Ever wonder why @McDonalds Coke tastes BETTER than anywhere else?
It’s not in your head. McDonald’s goes above and beyond to make their drinks elite. They even have their own division at @CocaCola HQ - no one else does.
Let me break it down. 🥤🧵👇 1/8
First up: THE EQUIPMENT.
McDonald’s uses specialized equipment (Multiplex) to pre-chill not only your water but your syrup. You can see in this video that there is a 4 inch ice bank around the copper tubing. If you mix cold water with room temp syrup - you lose some carbonation & bite. This is the heart beat of the Diet Coke you love. Very very few restaurant chains have this $25k setup. 2/8
Then there’s THE WATER. 💧
McDonald’s filters their water like crazy to remove any impurities. Why? Because water is a key ingredient in fountain drinks, and they make sure it’s as pure as possible for the cleanest, crispest flavor. When you wonder why your Coke doesn’t taste great from a local restro fountain, 80% of the time you are tasting the choline in the water. It throws off the taste completely. Nasty.
When we filter the water we want to make sure there are still minerals in the water. If you take all the minerals out, there’s nothing for the carbonation to attach to. In some instances, we have to add minerals to the water to get the correct carbonation.
We also have different water lines/filters for our coffee products as they need reverse osmosis water. It’s not the same water supply as our sodas. 3/8
Temperature is key. 🔑 ❄️
@McDonalds keeps both the syrup and carbonated water ice cold—between 33°F and 36°F. The colder
the liquid, the more it can absorb carbonation better, so your drink stays fizzy and refreshing longer. That’s why your Sprite burns.
Coke’s internal temp recommendation is under 38°F, our standard is higher than cokes.
Our syrup is also extremely fresh. We sell so much Coke, it doesn’t come in a 2.5 or 5 gallon BIB but 75 gallon stainless steel barrels 🤯4/8
Even the ICE is special. 🧊
McDonald’s uses non-porous ice, meaning it melts slower and doesn’t dilute your drink as fast. That’s why your soda still tastes great even when you’re halfway through the cup. I know people love to chew on pellet ice but it is absolutely the worst ice you can put in a soft drink. It waters down your drink at a faster rate. 5/8
Oh, and THE STRAW.
Ever notice McDonald’s straws are wider than most? That’s intentional. The larger diameter lets more Coke hit your taste buds at once, delivering a bolder, more intense flavor experience.
I know there is some chatter lately about our new clear biodegradable plastic straw. While not as thick as the OG, it is a lot better for the environment. 6/8
They don’t stop there—METICULOUS CALIBRATION.
Every 3 months, a Coke technician comes in to fine-tune McDonald’s drink machines. From syrup ratios to carbonation levels, they ensure everything is perfect.
That’s attention to detail. 7/8
TL;DR: McDonald’s isn’t just serving Coke. They’re serving perfection.
🔹 Expensive drink equipment
🔹 Pure filtered water
🔹 Stainless steel syrup tanks
🔹 Ice-cold temperature (33–36°F)
🔹 Non-porous ice
🔹 Fizz science
🔹 WIDER STRAW
🔹 Routine maintenance
We don’t play when it comes to soda. If you miss one of these steps, it throws off the drink 🥤🔥
Did you know how much science went into a perfect Coke? What are your thoughts 👇 end of 🧵 8/8
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First off, I’m not a fan of this layout, but let me explain why with a 🧵on the history of @mcdonalds recent remodels & context from my experience.
In 2018, $MCD aimed to transition from a “legacy QSR” to a “modern QSR.” This kicked off a historic remodel program to modernize 14,000+ restaurants in just 5 years—a monumental feat and $7,000,000,000 1/7
This was a jaw-dropping $7 billion remodeling initiative (my calculations) split about 50/50 between franchisees and MHQ.
MHQ partly funded this through the 2017 sale of its China business to CITIC Group & Carlyle Group for a little over $2 billion. Franchisees funded it through cash flow or debt. Projects ranged from $250k to $1M depending on if it was lobby vs lobby + outside. 2/7
Early on, $MCD ran into a design change. The first 6 months of remodels used the 1.0 plan—even though the 2.0 design was ready. Why? Meeting deadlines took priority. Remodeling 14k restro's is a feat in of itself!!
To fix it later, MHQ would charge a flat fee of $13,500 per restaurant to update these “backcast” remodels. Franchisees were not happy. 3/7
The NOA may have some demands & Corp may not like their demands but for any news outlet to say that the $MCD franchisees are disenfranchised or have a different view of Corp vs 1 month ago is incorrect.
Many operators I’ve spoken to are very positive abt their Corp relationship
$MCD operators are just as worried as other small business owners. We aren’t exempt from the difficulties of cash flow issues due to COVID.
Joe is very highly respected & valued to the operators. We can disagree on issues & not be viewed as a disfunctional bunch
If you speak with an $McD franchisee who hasn’t read this article, they would have no clue about any “beef” between franchisees & Corp going on.
This is called a media-hyped story that is factual, but not reality.