McDonald’s Employees Purport Why Its Ice Cream Machines Are Always ‘Broken’
By Mikelle Leow, 25 Oct 2019

Image via Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock.com
For McDonald’s fans, finally getting their hands on a soft serve or milkshake at the chain is like receiving a ticket to Narnia. The ice cream machines are notorious for always being “broken,” which begs the question why the sweets are still on the menu.
At long last, some of the company’s former employees have supposedly cracked the mystery. A tweet by former McDonald’s staff member Will Doyle admitting to why customers can never get their ice cream has gone viral.
“The ice cream machine was never broke,” he divulged. “It just takes three hours to clean, so we used to say it was broke so we didn’t have to serve you lot. Cheers x.”
Fellow employee Megan Wojcik chimed in, “Or someone would accidentally press the weird heat button, which spoiled the ice cream/shakes, so it had to be cleaned. I did that so many times.”
Apparently, the justification isn’t exclusive to McDonald’s. One Burger King staffer wrote, “We do it [at] Burger King too, especially when the drive-thru [is] busy. It was easier for us not to serve you shakes and ice cream.”
Customers have supposedly been lied to, and it doesn’t feel good. In employees’ defense, though, the upkeep of the machines is an arduous process. McDonald’s also once confirmed that the routine is time-consuming, tweeting, “Our shake and soft-serve ice cream machines undergo heat treatment cycles every 24 hours—they’re disassembled, sanitized and cleaned every 14 days. We’re sorry for any inconvenience.”
Btw, I used to work in McDonalds. The ice cream machine was never broke, it just takes 3 hours to clean so we used to say it was broke so we didn’t have to serve you lot 😂😂Cheers x
— Will•Doyle 🌴 (@will_doyle) October 21, 2019
Question is, why are they making machines for fast food chains that take 3 hours to clean
— Rhys Thomas (@rhysthomas24) October 22, 2019
because people dont understand that you cant use it at all when its on a cleaning cycle.. they just think you’re like wiping it down or something, its easier to say its broken
— Eleanor🏴☠️🌸 (@ikariarunner) October 22, 2019
Or someone would accidentally press the weird heat button which spoiled the ice cream/shakes so it had to be cleaned 😂 I did that so many times
— Megan Wojcik (@megwojcikx) October 22, 2019
Was there for about 6 months meself and it was never once broke
— Dane (@Dane99_) October 22, 2019
Bf recently worked there... can confirm the absolute truth in this! And that barely anyone knows how to actually clean it
— Kat♡ (@KatAndTheTribe) October 22, 2019
We do it Burger King too 🤷🏻♀️ especially when the drive thru was busy, it was easier for us not to serve you shakes and ice cream 😂
— Megan Hart (@meganjanehartx) October 22, 2019
Here's the scoop, Devin! Our shake & soft serve ice cream machines undergo heat treatment cycles every 24 hrs—they're disassembled & cleaned every 14 days. We're sorry for any inconvenience.
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) August 18, 2019
[via Edinburgh Live, cover image via Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock.com]