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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:23:28 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
In hindsight, that sucked, huh? Yes, most definitely. My step-dad used to take us out to Red Lobster just about every Friday evening the the late 80s. They didn't have free refills and he used to cringe when my brother and I would say yes to a refill. I think it was around a $1 each/refill back then. We eventually learned to like one coke and then water for the rest of the meal. Free refills are awesome! |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:26:19 PM EDT
[#2]
i worked at Wendy's when i was in high school in the late 80's. Wendy's during that time was the 1st place to offer free refills. i'm sure this helped start the obesity epidemic...
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:27:20 PM EDT
[#3]
I remember Burger King was the first restuarant to get the drink station in the dining room. The labor they save on not filling peoples pop offsets the cost I imagine. I just ate at Wendy's tonight and they had the old method. Kind of sucked.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:29:42 PM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
I remember Burger King was the first restuarant to get the drink station in the dining room. The labor they save on not filling peoples pop offsets the cost I imagine. I just ate at Wendy's tonight and they had the old method. Kind of sucked. Yeah, pisses me off when I go into the odd mcdonalds that has it behind the counter like wendys |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:31:41 PM EDT
[#5]
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:36:58 PM EDT
[#6]
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:38:59 PM EDT
[#7]
Quoted:
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. Exactly |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:40:04 PM EDT
[#8]
And obesity did what?
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:40:17 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. ........and once a few chains stopped charging for refills it became a trend and now unless you are ordering drinks made in the bar it is unlikely you will pay for refills. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:42:33 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
And obesity did what? ZING! 
Free refills kick ass though, just not for 450lb people 
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:42:43 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
And obesity did what? Honestly you could probably blame video games and television just as much as restaurants. Not to mention consumer choice controls the way a given industry goes, in food service it tends to be high sugar and high fat. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:45:00 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:48:05 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. I dunno man, last time I went out to eat a fuckin pop cost almost $2.50 Beers were $3 and worth the extra $.50 |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:48:45 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. Yep, 10 cents per glass if that |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:48:57 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. Dead wrong. Cost probably a dime to make soft drinks at a restaurant, 20 cents if you get a to go cup. Can't remember the last time I paid less than $1.75 for a soft drink in a sit down restaurant. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:50:15 PM EDT
[#16]
i like free beer refills myself.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:50:58 PM EDT
[#17]
Odd... I never get free refills on the beverages that I chose to drink
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:51:56 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. Lol, you realize this guy owns (owned?) a restaurant, right? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:53:30 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
I remember Burger King was the first restuarant to get the drink station in the dining room. The labor they save on not filling peoples pop offsets the cost I imagine. I just ate at Wendy's tonight and they had the old method. Kind of sucked. The cost of the cup is actually way more than the cost of the beverage. When I was in high school I worked at a Dairy Queen, and I actually calculated it out. Based on cost of the cup and syrup/CO2, you'd have to drink over 40 cups of soda before you broke even on the price they charged. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:54:38 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted: And obesity did what? Obesity brought the USA great inventions like the oversize ambulance and the bedside crane    |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:55:26 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. Dead wrong. Cost probably a dime to make soft drinks at a restaurant, 20 cents if you get a to go cup. Can't remember the last time I paid less than $1.75 for a soft drink in a sit down restaurant. Way less then that. Waaay waay less. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:58:20 PM EDT
[#22]
If you like it the old way, go to Amsterdam where a six ounce coke costs $5.
But it does give you a great excuse to drink beer, it is cheaper. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:58:29 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted: Mutually exclusive terms.Quoted: Quoted: There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. Dead wrong. Cost probably a dime to make soft drinks at a restaurant, 20 cents if you get a to go cup. Can't remember the last time I paid less than $1.75 for a soft drink in a sit down restaurant. Pop fountains and labor to keep them operating are more than you think. Chromekilla is correct, the profit margin on the pop is low, but not nonexistent. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:59:22 PM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
Quoted:
And obesity did what? Obesity brought the USA great inventions like the oversize ambulance and the bedside crane ......and with a little luck higher and younger mortality rates of those with no self control. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 7:59:35 PM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Quoted:
And obesity did what? Obesity brought the USA great inventions like the oversize ambulance and the bedside crane
Fat fuck trebuchet!
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:04:02 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted: Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. When I worked in the food industry the branded Coke cup and lids were the cheapest and still made up the bulk of the cost on a glass of soda. Each 5-gallon box makes 30 gallons of finished product and cost about $15 for the syrup (this was 10+ years ago though) EDIT> WOW it looks like online places are selling a 5 gallon bag of name brand stuff for $70 |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:04:43 PM EDT
[#27]
Yeah, but now you have to pay $3 for a soda or a cop of coffee whether you want refills or not.
My wife and I got tired of paying an extra $10 for us and our daughter to get a meal, so we quit ordering drinks and now just get water. No appetizers or desert either. Maybe a dinner salad. In the long run, you save a lot of money by skipping the beverages. The one exception is if we go out for a good steak or prime rib, then we have wine with the food. A good prime rib without a matching Cabernet just doesn't cut it. 
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:05:24 PM EDT
[#28]
Damn....... this thread is making me thirsty.... for a [ETA: 2nd/free] cup of dr pepper
(not me, just pulled from google images) 
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:05:35 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted:
Quoted:
There are still some that do. Which is funny, cost of goods has gone up, not down, yet there are less places that make you pay for a refill now then there was 10-15 years ago. They are not making money on the pop. Its a draw tactic, much the same as coupons. Oh I think you're wrong, the most expensive part of the drink is the damn cup. Back in my younger years we did some math on this for a business class. A McD large soda was around $1.10 then, the company's cost was about $.04 for the cup, less than three cents for the lid and straw, syrup was about 2 or 3 cents, then there was the carbon dioxide and water. Total cost to the company was less than $0.13 cents by my recollection (not county labor, or advertising, etc) That was $0.97 profit then on a $1.10 item. That's stupid money on the investment. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:09:50 PM EDT
[#30]
If you like free refills don't ever travel outside the US.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:12:40 PM EDT
[#31]
A five gallon Bag in a box of Coke is about $55 in bulk, delivered. That bag of syrup makes 30 gallons of Soda. 30 gallons times 128 ounces comes to over 3840 ounces, or about 240 16 ounce servings.
If a restaurant averages two refills per cup sold, that comes to 80 paid for servings. This is probably a low number, I don't think that the average person needs their drink refilled twice. This is also probably low being that most non-fast food restaurants typically serve drinks in 20 ounce glasses or plastic cups, and they use a lot of ice, so the drink probably contains much closer to 12 ounces of soda, but we will estimate on the expensive side. Most restaurants charge very close to $2 for a soda, but we will use the $1.75 number for our math. 80 paid servings times $1.75 comes to $140 total income from the paid for servings. The bag of syrup was about $55, of course there are other charges, water and CO2, electricity for the ice machine, probably not much more than five dollars for the 30 gallons of soda made from that one bag of syrup. I would say that a sixty dollar expenditure to return $140 in sales isn't bad. Of course you have to either pay for disposable cups, or pay somebody to wash the reusable glasses and cups, as well as somebody to pour the drinks and carry them to the table. There is little doubt that the labor involved is far more expensive than the beverage. Especially if you crank the numbers up to a more realistic range, average price is probably a little closer to $2 for a soda with a meal, average amount of soda in the glass is probably less than 16 ounces, and average number of refills is probably less than two per paid drink, probably much closer to 1.5. Even with free refills the soda fountain is a money maker for the restaurant. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:14:34 PM EDT
[#32]
I always figured a place like mcdonalds was making more money on the pop and fries then the burgers
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:16:35 PM EDT
[#33]
There are still a few backwoods places around here that don't offer a free refill. For $2.50 you get a can of pop and a glass half filled with ice
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:20:02 PM EDT
[#34]
Quoted:
Odd... I never get free refills on the beverages that I chose to drink A few local bars here will do a $5 all you can drink draft beer domestic beer from 10PM-1AM.
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:33:11 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted: If you like free refills don't ever travel outside the US. I was gunna say..where are my free refills??? |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:34:40 PM EDT
[#36]
Quoted:
Quoted:
If you like free refills don't ever travel outside the US. I was gunna say..where are my free refills??? Blame the Canadians, their bags are costly, and use up all of the refills outside of the US. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:35:08 PM EDT
[#37]
Quoted: Quoted: If you like free refills don't ever travel outside the US. I was gunna say..where are my free refills??? Your commonwealth brothers in America's Hat are drinking all your free refills (mcd and others have free refills). |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:36:20 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: A few local bars here will do a $5 all you can drink draft beer domestic beer from 10PM-1AM. Fuck me..semi auto guns and 5 buck all you can drink beer!!! Truly an amazing country....  |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:40:33 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. We switched from Coke to Pepsi so that cost went down from a nickle per serving to 3 pennies. Soft drinks are a huge money maker for restaurants;the profit margain kicks the crap out of booze. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 8:45:03 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
That is correct. The cup costs more than the product, but that is where they make money. If every one just bought a burger & fries, they would go out of business in a week.
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 9:19:00 PM EDT
[#41]
Quoted:
Quoted:
A few local bars here will do a $5 all you can drink draft beer domestic beer from 10PM-1AM. Fuck me..semi auto guns and 5 buck all you can drink beer!!! Truly an amazing country....
There's a price. It's on tap domestic. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 9:20:27 PM EDT
[#42]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Beverages are so cheap to the restaurant its not even funny. We switched from Coke to Pepsi so that cost went down from a nickle per serving to 3 pennies. Soft drinks are a huge money maker for restaurants;the profit margain kicks the crap out of booze. Gotta love 6630% profit margin. |
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Posted: 3/15/2011 9:35:18 PM EDT
[#43]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A few local bars here will do a $5 all you can drink draft beer domestic beer from 10PM-1AM. Fuck me..semi auto guns and 5 buck all you can drink beer!!! Truly an amazing country....
There's a price. It's on tap domestic. Sorry, but I'll drink me some on tap Yuengling all night long. 
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Posted: 3/15/2011 9:36:04 PM EDT
[#44]
Quoted:
A five gallon Bag in a box of Coke is about $55 in bulk, delivered. That bag of syrup makes 30 gallons of Soda. 30 gallons times 128 ounces comes to over 3840 ounces, or about 240 16 ounce servings. If a restaurant averages two refills per cup sold, that comes to 80 paid for servings. This is probably a low number, I don't think that the average person needs their drink refilled twice. This is also probably low being that most non-fast food restaurants typically serve drinks in 20 ounce glasses or plastic cups, and they use a lot of ice, so the drink probably contains much closer to 12 ounces of soda, but we will estimate on the expensive side. Most restaurants charge very close to $2 for a soda, but we will use the $1.75 number for our math. 80 paid servings times $1.75 comes to $140 total income from the paid for servings. The bag of syrup was about $55, of course there are other charges, water and CO2, electricity for the ice machine, probably not much more than five dollars for the 30 gallons of soda made from that one bag of syrup. I would say that a sixty dollar expenditure to return $140 in sales isn't bad. Of course you have to either pay for disposable cups, or pay somebody to wash the reusable glasses and cups, as well as somebody to pour the drinks and carry them to the table. There is little doubt that the labor involved is far more expensive than the beverage. Especially if you crank the numbers up to a more realistic range, average price is probably a little closer to $2 for a soda with a meal, average amount of soda in the glass is probably less than 16 ounces, and average number of refills is probably less than two per paid drink, probably much closer to 1.5. Even with free refills the soda fountain is a money maker for the restaurant. Up that number from 80 to closer to 120, That is why every pop that you buy is completely full of ice, it makes the actual amount of soda far less. {edit} quoted after the ninja edit. |
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Posted: 3/16/2011 12:45:18 AM EDT
[#45]
a spinner
http://www.chongas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/america-guindaste.jpg |
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Posted: 3/16/2011 12:59:47 AM EDT
[#46]
Quoted:
a spinner What? |
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Posted: 3/16/2011 1:06:57 AM EDT
[#47]
Quoted:
Quoted:
A few local bars here will do a $5 all you can drink draft beer domestic beer from 10PM-1AM. Fuck me..semi auto guns and 5 buck all you can drink beer!!! Truly an amazing country....
There was a place down south of where I live that used to do 50 cent cans of natty lite every tuesday night. They never carded my 19 year old ass when I went in there. You could always count on women with loose morals and men with hard fists. Learned a lot about life in that bar! |
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Posted: 3/16/2011 1:12:26 AM EDT
[#48]
Quoted:
And obesity did what? Switched to Diet Coke.
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Posted: 3/16/2011 1:32:52 AM EDT
[#49]
Actually stopped at a little Mexican restaurant in a small town close to home a few weeks ago. They actually charged us for drink refills. We thought that was odd.
Last I remember at Wendy's, they charge $0.25 for a refill. |
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Posted: 3/16/2011 2:24:34 AM EDT
[#50]
Quoted:
If you like it the old way, go to Amsterdam where a six ounce coke costs $5. But it does give you a great excuse to drink beer, it is cheaper. Thats the reason I looked at this thread, I was like : Holy crap you mean you guys in the USA can refill your drinks for free  , i feel cheated.
When the amensty comes I'm so over there
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