'Stupid Idea Overall': McDonald's Is Making a Major Change to the Beloved McFlurry The sweet treat has been a staple at the fast-food chain for decades.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
McFlurry fans are in for a change when it comes to how their favorite sweet treat is served — and no, it has nothing to do with the ice cream machine constantly being broken.
This week, McDonald's announced in a blog post that the chain would be phasing out its plastic McFlurry spindle, the one-of-a-kind utensil attached to the McFlurry machine to mix the creation that also doubles as the spoon on the opposite end for customers to indulge in.
Instead, in the name of sustainability, McDonald's will begin adding reusable spindles to its machines that will be swapped out and cleaned between McFlurries, and customers will now be given a small plastic spoon to use to enjoy their treat.
Related: McDonald's Just Announced 'Free Fries Fridays.' Here's How to Get In On the Deal.
"It's hard to think of a utensil that's been the focus of more intense debate over the years," the chain wrote. "This small change will help reduce single-use plastic waste in restaurants – while giving customers the same delicious McFlurry they know and love. That's a win-win in our book."
The phase-out of the classic plastic spindle will begin this month, though McDonald's did not specify what the estimated timeline is for all restaurants to make the switch.
Naturally, not everyone on social media is thrilled about the changes, including alleged employees.
One took to Reddit to share a photo of the new "nonsense" reusable spindle and how it would impact workers, calling the decision "McBulls**t."
I'd like to point out this McBullshit
byu/AustinPwrZZ inMcDonaldsEmployees
"This completely reverses everything that made the McFlurry spoons awesome," the user wrote. "They were the mixer AND the spoon, meaning we never had to worry about constantly cleaning the mixer, just take it off and serve. It was that simple, and really, the design was genius."
"I already can see problems with this. Employees will not be trained and give the mixing spoons out," another employee commented in agreement. "Customers complaining because we don't have the clear mixing spoons anymore. Stupid idea overall."
The move to phase out the plastic spindles comes as a part of McDonald's widespread sustainability initiative that includes a promise to release a report in 2024 explaining the "pros and cons of reusable packaging in its restaurants worldwide", per a report from the Wall Street Journal.
McDonald's was down just over 3.6% year-over-year as of Friday afternoon.
