It’s a McDonald’s phenomenon that has inspired memes, apps and even a government inquiry. , the newest flavor to join the ranks of its frozen treat offerings. In response, some folks took to social media to express about it, while others posted about with the treat, but there were plenty of people commenting about the the chain’s seemingly always broken ice cream machines.
“If that McFlurry machine is broken, I’m coming through that drive-thru window,” one person under a post on X about the new treat. “Given the number of broken ice cream machines, I have a better chance of getting out of season than I do this McFlurry,” another. On TikTok, most of the posts under the hashtag are about McDonald’s, and the same goes for on X.
For its part, McDonald’s USA tells TODAY.com its sales data over the past few years has shown its shake machines are up and running around 95% of the time across the country, depending on the local restaurant. It also notes that it provides training resources for crew members and encourages regular maintenance check-ups to keep machines running smoothly.
So, where does the idea that its machines are always out of service come from? McDonald’s has been selling ice cream-based treats for nearly a century. Back in 1956, future McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc with the Taylor Company to supply milkshake machines as McDonald’s exclusive supplier, keeping that partnership going almost 90 years later. Since that deal, McDonald’s has added vani.