#8217;s $20 minimum\u200d wage law. This strategic shift is expected to influence the industry significantly.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/news\/\">  News <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/ajose\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/ajose\/%20\"><span>Andrew Jose<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   May 15, 2024 at 1:07pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Fast-food giant McDonald\u2019s has reportedly begun phasing out free drink re-fills to cut costs \u2014 a move expected to be followed by other fast-food chains.<\/p>\n<p>Uber Eats delivery driver Nathan Selkirk told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/2024\/05\/13\/the-days-of-free-refills-may-be-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marketplace<\/a> that he had recently encountered a McDonald\u2019s restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that had stopped providing customers with self-serve machines for drinks.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mcdonalds-menu-prices-surged-100-past-decade-according-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> restaurant<\/a>, Selkirk noted, charged customers for drink refills.<\/p>\n<p>Selkirk was not the only one to have noticed the recent changes<\/p>\n<p>One social media user took to X to vent his frustrations over the new move by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-aoc-mcdonalds-employees-in-denmark-arent-better-off\/\" title=\"No, AOC, McDonald\u2019s Employees in Denmark Aren\u2019t Better Off\">fast-food chain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone else think it\u2019s wild that McDonald\u2019s is getting rid of their self serve Soda Fountains!? Pretty wild, they\u2019re probably no longer do free refills anymore also. What is the world coming to?\u201d the user <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/R3dbeardP\/status\/1767898168883106108\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Anyone else think it\u2019s wild that McDonald\u2019s is getting rid of their self serve Soda Fountains!? Pretty wild, they\u2019re probably no longer do free refills anymore also. What is the world coming to?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 R3dBeard_The_Pirate (@R3dbeardP) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/R3dbeardP\/status\/1767898168883106108?\">March 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In September, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/09\/12\/business\/mcdonalds-self-serve-soda-machines\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> reported that the fast-food chain had decided to incrementally phase out self-service soda machines for dine-in customers.<\/p>\n<p>The fast-food chain aims to complete the shift by 2032, according to CNN.<\/p>\n<p>News of the phase-out comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mcdonalds-goes-beyond-help-family-dogs-final-hours-says-owner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McDonald\u2019s<\/a> and other fast food chains nationwide have increased prices.<\/p>\n<p>As of early May 2024, the price hikes for fast food have exceeded overall inflation, according to reporting from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/05\/04\/why-fast-food-price-increases-have-surpassed-overall-inflation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to one financial analyst, rising labor costs are to blame for the price hikes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were increased commodity costs. We\u2019ve seen those start to normalize,\u201d analyst Jim Salera with the investment banking company Stephens told CNBC. \u201cBut what continues to be ahead of historical averages is the increase in labor costs that restaurants are seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With the upward pressure on prices, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fast-food-photography-and-lawsuits-what-you-see-isnt-what-you-get\/\" title=\"Deceptive fast food photography leads to lawsuits.\">fast food companies<\/a> are forced to balance both affordable prices to not lose customers while also making a profit amidst the rising labor costs.<\/p>\n<p>California\u2019s $20 fast food minimum wage law has been a major source of upward price pressure in the Democrat-governed state, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/hospitality\/california-fast-food-chains-are-now-serving-sticker-shock-64009282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the newspaper, as soon as the law was implemented, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mcdonalds-25-deal-angers-customers-shows-damage-californias-20-minimum-wage-fast-food-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prices soared<\/a> across fast-food chains in the state.<\/p>\n<p>McDonald\u2019s cost-cutting decision is expected to set a precedent for other fast-food chains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMcDonald\u2019s tends to be a leader in the industry. And very often, when they make big changes, other restaurants follow suit. McDonald\u2019s is very smart about their costs,\u201d Darren Tristano, CEO of consulting firm FoodserviceResults, told the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/05\/14\/lifestyle\/mcdonalds-is-getting-rid-of-free-refills-and-more-fast-food-chains-may-follow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Alex Susskind, a professor at Cornell University, pointed out to Marketplace that self-serve soda machines require significant maintenance and cleaning, which can be burdensome for staff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ice has to be replaced, you have to clean up the mess, you have to pick up the straw fragments,\u201d Susskind said.<\/p>\n<p>While the cost of providing free refills is minimal per drink, the cumulative expense can be substantial for a chain serving millions daily, Susskind suggested.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery penny is starting to matter, particularly in quick service,\u201d Susskind said, according to Marketplace.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>\u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d Those 12 words have been stuck in my head since I first read them. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn recently made that comment to Floyd Brown, founder of The Western Journal. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>And if the leftists and the elites get their way, that\u2019s exactly what will happen \u2014 no real election, no real choice for the Electoral College, and no real say for the American people. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal is fighting to keep that from happening, but we can\u2019t do it alone.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We work tirelessly to expose the lying leftist media and the corrupt America-hating elites.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech\u2019s stranglehold is now so tight that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without help<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  from you, we will not be able to continue the fight. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The 2024 election is literally the most important election for every living American. We have to unite and fight for our country, otherwise we will lose it. And if we lose the America we love in 2024, we\u2019ll lose it for good. Can we <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>count on you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to help? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>With you we will be able to field journalists, do more investigative work, expose more corruption, and get desperately needed truth to millions of Americans. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We can do this only with your help. Please don\u2019t wait one minute.<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>  Donate right now<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Thank you for reading,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-45471\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/ajose\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-45471\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-45471\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-45471\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-45471\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>News reporter and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-update-after-inmates-charged-with-heinous-crimes-escape-jail\/\" title=\"Significant Development: Escape of Inmates Charged with Serious Crimes\">international affairs analyst published<\/a> and syndicated in over 100 national and international outlets, including The National Interest, The Daily Caller, and The Western Journal. Covers international affairs, security, and U.S. politics. Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies candidate at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  News reporter and international affairs analyst published and syndicated in over 100 national and international outlets, including The National Interest, The Daily Caller, and The Western Journal. Covers international affairs, security, and U.S. politics. Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies candidate at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. Follow Andrew on Twitter: @RealAndrewJose <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  Washington, District of Columbia <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Spanish, Tamil, Hindi, French, Russian <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  International Politics, National Security, U.S. Politics <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fast-food giant McDonald\u2019s starts phasing out free drink refills to trim costs, a shift likely to be replicated by other chains. Uber Eats driver Nathan Selkirk shared encountering a Pittsburgh McDonald\u2019s that had implemented this change<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":372,"featured_media":2245400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mcdonalds-for-may-15-2024.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2245399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mcdonalds-for-may-15-2024.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2245399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/372"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2245399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2245399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2245400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2245399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2245399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2245399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}