• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

How much do the Coke machines that fast food restaraunts have cost?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
RossMAN said:
Correct. I've been to 3 Subways which had perfect Pepsi, it was weird.
Click to expand...
Maybe Pepsi tastes best with the smell of freshly baked bread in the air?

It's got to taste better that way than with the smell of bread as old as this thread. 😛
 
TADHoldings said:
As a former mid-level manager I can tell you that McDonald's coke systems cost about 30k. That is not installed and does not include the fountains or the ABS(Automated Beverage System) in the drive thru. That is just for the multiplex in the back. Additionally as part of the agreement Coke sends our technicians quarterly to calibrate the fountains to ensure that the product is being dispensed correctly.

If you speak with any of the fountain tech people, the non coke employed ones, they will tell you that the coke at McDonald's is as close to the coke at the bottling plants as you can get without building an actual bottling plant.
Click to expand...
Must be ridiculously profitable if stores ante up for that. Consumers pay ... $2 (???) ... for 14 cent beverage - I bet.
(don't know what drinks cost at McDonald's)
 
Pepsei said:
Coke supplies kegs of syrup or box of syrup to restaraunts which is mixed with carbonated water in the fountain. You can buy the boxes of syrup at Sam's Club, but you have to have a fountain to use it with. Coke tries to make their products consistant from package to package (they have a reputation to maintain), but it's impossible for them to taste the same always (since the container affects the taste). Out of the fountain, Coke can vary based on the water in the carbonated water and the amount of carbonation and the ratio of syrup to carbonated water (all of which can be adjusted). Some kegs of soda may have been premixed with filtered water.
Click to expand...
There is little truth to what you just posted!! Coke and pepsi insist on being hands on when it comes to their product so that they can make sure it tastes like Coke or pepsi!1 A technician comes in at regular intervals and adjusts the machine in case it goes off calibration!!
 
FeuerFrei said:
Must be ridiculously profitable if stores ante up for that. Consumers pay ... $2 (???) ... for 14 cent beverage - I bet.
(don't know what drinks cost at McDonald's)
Click to expand...
McDonald's actually has a custom plan to make their coke better. (so it's actually sweeter than typical fountain Coke) They do this because they calculated the average melt-rate of ice and realized they need to pre-chill their syrup. They use automated systems to deliver roughly the same ratio of ice to soda in the cups... From there, they can compensate for ice melt and their Coke doesn't taste as watered down as quickly as competitors... There are other things like the straw width, etc... That's why McDonald's Coke always tastes a little different than from other places.

www.businessinsider.com

The real reason McDonald's Coke tastes so good

Coca Cola aficionados maintain that Coke at McDonald's tastes better than elsewhere — here's why.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com
 
I know this is an old topic, but I am curious if those new ultra super duper mixing machines with touchscreens today are expensive or not.

No idea personally.
 
s0me0nesmind1 said:
I know this is an old topic, but I am curious if those new ultra super duper mixing machines with touchscreens today are expensive or not.

No idea personally.
Click to expand...

Coke leases the machines @ $320/month each and supplies are more costly too. It's suggested that it costs 25-45% more to operate the machine depending on where you're located.

#1 People are slow as Christmas. This causes backups at the machine.
#2 There are too many selections. The syrup packs aren't a bag in a box like most other coke systems switched to. They're like toner cartridges for a color laser printer with coke being black ink. The issue here is when they run out of syrup, someone has to go to the machine and reload it.....they have to see what's out and then walk to the back to get the supplies. In the old days, they just switched boxes on the spot without the walking.
#3 I'm curious how many customers see a line form at busy times and skip out on that 2nd or 3rd refill that many Americans go for.

Ohh yeah...and I rarely eat fast food and don't work in a restaurant. I just hate this kind of thing when technology isn't required, but they add gimmicks to wow people. I like the old school fountain systems the best.
 
Scarpozzi said:
Coke leases the machines @ $320/month each and supplies are more costly too. It's suggested that it costs 25-45% more to operate the machine depending on where you're located.

#1 People are slow as Christmas. This causes backups at the machine.
#2 There are too many selections. The syrup packs aren't a bag in a box like most other coke systems switched to. They're like toner cartridges for a color laser printer with coke being black ink. The issue here is when they run out of syrup, someone has to go to the machine and reload it.....they have to see what's out and then walk to the back to get the supplies. In the old days, they just switched boxes on the spot without the walking.
#3 I'm curious how many customers see a line form at busy times and skip out on that 2nd or 3rd refill that many Americans go for.

Ohh yeah...and I rarely eat fast food and don't work in a restaurant. I just hate this kind of thing when technology isn't required, but they add gimmicks to wow people. I like the old school fountain systems the best.
Click to expand...
Only time I get soda is when I go to Fuddruckers and they have these machines. Love to get a creme soda with my burger.
 
my company has one in the break room. i was talking to the facilities manager about it and each 5 pound bag of syrup is a hundred bucks. our two most popular flavors are lemonade and Brisk Tea, we go through 2 bags a week of lemonade and tea. people be snarfing down the Arnold Palmer's. 😵
 
Scarpozzi said:
Coke leases the machines @ $320/month each and supplies are more costly too. It's suggested that it costs 25-45% more to operate the machine depending on where you're located.

#1 People are slow as Christmas. This causes backups at the machine.
#2 There are too many selections. The syrup packs aren't a bag in a box like most other coke systems switched to. They're like toner cartridges for a color laser printer with coke being black ink. The issue here is when they run out of syrup, someone has to go to the machine and reload it.....they have to see what's out and then walk to the back to get the supplies. In the old days, they just switched boxes on the spot without the walking.
#3 I'm curious how many customers see a line form at busy times and skip out on that 2nd or 3rd refill that many Americans go for.

Ohh yeah...and I rarely eat fast food and don't work in a restaurant. I just hate this kind of thing when technology isn't required, but they add gimmicks to wow people. I like the old school fountain systems the best.
Click to expand...


lol in the old days (when i worked at mcducks in high school) the syrup was in pressurized metal tanks. took up a lot of space and you learned quickly how to disconnect and reconnect the hoses. Do it wrong and you will get a high pressure syrup shower.
 
Scarpozzi said:
McDonald's actually has a custom plan to make their coke better. (so it's actually sweeter than typical fountain Coke) They do this because they calculated the average melt-rate of ice and realized they need to pre-chill their syrup. They use automated systems to deliver roughly the same ratio of ice to soda in the cups... From there, they can compensate for ice melt and their Coke doesn't taste as watered down as quickly as competitors... There are other things like the straw width, etc... That's why McDonald's Coke always tastes a little different than from other places.

www.businessinsider.com

The real reason McDonald's Coke tastes so good

Coca Cola aficionados maintain that Coke at McDonald's tastes better than elsewhere — here's why.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com
Click to expand...

I have to say my experience is the total opposite. I hate McD's fountain drinks and its the one place I absolutely know ahead of time I won't get a fountain drink at because its always terrible. It never tastes right and I would not say its because its richer, usually it tastes more watered down, and just tastes like the manager is trying to be a complete cheapass to save some fraction of cents by running a lean syrup mix.

I think they were the site that had an article listing the soft drinks as one of the like top 3 foods (out of 25) to get at Costco, claiming basically the same thing (that Costco goes richer with the syrup or something), and I feel almost the same way about Costsco's. I like them better than McD's (although that is probably down to being Pepsi instead of Coke), but it still doesn't taste right and it tastes warmer and more watered down.

And here's the thing, I actually like very cold and bit watered down soft drinks. I regularly have to request a glass of ice at sit down restaurants because even when I tell most places "lots of ice, literally fill it to the top with ice" they fill it like a quarter or maybe half full of ice. And it always tastes excessively rich to me and even makes my teeth hurt because its so sugary and not diluted over the ice.

I also seem to have a sense about this as I've pointed out to places when their syrup mix is off and its basically always been the case. That actually happened at a regional burger place (Blake's Lottaburger, definite recommendation from me if you're in New Mexico area; they have a few in Tucson and I think maybe some in Texas and maybe Colorado, which they'd migrate to Phoenix) last weekend. Had to wait for them to swap to new syrup but it was so much better after they did. They had the Pepsi version of the FreeStyle machines (I see people mention Fuddruckers, bastards switched to Coke from Pepsi; they were the first place I saw the Pepsi ones and made me wish other places offered them so I could get Cherry Pepsi since few chains had it in their fountains - Blake's was one and now Culver's is another).

Any convenient store (that doesn't need to swap in new syrup) has richer fountains than McDs does. You can literally see the difference as it pours in your cup.
 
Luna1968 said:
my company has one in the break room. i was talking to the facilities manager about it and each 5 pound bag of syrup is a hundred bucks. our two most popular flavors are lemonade and Brisk Tea, we go through 2 bags a week of lemonade and tea. people be snarfing down the Arnold Palmer's. 😵
Click to expand...
I did a little research. When you add Vodka it's called a John Daly. I highly doubt your co workers are downing the Arnold Palmer without mixing it with a spirit.
 
Luna1968 said:
lol in the old days (when i worked at mcducks in high school) the syrup was in pressurized metal tanks. took up a lot of space and you learned quickly how to disconnect and reconnect the hoses. Do it wrong and you will get a high pressure syrup shower.
Click to expand...
I own 4 Cornelius kegs at home and know all about ball lock stainless steel kegs and how to change them out.....I fill them with beer. :beermug:
 
darkswordsman17 said:
I have to say my experience is the total opposite. I hate McD's fountain drinks and its the one place I absolutely know ahead of time I won't get a fountain drink at because its always terrible. It never tastes right and I would not say its because its richer, usually it tastes more watered down, and just tastes like the manager is trying to be a complete cheapass to save some fraction of cents by running a lean syrup mix.

I think they were the site that had an article listing the soft drinks as one of the like top 3 foods (out of 25) to get at Costco, claiming basically the same thing (that Costco goes richer with the syrup or something), and I feel almost the same way about Costsco's. I like them better than McD's (although that is probably down to being Pepsi instead of Coke), but it still doesn't taste right and it tastes warmer and more watered down.

And here's the thing, I actually like very cold and bit watered down soft drinks. I regularly have to request a glass of ice at sit down restaurants because even when I tell most places "lots of ice, literally fill it to the top with ice" they fill it like a quarter or maybe half full of ice. And it always tastes excessively rich to me and even makes my teeth hurt because its so sugary and not diluted over the ice.

I also seem to have a sense about this as I've pointed out to places when their syrup mix is off and its basically always been the case. That actually happened at a regional burger place (Blake's Lottaburger, definite recommendation from me if you're in New Mexico area; they have a few in Tucson and I think maybe some in Texas and maybe Colorado, which they'd migrate to Phoenix) last weekend. Had to wait for them to swap to new syrup but it was so much better after they did. They had the Pepsi version of the FreeStyle machines (I see people mention Fuddruckers, bastards switched to Coke from Pepsi; they were the first place I saw the Pepsi ones and made me wish other places offered them so I could get Cherry Pepsi since few chains had it in their fountains - Blake's was one and now Culver's is another).

Any convenient store (that doesn't need to swap in new syrup) has richer fountains than McDs does. You can literally see the difference as it pours in your cup.
Click to expand...
I know where you're coming from even though I didn't state that McD's was a different ratio of carbonated water to syrup based on the machine. I think that's a patented ratio for the most part and I'm sure McD's is limited in what they can change without Coke throwing a fit. I know the Coke FreeStyle machines are leased and likely can't be tampered with. The article was suggesting that McDonald's changes the temp of the syrup so the mix stays colder longer with the same amount of ingredients and that wider straws do something (not sure if that's just a coincidence based on milkshake efficiency or what).

Like I said, I'm not a big soft drink person....but I can imagine what you're saying could definitely hold up anywhere too. Every system is different and they can all be off for different reasons....for better or worse. One thing that the old systems have that are bad are beverage hoses. They usually are filled with syrup and are rarely cleaned (to my knowledge). I don't want to know what's grows in those lines if they're ever left empty for more than a few hours. In my brew setup, I pump cleaner and iodine water through my system to clean all the lines...I highly doubt the high school brigade working at McD's ever does that. I've had coke at a few locations that always had off flavors and I decided it was just from a really long run (40+ feet) of beverage lines that may have been used previously for Dr. Pepper....bad stuff.
 
Hans Gruber said:
I did a little research. When you add Vodka it's called a John Daly. I highly doubt your co workers are downing the Arnold Palmer without mixing it with a spirit.
Click to expand...

humm maybe thats why we had to roll back the last 2 sprints. fucking drunk as developers. 😛
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top