Why are McDonald’s ice cream machines broken all the time? Here’s what to know

McDonald’s regulars and loyal fans aren’t new to the fast-food chain’s ice cream machines usually broken. McDonald’s customers know quite well this has been an ongoing issue for years. The machines are pretty essential as, without them, customers can’t get a McFlurry, soft cone, or even a milkshake. 

Software engineer Rashiq Zahid made a website last year, McBroken.com. Here, people can track which McDonald’s restaurants have the out-of-order machines and the availability of McFlurry desserts, ice cream cones, sundaes, and milkshakes. 

NOT lovin' it??
The FTC wants answers on how suppliers & equipment are reviewed – because those notorious ice cream machines at @McDonalds seem to always be broken!@frankwileywtsp @GrantWTSP pic.twitter.com/QI2Wxoq3Hr

— Caitlin Lockerbie (@Caitlin_WTSP) September 2, 2021

How is the FTC related to this?

Now, the Federal Trade Commission finally reached out to McDonald’s to know what’s up with all the broken ice cream machines, the Wall Street Journal reports. This FTC’s measure is in relation to Biden’s administration’s right to repair move. As the right encompasses to investigate if manufacturers are preventing owners from fixing broken machines on their own. 

In a statement to USA Today, McDonald’s stated it has “no reason to believe we are the focus of an FTC investigation.”

The company added, “Intrinsic to the interest in our soft serve machines is our fans’ love of McDonald’s iconic McFlurry desserts and shakes, nothing is more important to us than delivering in our high standards for food quality and safety, which is why we work with fully vetted partners that can reliably provide safe solutions at scale.”

Though this isn’t a new issue, customers still complain about how often McDonald’s ice cream machines are out of order at the nearby chain. As there can be a few reasons behind this anomaly, only one caught the FTC’s interest. 

A sign is seen at a McDonald’s restaurant in Queens, New York, U.S., March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

According to The Wall Street Journal, the ice cream machines are manufactured by Taylor Commercial Foodservice LLC. and are highly specialized. According to McDonald’s restaurant owner Jim Lewis, “The ice cream machine was over-engineered. It was silly. Sometimes simple is just better.”

Mcdonald’s Resolution

The machines also require an automated heat-cleaning that can last up to only four hours. Then, if it fails, it will leave the machine unusable until repaired. 

In a nutshell, the ice cream machines require a specific. Then training to fix them which entirely depends on Taylor manufacturing. Some franchisees pay to train their staff in fixing machines, and some contact Taylor or a repair company, as the WSJ reports. 

That’s basically how Mcdonald’s broken machine got the FTC’s attention. The FTC is investigating how frequently McDonald’s owners can fix the machine on their own, WSJ reports.

In the FTC’s letter, they wrote, “the existence of a preliminary investigation does not indicate the FTC or its staff have found any wrongdoing.”

Courtney Bunting, an Illinois Mcdonald’s former crew, told WSJ that employees didn’t like cleaning the machine-made mess. “Everything about the machine is just miserable. If someone came in 30 minutes before closing and ordered a McFlurry, would you want to risk something else splattering all over the area you just wiped? No.”

While McDonald’s claims it has a team fixing the problems, they’re also looking into new solutions. These includes new maintenance and training on the machines. 

Last August 2020, McDonald’s even made a joke out of the issue on Twitter. “We have a joke about our soft serve machine but  it might not work.”