The FTC is Investigating McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines

McDonald's inability to serve ice cream has long been the subject of jokes, since their ice cream machines are almost always out of order, so you may as well not order a McFlurry. When you do, odds are that the answer will come back through the drive-through speaker, "Machine's broken." We have all become used to it, so it came as a surprise to learn that the Federal Trade Commission is looking into why these machines are constantly broken. The short answer that's been around for years is that cleaning the machine is so complicated, workers often just skip it. There's more to it than that.

The mystery surrounding the machines has been long documented. They’re notoriously hard to clean, and when their nightly automated maintenance fails, the franchise must wait for a repair technician. There have been some fixes for this. The startup Kytch launched a device that alerts owners to breakdowns, providing them with a clear message for what went wrong. Currently, the machines themselves, produced by Taylor Commercial Foodservice LLC, offer messages that are as clear as a McFlurry with messages like “ERROR: XSndhUIF LHPR>45F 1HR LPROD too VISC.” What a joy it must be to read that message while working a backed-up McDonald’s drive-thru during a global pandemic.

It's possible to be a little too high-tech, I guess. But somehow, Dairy Queen and other fast food outlets manage to serve ice cream all day long. The real question is what can, or will, the FTC, or McDonald's, do about it? Read more at the A.V. Club.


Dairy Queen. Congratulations Miss C! I've reading these stories for years and until now, never have I saw mention of Dairy Queen. The company that started it all with their Blizzard. One can only imagine what they're thinking as their restraint has been remarkable. Is there a word for quiet Schadenfreude? Anyway, I think over-engineered is the undestatement of the year when it comes to the McFlurry. As for the FTC, good for them, go get 'em, because right to repair is a just cause. Apple should be afraid.
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