drinking soda instead of water

[broadway]

I was my local Panera for lunch.


They have the small clear plastic cups if you tell them you only want water and do not want to pay for iced tea or soda or coffee etc.


Today I saw two women with the small plastic cups with red liquid. Either fruit flavored ice tea or fruit punch.


Have you seen this before?


Who do they think they are fooling?
Of course the employee who brings them the food and takes the plates away sees it too but does not comment.

 

[braumeister]

That is something you will only see today, Halloween. The women were witches and they were drinking blood. Not as common as it once was.

 

[MichaelB]

That is something you will only see today, Halloween. The women were witches and they were drinking blood. Not as common as it once was.

 

[SumDay]

I've seen people do it. They're the ones who have to look themselves in the mirror.

 

[REWahoo]

My frugal sister takes individual packets of Crystal Light drink mix to restaurants and orders water with her meal. She occasionally gets a look from the waitstaff but leaves the empty packet near the glass in the spirit of full disclosure.

Did I mention she was frugal?

 

[CaliKid]

There is a famous picture of one of Trump's kids eating at In-n-Out drinking a dark drink in the free water cups. Google it. Not a joke. Real news. Lol.

 

[timo2]

The individual staff doesn't get paid enough to cause a stir. That's what the manager is for. As as we all know here, it is a mystery how most managers in the world got their jobs!

 

[broadway]

My frugal sister takes individual packets of Crystal Light drink mix to restaurants and orders water with her meal. She occasionally gets a look from the waitstaff but leaves the empty packet near the glass in the spirit of full disclosure.

Did I mention she was frugal?

I wonder if that constitutes bringing outside food and drink into the restaurant which is explicitly a sign at some restaurants.

 

[REWahoo]

I wonder if that constitutes bringing outside food and drink into the restaurant which is explicitly a sign at some restaurants.

I think she's been using her status as a little old lady (now 83) as a form of immunity against prosecution. Worked so far...

 

[joeea]

Today I saw two women with the small plastic cups with red liquid. Either fruit flavored ice tea or fruit punch.

Did you call the Panera police? Were they arrested and put in Panera jail?

 

[jollystomper]

Did you call the Panera police? Were they arrested and put in Panera jail?

You might not want to... it might end up like this: https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/mcdonalds-fight/ (WARNING: portions of video in article may be NSFW)

According to Dayag, a customer, who has been identified as Sabrinah Fontelar, asked for a water cup and then allegedly tried to fill it with soda. The McDonald’s supervisor, Erika Chavolla, turned off the soda machine to prevent the woman from filling her water cup with a soft drink, which angered Fontelar.

 

[Jerry1]

The individual staff doesn't get paid enough to cause a stir. That's what the manager is for. As as we all know here, it is a mystery how most managers in the world got their jobs!

Plus, the cost of the sugar water coming out of the fountain is so low that it’s not worth making a scene, even by the manager.

My wife shakes her head at me when I fill my cup with water and then give it a small amount if their lemonade. About the same flavor wise as adding a lemon. I wouldn’t fill the cup, but a spritz of lemon I’ve justified in my head. Oh well.

 

[travelover]

My frugal sister takes individual packets of Crystal Light drink mix to restaurants and orders water with her meal.

She should pay a corkage fee. Or is it a packet free?

 

[CardsFan]

My wife shakes her head at me when I fill my cup with water and then give it a small amount if their lemonade. About the same flavor wise as adding a lemon. I wouldn’t fill the cup, but a spritz of lemon I’ve justified in my head. Oh well.

So you are one of those people too

DW does that sometimes, and it does irk me. Can't explain why, I know it is a fraction of a penny in value. But it just does not feel right. Maybe because it is usually at the movie theater on $5 tuesday with free popcorn?

 

[travelover]

You might not want to... it might end up like this: https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/mcdonalds-fight/ (WARNING: portions of video in article may be NSFW)

Thanks, now I can skip the Jerry Springer show today

 

[Lakewood90712]

Cherry Liqueur from a flask in her purse.

 

[Kelor]

I have a friend that owns several McDonalds. He says he loses 6 figures/year on people that steal soda.

They do it multiple ways. He said I couldn't imagine how many people show up with old McDonalds cups on every visit. His revenue goes up every time McD's changes the look of their cups. Then a few days later it drops precipitously.

 

[CaptTom]

I really doubt any McDonald's "loses" six figures per year on soda. The unit cost of the soda itself is so low that often the cup is worth more. And some places are getting $2 or more per serving. It's almost all pure profit.

I get water because (1) I prefer it to carbonated or sugary drinks, and (2) I'm not addicted to caffeine any more. But also because I just can't bring myself to pay $2 or more for something that's worth $0.05 or less.

 

[RobbieB]

They have to charge more to cover the theft.

 

[travelover]

I have a friend that owns several McDonalds. He says he loses 6 figures/year on people that steal soda.........

That would be $27 a day. My local McDonalds typically has any size soft drink for a dollar. So, even counting losses at full retail, that would be someone stealing a full drink every hour 24 hours a day.


Maybe, but I doubt it.

 

[calmloki]

We drink water, wherever we are. Maybe some wine or a mixed drink now and again. HOWEVER. It is very common for a bottle of Calmoki's home carbonated, Schrader valve capped water to get smuggled into the theater in the gal's purse. Gals gotta stay hydrated y'know. I don't feel huge amounts of guilt, but thanks for the confessional.

 

[pj.mask]

I don’t drink soda pops, haven’t had one in years. If I’m feeling feisty with a good priced meal (>$10 lunch) I might use carbonated water. Unclear if I should be paying soda prices for carbonated water but at one lunch place I go it’s “free soda pop with lunch” (no carbonated water lever) so they win out. Same with my Costco hot dog.

Did some online sleuthing; for a 22 oz cup:
Syrup = .23c
ice, co2 = .02
lid/cup/straw = .05

So I don’t use ice but I guess there is a $0.02 I am stealing... don’t feel too bad about it.

For the $100k at McDonald’s, if you look at cost would have to be 3-4x the previous estimate for cost vs lost revenue. Just imagine how much profit they must be making to have that much traffic (probably off the same people - who saves a cup and brings it with them unless they go to McDonald’s every day or something?)

 

[broadway]

Did you call the Panera police? Were they arrested and put in Panera jail?

Why would I call the Panera police?
The two employees that I chatted with --- not about the beverage stealing --- saw the same thing and said nothing.
Not my problem.


.

 

[broadway]

That would be $27 a day. My local McDonalds typically has any size soft drink for a dollar. So, even counting losses at full retail, that would be someone stealing a full drink every hour 24 hours a day.


Maybe, but I doubt it.

Are you basing that figure on 10 stores?


$100,000/10 stores ---> $10,000 store/year ---> $27.40/day = $1.14 per hour per store per day





I personally haven't seen this at a McDonald, but I don't eat there much anymore.




.

 

[GrayHare]

Is stealing $1 ok because stealing $10 would be worse?

Since hot fast food is relatively inexpensive I don't mind overpaying for soda or water. I doubt many franchisees rake in huge profits.