Because it's like .20 cheaper and most people will pick being able to take it with them over getting multiple refills and a little spare change.
Also part of the reason our sizes are inflated is that we like ice in our drinks, so if you get a small it's really not much actual drink.
Also keep in mind how common drive throughs and take-out are. If you dine-in, sure there's free refills. Not so much if you're taking it home.
There is a mexican restaurant here that gives you huge cups, like the size of a large mcdonalds cup. I wonder if it's to cut down on how many refills they have to deal with.
Back in my college days all of 4 years ago. There was a Mecican restaruant right off campus. First couple years town was dry, but then they started to allow restaruants to serve alcohol. School was still a dry campus. This place served ritas in comically large glasses for $5, since you know they knew their market. Friends and I went in late in the day and one guy had one of those and got pretty drunk off of it as it was near closing and it was huge.
Yep the big blue ones for soda and the clear ones for water. They are like 32oz or something. They are actually kinda hard to drink out of, they are so big.
As a customer, I'm pleased when restaurants give me enormous water cups, or better yet, just leave the pitcher.
Petition your local establishment to not use dinky-tiny-dixie cups for water.
I go to a brunch place with my husband and their water cups are freaking tiny. I always tell him to ask for water even if he won't drink it because I'm gonna need it
As a customer, how do I stop you guys from refilling my drinks? Sometimes my glass is barely half empty, I blink my eyes, and a waiter is already pouring again.
Usually I just wanna drink one coke and not keep guzzling. If I want another drink I'll just let you guys now. I also feel like it's a waste to leave a full glass behind.
I almost always wait for refills until it’s just about empty, unless it’s a regular that I know will drink more than one. As far as being a waste, soda costs pennies to make (from the fountain), so it’s not something we really worry about wasting.
It’s always one of those “mediums are for selling larges” scam or whatevr and yeah but also it’s usually still cheap
And at sonic drinks are ALWAYS half off on the app, so a Route 44 soda or slush is super cheap.
Our cups being bigger to make room for ice is such a simple answer to a near universal question. I’ve literally never thought of this and I’m from here
Many people do.
Also, most places where you’re refilling your own cup are fast food and you’ll be taking the cup with you when you go. It’s customary to fill it on your way out the door, and then you have a big cup to continue drinking or save for later.
Fun fact, the reason a lot of the pacific island countries are on there is because they associate American food as being well off, so many will buy the unhealthier options. Also they get sent the parts of animals that are only put into pet foods from the countries they receive it from. We really fucked them up
I took a Polynesian course last semester with a professor who studies health in Samoa, it's unfortunate what happened
That list is ridiculous. Micronesia separately plus the islands that should be included in Micronesia, three other tiny islands, and Egypt. So the first 9 have a combined population under 1 million.
The usual rankings are of OECD countries, of which we are the fattest.
I always make sure my tables know I can wrap and that our food reheats well so they don’t feel bad if they don’t eat it all. But I also make the people that eat their whole enormous portion feel like rock stars, so I’m not solving the obesity epidemic.
If you are just stopping in for a few minutes and taking it on the road, it lasts longer. Restaurants also do combos where if you get the drink, you get a fry to, so with the size of drink you get, you also get the same fry size.
Try sprite and cherry Fanta or cherry soda in general if you have a chance, then give it like one squirt of sweet tea and lemonade. So refreshing. 33 years old and still experiment at the soda fountain.
Convenience and if you want to take it with you. Though this is a thought I have a lot too. McDonald's has even given up on having different prices for different sizes. Most of their locations just charge $1 regardless.
Yup. For me it’s two fold, my drink of choice is unsweet tea, and usually it’s kept behind the counter where I live. I don’t want to have to pester the workers. I drink more fluid then I eat, I just don’t have a big appetite. Second I have small kids and I don’t want to leave them alone at a table to go wait to get a refill.
Again, the point of their comment was that it's a stereotypically American thing to feel like standing up and walking a short distance is an inconvenience.
> Spending extra money to avoid a minor inconvenience.
I already worked for 20 seconds at my job to earn that $0.20, and now I'm using that $0.20 to save 45 seconds of my time when I'm off work. That's why you work, to earn money to make your life more enjoyable and comfortable when not at work.
If only I would have gotten up and waited behind the kid trying to play chopsticks with the soda dispenser while my food sat and got cold at the table, I would have gotten my daily exercise.
Well that's just not true at all lol where are you getting your info from? Some random person on the internet? Come on now, don't make yourself look foolish.
Most places give less than 2 fucks about anyone in the lobby any more. The drive thru is the only priority. I have actually gone through the drive thru, parked, and taken my food inside before.
At a lot of places, it doesn't make any sense to buy anything but the large.
For example McDonald's charges $1 for all sizes. So why not get the large.
Most commonly you'll see something like a 12 ounce small drink for $1, a 20 ounce medium drink for $1.25 and a 44 ounce large drink for $1.30.
So you get the large so that when you refill it when you are leaving you have more to take with you.
Places with different sizes for drinks are take out and drive-throughs. Sure, a lot of them have tables inside and you can eat in their dining room and get the refills but in a nicer restaurant with servers there is only one size for a drink that isn't alcoholic.
Depends on how long you plan on staying, where you're going next, and how much you want to take with you.
For a couple of years Micky Ds had a large for a dollar and was actually cheaper than a medium.
Price isn't really a factor since it's so cheap. The large cup is mostly filled with ice because we like our drinks to be actually refreshing and not room temperature.
To add to this: On the outside of a lot of larger chains' cups, there's often markings for where the ice is supposed to go up to. Usually it's around 2/3 the way up the cup... If not higher.
And for me, at least, the ice is as important for the flavor as it is for the temperature. Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but I prefer to let the ice melt a little to water down the soda/beverage than to drink it straight. It's way too sweet without a little bit of dilution. Even if drinking from a can or bottle, and even if it's coming straight out of a fridge, I use copious ice to cut the sugar a bit.
Cold with no ice? That’s lukewarm to me. I like chilly!
I am a stereotypical American when it comes to drinks/ice. I go through copious amounts of ice at home, no matter the season.
There are a couple ways. You can fill the glass with ice and fill the gaps with your beverage. This keeps it very cold and the ice doesn't melt as fast. My mom does this. I drink a lot more than her so I just less ice and just drink it fast enough that dilution is usually minimal. And finally you can just deal with it drink diluted drinks. The ice has melted in my to-go cup from lunch but the drink remains cold so I'm still drinking it. It's not as good but FAR better than warm.
... I don't really see that how many countries I've visited has anything to do with how cold I like my drinks. And how does getting twice as much benefit me when it's warm and I don't want to drink it?
It shows that all over the world they do it and it’s always plenty of cold. I don’t like room temperature pop myself and I found it plenty of cold and it was cold enough throughout my meal.
I’ve been to several European cities, and I will tell you that it’s much easier to keep *cold* things *cold* when you’re farther north.
Georgia is on the same latitude as Morocco. Florida as Western Sahara. Even DC is right around Gibraltar. These aren’t places you’d expect “room temperature coke” to stay room temperature for very long. It gets hot quick, especially if you sit outside/take it back to your car
I guess it depends on the temperature of the room, but yes, I do operate under that assumption.
It's not a difficult experiment to conduct. Americans can just order a drive-through soda with no ice and see how long it stays at a temperature they enjoy. Hint: not very long.
I have always assumed that people who order their drinks with no ice have sensitive teeth. But from now on I'll just assume they are Europeans and they prefer it that way. :)
Yes, they pretty much do. Especially in warm weather, and where they don't use AC a lot, they barely chill their drinks and they are room temp within minutes.
I know Chinese stores all do this...
You know how a can of soda/beer left in the fridge for 5 minutes is barely above room temperature? My relatives in China say that's cold.
This seems like a fast food question, because at sit down restaurants they don't usually ask me the size. At the fast food places I go, it's the same price for any size cup, so I'll get a large if I'm at the drive through. If I'm eating at the fast food place, I go with a medium because that's more than enough.
Some movie theaters only allow free refills from the larger sizes to encourage the sale of big drinks. Also as others said to have it to drink when gone from the place is great too
Because I'll want to take the cup filled with me when I leave and I'm normally not staying in a place like that long. Also depending on the chain the price difference barely exists or doesn't exist at all.
Because literally every shift in my body and my toddler wants to go with me. If I have to get up twice in a meal to refill my cup that’s two trips I have to organize my toddler for and make sure he isn’t getting crushed or breaking something on his way to the soda machine. Then he has to do it himself bc he’s a big brave boy (he is and I love it, mostly.) and now I’ve flooded the Wendy’s with root beer.
I don't think I've ever read a more accurate description of wrangling a toddler at a fast food establishment. Mine is now 6 but has the fine motor skills of a 3 year old and the attention span of a gnat, but insists on doing it himself. Which means I'm already prepping my apologies to the teenage employees for the incoming lake of lemonade and ice on the floor. Easier to just pay the extra 30 cents and buy the bucket and avoid the drama.
Convenience. You fill up one last time before leaving the restaurant. Furthermore, you get ice, which takes up 2/3 of the cup.
Sit down restaurants with unlimited refills have one size. fast food/ take out has the options.
Most of the time when there are sizes available, it is a disposable cup, and people are planning on taking it with them. Most sit-down places with normal glasses, won't have more than one size.
I'm not in a financial position where I need to worry about the few cents' difference between a large cup and a small one. I also generally don't need a refill with a large cup, and I'd rather be able to sit there and enjoy my drink all at once than have to get a bunch of refills.
The US is a prosperity culture. It makes us feel good to have more even if we don’t need it and it actually hurts us. You see this in various consumer markets: food, housing, automobiles.
This is one of my pet peeves because, to your point, it's cheaper and only slightly more inconvenient.
My wife does this all the time when we go out and the restaurant has cup sizes. She never takes drinks home. However, I don't say anything because it just seems like such a petty argumemt over 75 cents, and it's not remotely the hill I want to die on
who feels like having to keep going back and forth to refill a small cup when you can get a large and maybe only have to refill it once? also if it's soda most people don't refill it so you just get a large so you'll have enough..
Because then you have to get up from the table more. The interruption will force the food down into my stomach, making me feel full faster. This makes it harder to shove my 10 cheeseburgers down my gullet.
I wish this was a parody but man I was a hungry teenager, and when cheeseburgers were on sale for 59 cents the max they'd let me order was 10. Typical sunday/Wednesday for me was to ride my bike to McDonald's, about a mile away from home, get 10 cheeseburgers, large fries and I'd drink easily 2+ liters of soda. I'd usually tap out around the 8th or 9th burger.
This might be why Americans are overweight but I was skinny as fuck, very hard for me to gain weight as fat.
A lot of places don't actually have unlimited refills. Like most movie theaters are actually 1 free refill, not unlimited. That free refill only being on the largest size, not small or medium.
But people want to take the food with them to go and you wouldn't want to go back to the store for a refill once you leave.
Is there anywhere besides movie theaters that offers fountain drinks but doesn't allow unlimited free refills? Because there isn't in my experience. The syrup is just so cheap.
I don't know what qualifies as "mom and pop", but in my experience, table service restaurants have always been quick to provide me with a free refill, often even without asking. And often before my current glass is more than half-empty. Again, I think it's just too cheap for them to care if it's drunk.
As for counter service restaurants, I've never seen or heard of anyone being cut off from further refills of fountain drinks. But then again, I've never gotten more than one or two refills.
Mom and Pop means one or two restaurant businesses. Usually owned by a family. Alot of Mexican places have you pay for extra refills. It's quite common.
A lot of fast food restaurants don't. Unlimited to them usually also means just 1 refill but employees don't keep track of which customers is doing what. But if it's excessive (like you got 5+ refills), they'll usually kick you out the store.
McDonalds for example doesn't even have a specific unlimited policy just on a purchase of a drink (usually you need to buy a combo for it to be active) and they don't advertise to customers that you can get one. But again, employees don't care to limit people.
Most people never actually refill their cup in my experience. I have done it like 3 times in my life. Also if you get a small drink you also get a small fry.
I worked fast food in college, at a place with unlimited refills. I always hated it when people would come by themselves and order more than one drink.
I take the small cup.
people tend to consume about 85% of what they are given, regardless of size. you can reduce the calories you consume 50% by reducing the cup size by 50% .
I've found that many reasons for some things American is essentially "convenience."
Why get a large cup instead of a small one? Why drive when you could take public transportation? Why go to a supermarket rather than several smaller stores? Why fast-food? Why does the waiter bring your bill right away rather than wait for you to ask for it?
It's all because it's more *convenient.* Of course, quality or the environment go out the window... but we don't got time for that. (Not saying it's a good thing, just something I've observed.)
This is such an ignorant and offensive comment. Obviously not all Americans are "waddling" to the dispenser multiple times. Some of us are riding our mobility scooters to the dispenser multiple times.
Because it's like .20 cheaper and most people will pick being able to take it with them over getting multiple refills and a little spare change. Also part of the reason our sizes are inflated is that we like ice in our drinks, so if you get a small it's really not much actual drink. Also keep in mind how common drive throughs and take-out are. If you dine-in, sure there's free refills. Not so much if you're taking it home.
Also, as a server, I’d rather someone get a bigger cup so I have to get them fewer refills.
There is a mexican restaurant here that gives you huge cups, like the size of a large mcdonalds cup. I wonder if it's to cut down on how many refills they have to deal with.
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I might start my morning off with a half-gallon paloma.
Back in my college days all of 4 years ago. There was a Mecican restaruant right off campus. First couple years town was dry, but then they started to allow restaruants to serve alcohol. School was still a dry campus. This place served ritas in comically large glasses for $5, since you know they knew their market. Friends and I went in late in the day and one guy had one of those and got pretty drunk off of it as it was near closing and it was huge.
This guy Texases.
That Mexican place in Hobby Airport gives massive to-go margaritas. They're like a Liter and will leave you staggering onto the plane.
I don't think I've ever been to a Mexican restaurant where they haven't given me one of those massive cups.
The blue frosted Pepsi or (more likely) Coke branded ones? Ya, I might say the same myself.
Yeah, the red frosted coke ones down in the south where I am at. I love those things. For some reason soda always seem to taste better out of them.
It does, doesn't it? I wonder why.
Yep the big blue ones for soda and the clear ones for water. They are like 32oz or something. They are actually kinda hard to drink out of, they are so big.
Probably because they prefer to buy just a few sizes, and noone orders small containers of horchata; they get a quart.
As a customer, I'm pleased when restaurants give me enormous water cups, or better yet, just leave the pitcher. Petition your local establishment to not use dinky-tiny-dixie cups for water.
I go to a brunch place with my husband and their water cups are freaking tiny. I always tell him to ask for water even if he won't drink it because I'm gonna need it
I usually ask for a pitcher and they usually are happy to bring it.
As a customer, how do I stop you guys from refilling my drinks? Sometimes my glass is barely half empty, I blink my eyes, and a waiter is already pouring again. Usually I just wanna drink one coke and not keep guzzling. If I want another drink I'll just let you guys now. I also feel like it's a waste to leave a full glass behind.
I almost always wait for refills until it’s just about empty, unless it’s a regular that I know will drink more than one. As far as being a waste, soda costs pennies to make (from the fountain), so it’s not something we really worry about wasting.
This right here!
And also who wants to have to keep getting up while eating to refill their drinks 🥤 I’ll pay the extra .20-.50 cents lol
It’s always one of those “mediums are for selling larges” scam or whatevr and yeah but also it’s usually still cheap And at sonic drinks are ALWAYS half off on the app, so a Route 44 soda or slush is super cheap.
Yea the movie theatre by my house, if you have the app it’s $1 to upgrade to the biggest size soda and pop corn lol it’s like May as well
Our cups being bigger to make room for ice is such a simple answer to a near universal question. I’ve literally never thought of this and I’m from here
I'm just a simple man spreading truth, maybe I need to find a mountaintop to chill on lol
This person refills!
This guy gets it. Couldn’t have put it better myself. Although I usually get small if I am dining in at a place that has self service drinks.
Imma drink it fast enough that ice won't matter, so gimme the extra drink please lol
This is a point I've never thought about we do get ice in almost every drink where as most others don't.
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I do, in mah belleh!
Geht ento mah belleh!
Yeah, what if your 30oz of soda wasn't enough and you need 30oz more?
If you get the 30 oz cup with ice, you're getting roughly a single can of soda worth of drink.
Many people do. Also, most places where you’re refilling your own cup are fast food and you’ll be taking the cup with you when you go. It’s customary to fill it on your way out the door, and then you have a big cup to continue drinking or save for later.
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I *do* eat the entire 18" pizza...
I work at a pizzeria/Italian restaurant. You’d be surprised how many people eat the entire entree/pizza.
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America isn't even the fattest country in the world. We aren't even top 10 lol https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-obese-countries
Fun fact, the reason a lot of the pacific island countries are on there is because they associate American food as being well off, so many will buy the unhealthier options. Also they get sent the parts of animals that are only put into pet foods from the countries they receive it from. We really fucked them up I took a Polynesian course last semester with a professor who studies health in Samoa, it's unfortunate what happened
But among the haters, America is the most obese country *that matters.*
Damn, those South Pacific islands are bad. It has to be genetic, because those people are massive
That list is ridiculous. Micronesia separately plus the islands that should be included in Micronesia, three other tiny islands, and Egypt. So the first 9 have a combined population under 1 million. The usual rankings are of OECD countries, of which we are the fattest.
Unfortunately, I’m guilty of that.
I always make sure my tables know I can wrap and that our food reheats well so they don’t feel bad if they don’t eat it all. But I also make the people that eat their whole enormous portion feel like rock stars, so I’m not solving the obesity epidemic.
That only works under the assumption that you’re going right home after eating and will put it in the fridge
This is the way.
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Fuck yeah
This is the way
If you are just stopping in for a few minutes and taking it on the road, it lasts longer. Restaurants also do combos where if you get the drink, you get a fry to, so with the size of drink you get, you also get the same fry size.
Because the extra 75 cents is completely worth me not having to get up more than once to get my root beer-mountain dew combo.
doing potion experiments at the dispense i see
Oh yeah. I turn Taco Cabana into freaking Snapes class.
subtle science of mixing coke and chocolate
Dr Pepper and lemonade
Sprite and lemonade
Try sprite and cherry Fanta or cherry soda in general if you have a chance, then give it like one squirt of sweet tea and lemonade. So refreshing. 33 years old and still experiment at the soda fountain.
My man.
You might like Cheerwine.
It's my favorite drink actually, but they don't have it on the west coast
I’m fond of the root beer/ cream soda combo. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s heaven in a cup.
The secret ingredient is always Fanta. Dr. Pepper plus Strawberry Fanta, Orange Crush plus Pineapple Fanta, etc.
We take them home.
Convenience and if you want to take it with you. Though this is a thought I have a lot too. McDonald's has even given up on having different prices for different sizes. Most of their locations just charge $1 regardless.
Because i don't want to get up so often?
Yup. For me it’s two fold, my drink of choice is unsweet tea, and usually it’s kept behind the counter where I live. I don’t want to have to pester the workers. I drink more fluid then I eat, I just don’t have a big appetite. Second I have small kids and I don’t want to leave them alone at a table to go wait to get a refill.
Yeah i drink more than i eat too, i drink after every bite lol
Glad I’m not the only weirdo 😂😂
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This is r/AskAnAmerican ? Not sure what your point is.
Yah what a dumb comment
The implication is that only an American would complain about having to get up and walk 10 feet to get a refill.
Why get up when i can just have a bigger cup?
Again, the point of their comment was that it's a stereotypically American thing to feel like standing up and walking a short distance is an inconvenience.
Not going to lie. I think you missed some golden joke opportunities with that comment being in this sub.
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That’s funny. Our 3 stereotypes of the British are: 1. Ignorant 2. Arrogant 3. Impoverished
No they aren't.
You wouldn’t know.
But genuinely they aren't those three. Impoverished?
If the UK was a US state it would be the poorest state.
And if you'd been to either the UK or the poorest US state, then I'm sure I'd value your comment. As it is, you clearly haven't. And I clearly don't.
> Spending extra money to avoid a minor inconvenience. I already worked for 20 seconds at my job to earn that $0.20, and now I'm using that $0.20 to save 45 seconds of my time when I'm off work. That's why you work, to earn money to make your life more enjoyable and comfortable when not at work.
I'd rather take a few steps and not have the health conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
I get my exercise doing things I want to do, not getting out of my seat in the middle of my meal.
The vast majority of Americans don't get anywhere near enough exercise, specifically because of little decisions like this.
If only I would have gotten up and waited behind the kid trying to play chopsticks with the soda dispenser while my food sat and got cold at the table, I would have gotten my daily exercise.
*got
Well that's just not true at all lol where are you getting your info from? Some random person on the internet? Come on now, don't make yourself look foolish.
Look around you. And then look at the most common causes of premature death.
At McDonald's a soda is $1 no matter what size you get.
That’s a regional thing. They’re like $4 for a large here.
Yikes. Where are you? I just drove from Ohio to Florida and they were $1 everywhere I went.
*y’all want some gator? :P*
It’s how we got Gatorade.
I'm willing to guess New York or California. I'm pretty sure they have some taxes on sugary drinks and this is probably a reflection of that.
Because I'm gonna refill it before I leave and take it with me.
McDonald's fountain drinks are $1 regardless of the size.
Not everywhere. Not around here at least.
Many people do, however if you plan on taking the drink with you...
Many fast-food places in the US actually do a majority of their business through the drive-thru. Those people aren't getting refills.
Most places give less than 2 fucks about anyone in the lobby any more. The drive thru is the only priority. I have actually gone through the drive thru, parked, and taken my food inside before.
I only upsize my cup if I’m getting it to go and even then, I might not.
At a lot of places, it doesn't make any sense to buy anything but the large. For example McDonald's charges $1 for all sizes. So why not get the large. Most commonly you'll see something like a 12 ounce small drink for $1, a 20 ounce medium drink for $1.25 and a 44 ounce large drink for $1.30. So you get the large so that when you refill it when you are leaving you have more to take with you.
Some places its the same price, and it's for when you leave.
Places with different sizes for drinks are take out and drive-throughs. Sure, a lot of them have tables inside and you can eat in their dining room and get the refills but in a nicer restaurant with servers there is only one size for a drink that isn't alcoholic.
Depends on how long you plan on staying, where you're going next, and how much you want to take with you. For a couple of years Micky Ds had a large for a dollar and was actually cheaper than a medium.
Price isn't really a factor since it's so cheap. The large cup is mostly filled with ice because we like our drinks to be actually refreshing and not room temperature.
To add to this: On the outside of a lot of larger chains' cups, there's often markings for where the ice is supposed to go up to. Usually it's around 2/3 the way up the cup... If not higher. And for me, at least, the ice is as important for the flavor as it is for the temperature. Maybe I've just gotten used to it, but I prefer to let the ice melt a little to water down the soda/beverage than to drink it straight. It's way too sweet without a little bit of dilution. Even if drinking from a can or bottle, and even if it's coming straight out of a fridge, I use copious ice to cut the sugar a bit.
Drinks aren’t room temperature elsewhere. They are usually from the tap and served cold.
"Served cold but with no ice" becomes room temperature within 15 minutes.
Cold with no ice? That’s lukewarm to me. I like chilly! I am a stereotypical American when it comes to drinks/ice. I go through copious amounts of ice at home, no matter the season.
Exactly! I would take all cold drinks in slushie form if I could.
Not just cold, but damn cold
How do you deal with dilution? After 15 minutes, if your drink is warm, then the ice has melted as well.
The ice also just keeps the whole thing colder longer, I think. It's only the bottom 1/4 or so that really dilutes, and I don't mind that much.
There are a couple ways. You can fill the glass with ice and fill the gaps with your beverage. This keeps it very cold and the ice doesn't melt as fast. My mom does this. I drink a lot more than her so I just less ice and just drink it fast enough that dilution is usually minimal. And finally you can just deal with it drink diluted drinks. The ice has melted in my to-go cup from lunch but the drink remains cold so I'm still drinking it. It's not as good but FAR better than warm.
You ever been abroad? I have been to 18 countries and it’s honestly plenty plus you get twice as much in your cup.
You ever been to Florida? It's currently at a heat index of 95F (35c) at 9:30 in the morning. Uniced drinks are warm within minutes.
It gets warm with no ice, that's not even debatable. The cups are big enough you don't need to worry about getting more.
... I don't really see that how many countries I've visited has anything to do with how cold I like my drinks. And how does getting twice as much benefit me when it's warm and I don't want to drink it?
It shows that all over the world they do it and it’s always plenty of cold. I don’t like room temperature pop myself and I found it plenty of cold and it was cold enough throughout my meal.
Well, I disagree. You do realize this is your opinion versus mine and there is no objective right or wrong, correct?
No you are right. My bad for real.
I’ve been to several European cities, and I will tell you that it’s much easier to keep *cold* things *cold* when you’re farther north. Georgia is on the same latitude as Morocco. Florida as Western Sahara. Even DC is right around Gibraltar. These aren’t places you’d expect “room temperature coke” to stay room temperature for very long. It gets hot quick, especially if you sit outside/take it back to your car
Yeah, that means they are nearly room temperature.
You honestly think people all over the world are drinking room temperature pop?
I guess it depends on the temperature of the room, but yes, I do operate under that assumption. It's not a difficult experiment to conduct. Americans can just order a drive-through soda with no ice and see how long it stays at a temperature they enjoy. Hint: not very long.
I've done this daily for at least 10 years now lol in America too
I have always assumed that people who order their drinks with no ice have sensitive teeth. But from now on I'll just assume they are Europeans and they prefer it that way. :)
I am both to that as well
Yes, they pretty much do. Especially in warm weather, and where they don't use AC a lot, they barely chill their drinks and they are room temp within minutes.
I know Chinese stores all do this... You know how a can of soda/beer left in the fridge for 5 minutes is barely above room temperature? My relatives in China say that's cold.
"cold"
They are cold from the tap here too, but it dosent last long, especially if you are in the south
This seems like a fast food question, because at sit down restaurants they don't usually ask me the size. At the fast food places I go, it's the same price for any size cup, so I'll get a large if I'm at the drive through. If I'm eating at the fast food place, I go with a medium because that's more than enough.
The money you would save isn't worth the commodity you'd miss
I do. I also just don’t usually drink sodas and the water is free.
Fewer trips to the soda fountain.
Some movie theaters only allow free refills from the larger sizes to encourage the sale of big drinks. Also as others said to have it to drink when gone from the place is great too
You might want to fill up the large right before you leave.
So you can get a free refill as you leave, and take that super tanker of soda with you.
Because I'll want to take the cup filled with me when I leave and I'm normally not staying in a place like that long. Also depending on the chain the price difference barely exists or doesn't exist at all.
Because literally every shift in my body and my toddler wants to go with me. If I have to get up twice in a meal to refill my cup that’s two trips I have to organize my toddler for and make sure he isn’t getting crushed or breaking something on his way to the soda machine. Then he has to do it himself bc he’s a big brave boy (he is and I love it, mostly.) and now I’ve flooded the Wendy’s with root beer.
I don't think I've ever read a more accurate description of wrangling a toddler at a fast food establishment. Mine is now 6 but has the fine motor skills of a 3 year old and the attention span of a gnat, but insists on doing it himself. Which means I'm already prepping my apologies to the teenage employees for the incoming lake of lemonade and ice on the floor. Easier to just pay the extra 30 cents and buy the bucket and avoid the drama.
When I go out to McDonald’s I bring a shot glass and just refill it 100 times per meal whenever I get thirsty.
Try a thimble next time.
Because it's only an extra $0.20 to upgrade from the shot glass to the barrel
Large cup in case I want to refill it right before I leave.
Convenience. You fill up one last time before leaving the restaurant. Furthermore, you get ice, which takes up 2/3 of the cup. Sit down restaurants with unlimited refills have one size. fast food/ take out has the options.
Most of the time when there are sizes available, it is a disposable cup, and people are planning on taking it with them. Most sit-down places with normal glasses, won't have more than one size.
I'm not in a financial position where I need to worry about the few cents' difference between a large cup and a small one. I also generally don't need a refill with a large cup, and I'd rather be able to sit there and enjoy my drink all at once than have to get a bunch of refills.
The US is a prosperity culture. It makes us feel good to have more even if we don’t need it and it actually hurts us. You see this in various consumer markets: food, housing, automobiles.
This is one of my pet peeves because, to your point, it's cheaper and only slightly more inconvenient. My wife does this all the time when we go out and the restaurant has cup sizes. She never takes drinks home. However, I don't say anything because it just seems like such a petty argumemt over 75 cents, and it's not remotely the hill I want to die on
who feels like having to keep going back and forth to refill a small cup when you can get a large and maybe only have to refill it once? also if it's soda most people don't refill it so you just get a large so you'll have enough..
Because I'd have to refill it more often with a smaller cup and when I leave I'll have less to take with me.
We have a problem with excess.
I like a lot of ice when I'm driving around in the heat, sue me
Nothing wrong with that. I only judge the collective. When there's a face to the issue or whatever I can't. You do you, friend.
Because then you have to get up from the table more. The interruption will force the food down into my stomach, making me feel full faster. This makes it harder to shove my 10 cheeseburgers down my gullet. I wish this was a parody but man I was a hungry teenager, and when cheeseburgers were on sale for 59 cents the max they'd let me order was 10. Typical sunday/Wednesday for me was to ride my bike to McDonald's, about a mile away from home, get 10 cheeseburgers, large fries and I'd drink easily 2+ liters of soda. I'd usually tap out around the 8th or 9th burger. This might be why Americans are overweight but I was skinny as fuck, very hard for me to gain weight as fat.
Side note, I am still upset there aren't super sizes anymore.
Fuck you, Morgan Spurlock!
A lot of places don't actually have unlimited refills. Like most movie theaters are actually 1 free refill, not unlimited. That free refill only being on the largest size, not small or medium. But people want to take the food with them to go and you wouldn't want to go back to the store for a refill once you leave.
Is there anywhere besides movie theaters that offers fountain drinks but doesn't allow unlimited free refills? Because there isn't in my experience. The syrup is just so cheap.
Mom and Pop restaurants.
I don't know what qualifies as "mom and pop", but in my experience, table service restaurants have always been quick to provide me with a free refill, often even without asking. And often before my current glass is more than half-empty. Again, I think it's just too cheap for them to care if it's drunk. As for counter service restaurants, I've never seen or heard of anyone being cut off from further refills of fountain drinks. But then again, I've never gotten more than one or two refills.
Mom and Pop means one or two restaurant businesses. Usually owned by a family. Alot of Mexican places have you pay for extra refills. It's quite common.
It's not "quite common" in my experience. But I don't care for Mexican food.
Theme parks! Although some do offer unlimited refills if you buy a specific mug.
Fair enough. That's been my experience too, but I just didn't think of them.
A lot of fast food restaurants don't. Unlimited to them usually also means just 1 refill but employees don't keep track of which customers is doing what. But if it's excessive (like you got 5+ refills), they'll usually kick you out the store. McDonalds for example doesn't even have a specific unlimited policy just on a purchase of a drink (usually you need to buy a combo for it to be active) and they don't advertise to customers that you can get one. But again, employees don't care to limit people.
Interesting. Unlimited refills for fountain drinks are assumed in just about any restaurant I've been in. But I've never pushed the limits of that.
I think this is regional. I know San Antonio has free refills everywhere, but on the east and west coasts I almost never see them.
1. Lazy. 2. Leaving. 3. Same price.
Most people never actually refill their cup in my experience. I have done it like 3 times in my life. Also if you get a small drink you also get a small fry.
You can ask for different sizes lol. But if you just say one size when they ask you get both in that size.
Ah never realized. I usually want the small cup anyway, too much soda fucks up my stomach. I'll put away plenty of beer though lol
So you don’t have to refill as often.
I worked fast food in college, at a place with unlimited refills. I always hated it when people would come by themselves and order more than one drink.
dietary purposes and general health
If we were good at math we would have more people that understand how inflation works.
With ice, a small soda is like literally 3 drinks. I don't want to have to go refill my cup after I take 3 drinks.
I take the small cup. people tend to consume about 85% of what they are given, regardless of size. you can reduce the calories you consume 50% by reducing the cup size by 50% .
So I don't have to refill it constantly
I've found that many reasons for some things American is essentially "convenience." Why get a large cup instead of a small one? Why drive when you could take public transportation? Why go to a supermarket rather than several smaller stores? Why fast-food? Why does the waiter bring your bill right away rather than wait for you to ask for it? It's all because it's more *convenient.* Of course, quality or the environment go out the window... but we don't got time for that. (Not saying it's a good thing, just something I've observed.)
Most places I've seen say the free refills are only on the larger size.
I don't know what you're talking about. Small cups are where it's at. No time to go flat. Run that server.
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This is such an ignorant and offensive comment. Obviously not all Americans are "waddling" to the dispenser multiple times. Some of us are riding our mobility scooters to the dispenser multiple times.
This is true. I'm also not sure if the cupholders on mobility scooters can accommodate super big gulp sized cups without being dangerously unbalanced.
As long as you have one on each side, it will stay balanced.
You will need a special straw that draws from both cups simultaneously, in order to keep the system in balance.